Director, Student Involvement And Leadership Center

Position OverviewThe Student Involvement and Leadership Center serves as the hub for campus engagement and Student Involvement experiences at the University of Kansas. Through vibrant programs and experiences, the Student Involvement and Leadership Center connects students to their peers, personal interests, and goals. The Student Involvement and Leadership Center houses over 500 registered student organizations, supporting organization leaders with group management, finances, and engagement. The Student Involvement and Leadership Center is home to Student Senate, the university’s student governance association, and supports their allocation of over $22 million annually toward student support services and campus operations. The center also supports campus wide initiatives for nontraditional students and students living off campus, as well as manages the university’s online student engagement platform. SILC collaborates across the university to engage students and student organizations in mentorship, resources, and involvement opportunities that foster their personal, academic, and Leadership development.
The Student Involvement and Leadership Center (SILC) Director provides vision and oversight for all aspects of the center. The SILC Director is responsible for staff support and management, serving as a thought partner and key resource for SILC staff and campus partners involved in student engagement efforts. The director supports a team of five full-time professionals, in addition to graduate assistants and student leaders. The director reports to the Assistant Vice Provost for Student Affairs and serves as a key member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team.
Student Affairs at the University of Kansas makes learning possible through programs and services designed to support students across their KU experience. Student Affairs includes seventeen departments which coordinate services designed to assist students in achieving their academic and personal goals. Student Affairs serves as an advocate for students across the University community.
If you are looking for a rewarding and dynamic career, look no farther than the University of Kansas. In addition to a competitive salary, KU offers great benefits to employees with up to 176 hours of paid vacation per year, 96 hours of sick leave earned per year, 10 paid holidays plus one discretionary day, a great retirement program, medical and dental insurance, life and disability insurance, other benefit plan options and state of Kansas discounts offered by various vendors. KU also offers employees educational opportunities for employees. KU is a great place to work! The University actively encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups.Job Description45% Management of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center

• Establish a dynamic, future-oriented mission and vision for Student Involvement and Leadership Center. Ensure all departmental activities and initiatives align with the unit’s mission, vision, and strategic initiatives.
• Oversee the hiring for an expanded Student Involvement and Leadership Center staff. Ensure all hiring processes align with best practices for inclusive searches, as well as all university policies and state and federal laws. Support onboarding and ongoing training for all staff.
• Directly supervise SILC Assistant Directors and support staff. Support the supervision of additional staff in the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.
• Manage Student Involvement and Leadership Center budget and all associated endowment funds. Ensure timely and appropriate use of all funds associated with the Student Involvement and Leadership Center. Track unit financial needs and spending patterns over time. Ensure equitable resource allocation across programs and student organizations.
• Provide counsel to university administrators and other critical stakeholders as requested.
• Develop, revise, and provide counsel on university policies pertaining to the student organization experience.
• Coordinate ongoing professional development for staff within the Student Involvement and Leadership Center. Ensure staff remain connected to and well-versed in relevant developments to support their work with student organizations and the leadership development experience at KU.

25% Community Relations

• Advise Student Senate and one or more related committees, in collaboration with a team of Student Senate advisors.
• Establish and maintain working relationships and collaborations with student organization advisors, community partners, national organization representatives, and other stakeholders.
• Serve as a resource for students, families, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders on issues related to Student Involvement and organizations.
• Set a vision for the office brand and communications strategy. Oversee office communications strategy and products, in coordination with the SILC community relations and communications staff.

25% Assessment and Strategic Planning

• Foster a culture of evidence-based decisions and practices within the Student Involvement and Leadership Center. Oversee the implementation of assessments to evaluate the effectiveness/success of student organization, leadership development, and other community programming.
• Track data-based trends as related to Student Involvement and Leadership development, both within and beyond KU. Identify opportunities for expansion, trends over time, and projections for future needs.
• Collaborate with peer institutions and professional organizations to ensure the Student Involvement and Leadership Center reflects current best practices and serves as a thought partner in developing high-impact student engagement experiences.
• Develop, monitor, and evaluate departmental learning outcomes. Ensure all Student Involvement and Leadership Center programming advances departmental, Student Affairs, and university learning outcomes.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate the Student Involvement and Leadership Center strategic plan, in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

5% Other duties as Assigned

• Serve on university-wide and Student Affairs committees, as needed.
• Respond to emergency situations within the student organization community.

Required Qualifications

1. Master’s degree in higher education, college student personnel, educational leadership, counseling, social work, psychology, or a related field; or a juris doctorate degree.
2. Five years of full-time professional work experience in higher education.
3. Five years of experience advising and/or working directly with student organizations and/or leadership development programs on a college campus.
4. Applied knowledge of best practices and national trends impacting Student Involvement, engagement, and Leadership development as demonstrated through work history.
5. Five years of experience supervising professional and student staff.
6. Experience developing and managing complex organizational budgets.
7. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a diverse population of students, staff, faculty, administrators, and other members of the community.
8. Excellent written and verbal communication skills as evidenced by application materials and interview.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Terminal degree in a related field.
2. Experience collaborating with internal and external constituents and fostering productive relationships across audiences.
3. Membership in NASPA, ACPA, and/or similar professional organization.
4. Commitment to professional development and professional associations as evidenced by memberships and/or presentations.
5. Experience developing and implementing educational materials, programs, and workshops.
6. Experience developing policies and procedures related to college students and/or student organizations.
7. Experience developing, implementing, and assessing learning outcomes and strategic plans and priorities related to college student engagement.
8. Experience in managing confidential and sensitive information.
9. Demonstrated ability to analyze complex situations.
10. Commitment to creating inclusive educational environments for college students, as demonstrated through work experience.

Additional Candidate InstructionsIn addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:A cover letter addressing how required and preferred qualifications are met.

Resume or curriculum vitae.

Contact information for three professional references.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application review begins Monday, April 1, 2024 and will continue until a qualified pool of candidates has been identified.
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Contact Information to ApplicantsKatie Treadwell, Ed.D.
Assistant Vice Provost for Student Affairs
katie@ku.eduAdvertised Salary Range$75,000.00Work ScheduleMonday-Friday 8am-5pm, evening and weekend work expectedApplication Review BeginsMonday April 1, 2024Anticipated Start DateMonday July 1, 2024Apply to Job