Position Title: Assistant Dean of Student Life (Berkeley, CA)
Position Type: Regular
Salary Range:
$79,920/annual to $93,960/annual; commensurate with experience
Pay Frequency: Annual POSITION PURPOSE
The Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (JST-SCU) is an international center of scholarly and ministerial formation. The faculty and student body are composed of lay men and women, Jesuits, clergy, and members of other religious orders. Rooted in the Catholic and Ignatian traditions, we engage in ecumenical, interfaith, and intercultural dialogue through the Graduate Theological Union. Distinguished faculty encourage students to think critically about theology and how to justly live out their faith in service of the Church and the global community.
The Assistant Dean of Student and Community Life (henceforth Assistant Dean) at the Jesuit School of Theology (JST) reports to the Senior Assistant Dean and serves as a member of the Student Life and Formation Cluster. The Assistant Dean is a member of the Dean's Cabinet and oversees all aspects of student and community life including student well-being and co-curricular learning.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Assistant Dean is responsible for leading the School's building of a robust and spirit-filled community life; ensuring care for students, their well-being and belonging; advocating for and providing resources in support of co-curricular formation; supporting international students; providing leadership and administration for the area, and ensuring a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Assistant Dean will work with offices at JST and Santa Clara University (SCU) to support the following duties and responsibilities and will collaborate with counterparts at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) member schools and partners, and with the Rector of the Jesuit Community in Berkeley.
Community Life: ​Oversee and lead students, staff, and faculty efforts to build a robust and spirit-filled community life, mindful of and attentive to the distinct and diverse populations that make up JST.
Create a strategic plan to achieve a healthy and vibrant school community life in support of student learning and JST's academic and strategic priorities; the plan should integrate the spiritual and liturgical life of the school and include structures and opportunities for student leadership to emerge.
Informed by the aforementioned strategic plan, prepare annual cycles for school-wide community programming and events involving students, faculty, and staff; and coordinate the implementation of events.
Oversee community members' coordination of Tuesday evening suppers and presentations (or alternatively scheduled community programming), special celebrations such as the opening barbecue after Mass of Gathering, Commencement weekend activities, and other school-wide community gatherings.
Plan and coordinate the execution of new student orientation each semester.
Conduct regular assessment of community life and student services, including incoming, year-end, and graduate surveys, following ATS recommendations. File reports on those assessments, as well as on programmatic changes made on the basis of conclusions drawn from those assessments.
Monitor the student climate to foster a welcoming and supportive environment. Work in partnership with the SCU Office for Diversity and Inclusion.
Student Care and Well-Being: provide direct and coordinated support for student well-being, including mental and physical health resources and belonging; serve as an advocate for student concerns about non-academic matters.
Partner with and serve as a liaison to Santa Clara University's Associate Dean of Students to advocate for and support JST students.
Partner with and serve as a liaison to Santa Clara University's Director of Health and Counseling to advocate for and support the mental health needs of JST students.
Aggregate and coordinate mental health resources for JST students, including but not limited to counseling and talk-therapy for JST students. Encourage JST students to take advantage of these resources.
Articulate and communicate office policy regarding student life and well-being.
Update and revise annually Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct and other official policies, in coordination with other SCU and JST offices; disseminate policies regularly (at least annually) to all students.
Under the guidance of the SCU Office of Student Life, serve as the primary, though not the only, hearing officer for student conduct cases.
Serve as mediator for conflicts within JST residences, in collaboration with the Manager of Housing and Buildings Operations.
Collaborate with staff and faculty to identify and to support students of concern.
Partner with the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX to proactively ensure that JST students are aware of their resources and options available if and when they are needed.
Coordinate and disseminate health and safety alerts in collaboration with the Director of Finance and Administration.
Student Resources: provide direct and coordinated support for students as they pursue their holistic and co-curricular education and formation.
Collaborate with JST faculty, staff, and students to plan programming that contributes to the holistic and co-curricular education and formation of students.
Partner with, and serve as a liaison to, Santa Clara University's Office of Career and Professional Development to develop and to implement strategies and resources that will support students in career development strategies and vocational counseling.
Partner with SCU Health Insurance Coordinator to ensure JST students' access to SCU health insurance.
Partner with, and serve as a liaison to, Santa Clara University's Office of Accessible Education to ensure that students are aware of the resources and options available.
Partner with, and serve as a liaison to, Santa Clara University's Office of Campus Ministry to share resources and ministry opportunities that support JST students and contribute to their formation.
Partner with the Directors of Spiritual Formation and Ministerial Formation to plan lay formation activities, resources, and programming, according to the recommendations in the Research Report on Lay Ecclesial Formation at JST.
Serve as an advisor and support to the Jean Donovan Lay Intentional Community. Oversee the selection process for new community members.
Support for International Students: coordinate with JST Admissions and Academic offices and with SCU's Global Engagement Office to support international students to access student services.
Facilitate international students' integration into the school community, cultivating opportunities for belonging and intercultural learning throughout the school community.
Plan and coordinate the execution of orientation programming for international students, in coordination with Admissions and Academic offices and the Global Engagement Office.
Coordinate with SCU International Student Services office, and, as needed, the Rector of the Jesuit Community in Berkeley (or their delegate) in ensuring that international students receive support and advising in applying for visas for entry into the US, travel and study abroad and international immersion programs.
Coordinate with SCU Global Engagement and, as needed, the Rector of the Jesuit Community in Berkeley (or their delegate) to ensure that JST international students receive assistance with the following: parish assignments; employment authorizations; social security card applications; banking; drivers licenses; and other practical life needs.
Leadership and Administration: Serve as the face of student and community life at JST and oversee the administrative structures necessary for this area to thrive.
Serve as a member of JST's Dean's Cabinet.
Provides regular reports on student and community life for the JST Academic Council and the JST Board of Directors.
Develop the infrastructure for expansion of formal student leadership roles.
Represent JST at university-wide meetings and events.
Serve on JST- and SCU-wide committees.
Develop and manage an annual budget.
Oversee the student life webpage and make sure it aligns with JST's web management goals.
Oversee communication, including the Magis Weekly Newsletter, regarding student and community life.
Other Duties as assigned: Perform other duties as assigned. PROVIDES WORK DIRECTION
Provides supervision and work direction to full-time staff, on-call staff, and graduate student assistants.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Recommends initiatives and implements changes to improve quality and services.
Identifies and determines cause of problems; develops and presents recommendations for improvement of established processes and practices.
Maintains contact with participants/applicants and solicits feedback for improved services.
Maximizes productivity through use of appropriate tools; planned training and performance initiatives.
Researches and develops resources that create timely and efficient workflow.
Prepares progress reports; informs supervisor of project status; and deviation from goals. Ensures completeness, accuracy and timeliness of all operational functions.
Prepares and submits reports as requested and required.
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The items below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience required or preferred. This position requires the ability to effectively establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment, as well as the ability to protect the confidentiality of communications.
Knowledge
Knowledge of student life and student services in the context of graduate education
Understanding of co-curricular learning as an essential component of holistic education and formation
Understanding of Catholic higher education and ministry/theology degrees
Broad exposure to Catholic religious life and Catholic ministries
Broad familiarity with Hispanic/Latin American culture in the US or globally
Understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging practices
Familiarity with international students and intercultural environments
Skills
Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred
Strategic planning skills preferred
Strong communication and listening skills required
Strong project management and implementation skills required
Strong technical skills including ability to use, or learn to use Google Workspace, Workday, Zoom required
Strong organizational and general administration skills required
Strong budget management skills required
Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills required
Strong skills in conflict resolution required
Abilities
Ability to bring people together and build community
Ability to enter into Ignatian spirituality and to lead a community in living it out
Ability to mobilize volunteers to take on leadership roles
Ability to proactively initiate new programs to meet JST's evolving needs
Early-adopter attitude toward ever-evolving technology and willingness to learn new applications and systems
Ability to work with diverse stakeholders and in particular with communities of color
Ability to exercise good judgment
Ability to maintain confidentiality
Ability to organize and manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines
Ability to work independently and as a team member
Education Master's degree in related field required, preferably theology
Years of Experience - 5-8 years working to cultivate student and community life in an academic environment.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, the California Fair Employment & Housing Act, and all other applicable laws, SCU provides reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities. A qualified individual is a person who meets skill, experience, education, or other requirements of the position, and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer terminal
May be required to travel to other buildings on the campus
May be required to travel to other buildings at the GTU
May be required to travel to Santa Clara University
May be required to attend conference and training sessions within Bay Area or in- or out-of-state locations
May be required to occasionally travel to outside customers, vendors or suppliers
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
Typical office environment
Mostly indoor office environment with windows
Offices with frequent interruptions
EEO Statement
​ Equal Opportunity/Notice of Nondiscrimination
Santa Clara University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and California State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Applications from members of historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged. For a complete copy of Santa Clara University's equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, see https://www.scu.edu/title-ix/policies-reports/
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Santa Clara University does not discriminate in its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex/gender, and prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination investigation or complaint process internally or externally. The Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is Jenna Elliott, Interim Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 408-551-3043, jrelliot@scu.edu , www.scu.edu/title-ix . Inquiries can also be made to the Assistant Secretary of Education within the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Clery Notice of Availability
Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus crimes and other reportable incidents in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. To view the Santa Clara University report, please go to the Campus Safety Services website . To request a paper copy please call Campus Safety at (408) 554-4441. The report includes the type of crime, venue, and number of occurrences.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Santa Clara University affirms its' commitment to employ qualified individuals with disabilities within the workplace and to comply with the Americans with Disability Act. All applicants desiring an accommodation should contact the Department of Human Resources , and 408-554-5750 and request to speak to Indu Ahluwalia by phone at 408-554-5750 or by email at iahluwalia@scu.edu .
Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus crimes and other reportable incidents in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. To view the Santa Clara University report, please go to the Campus Safety Services website . To request a paper copy please call Campus Safety at (408) 554-4441. The report includes the type of crime, venue, and number of occurrences.
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