Olivet College Hiring for Residence Hall Director & Coordinator of Student Activities/Residence Education at Olivet, MI Full Time

About Olivet College: Since its inception in 1844, Olivet College’s founders and leaders have believed an education should be available to anyone regardless of gender, race, or financial means. The basis of Olivet College’s guiding principle was established by the founders when they wrote, “We wish simply to do good for our students by placing in their hands the means of intellectual, moral, and spiritual improvement and to teach them the divine art and science of doing good for others.”

Olivet College is located in Olivet, Michigan, which is a close-knit rural community that offers quiet streets and natural surroundings less than 30 minutes from the larger cities of Lansing and Battle Creek.

Members of historically underrepresented groups, including women and minorities, are strongly encouraged to apply. We encourage you to share the announcement of this career opportunity with other qualified individuals who may be interested.

To Apply: Click on the “Online Application Form” link to be directed to the Career Center. Once at the Career Center, select this title and then the “Apply” icon to complete a profile and upload a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references.

Any questions for the search committee can be directed to Jake Schuler, Assistant Dean of Student Engagement, via email at [email protected]. 

Start date:July 1 (or earlier).

Job Summary:

The Residence Hall Director and Coordinator of Student Activities and Residence Education position assists in creating an inclusive learning environment by facilitating a living and learning community within the residence halls and theme houses on campus. This is a live-in position for which campus housing and a meal plan are provided. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: serve as a senior staff member within the Office of Student Engagement; supervise a residential hall environment; model the Olivet College vision of Individual and Social Responsibility; foster restorative practices and community standards by using the Olivet College Compact as guiding principles; provide crisis response; provide after-hours coverage; participate in on-call duty rotation; supervise, train, and evaluate undergraduate student staff; facilitate residential, educational, and cultural programming; provide leadership for auxiliary positions as assigned. 

Candidates must possess the ability to create a positive student experience and a commitment to mentoring undergraduates in a collaborative and diverse environment that addresses the needs of students and community members.

***Please note that the candidate who is selected for this position MUST live in campus housing.

Minimum requirements: Bachelor’s degree plus two years of experience in a residence hall environment with educational, social, and community-building programming.

Preferred: Master’s degree in student affairs or a closely related field plus two years of experience in a residence hall environment. Experience with Title IX regulations, restorative justice, judicial affairs, and/or intramural sports preferred.

Compensation: This is a full-time position with a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, and generous paid holiday and leave time. 

Position Description follows:

Position title: Residence Hall Director and Coordinator of Student Activities and Residence Education

Department: Student Life

Supervisors: Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, and Dean of Student Engagement

Total employees directly supervised: None

Total student employees directly supervised: 5 to 10 Resident Advisors and Peer Mentors

Function: 

As a senior staff member, the Residence Hall Director and Coordinator of Student Activities and Residence Education fosters a seamless residential learning environment. The primary function is the facilitation of a safe and inclusive living and learning community in the residence halls and theme houses. Functional areas include, but are not limited to, the following: housing operations, restorative justice, intramural sports, residential education programs, student success, student activities, Greek Society life, Gender Center initiatives, and others as assigned. 

Responsibilities and accountabilities: 

Residence Hall Director:

1. Supervises, recruits, trains, and evaluates resident advisors, apartment managers, and student assistants.
2. Facilitates residential, educational, and cultural programming for their residential community with Resident Advisors and campus faculty and staff.
3. Serves as campus community leader and advisor to facilitate the Olivet Vision of Individual and Social Responsibility.
4. Promotes conflict resolution, problem-solving skills, and restorative practice measures by utilizing the Olivet College Compact guiding philosophies and community standards.
5. Collaborates with Campus Safety staff to ensure a safe living environment for all students and community members. 
6. Performs duties in a diverse, challenging, and occasionally stressful environment.
7. Responsible for providing crisis response and serving in on-call duty rotation, including holidays as needed.
8. Serves on the retention-focused Student Success CARE Team and the New Student Orientation Team.
9. Oversees the college-owned apartments, Greek society houses, and theme houses on campus.
10. Assists in COVID-19 response and assistance.

Coordinator of Student Activities:

1. Creates and posts social media content for the office of Student Engagement on a weekly basis; assists with Olivet College mobile app content creation and training.
2. Assists the Director of Student Activities with developing, advertising, and promoting student activities that meet the needs of the student body.
3. Assists the Campus Activities Advisory Board with advisement of student clubs and organizations.
4. Assists in the setup and teardown of on-campus events.
5. Assists in the operation of student activities and events, including Welcome Week, Homecoming, Olivet College mobile app training, etc.
6. Attends monthly Student Government Association meetings on behalf of the Student Activities Department. 
7. Attends weekly departmental meetings. 

Coordinator of Residence Education:

1. Manages student workers, volunteers, and student groups that host program initiatives.
2. Establishes the vision for the campus-wide Residential Education/Curriculum Program Model that benchmarks current trends. 
3. Develops programs, defines objectives, and measures success outcomes.
4. Acts as a primary liaison with the offices of Student Activities, Multicultural Programs, Intramural Sports, and Student Success.
5. Leads Resident Advisor selection, training, and development. 

The above job description is not all-inclusive, as other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned as needed.

Physical demands:

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals who are differently-abled to perform the essential functions.

1. The employee must be able to perform duties dependably and effectively in a diverse, challenging, and occasionally stressful environment.
2. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to:
   • stay in a stationary position for long periods and operate a keyboard or type on a device
   • use common business office machines, such as a copier, computer, and telephone 
   • occasionally handle materials weighing up to 50 pounds
   • access second and third floors of residence hall buildings that do not have elevators
   • traverse campus
   • occasionally be required to traverse slippery surfaces
   • occasionally be subjected to temperatures below 32 degrees or up to 100 degrees
   • communicate verbally with diverse constituencies.
3. The noise level in the work environment is usually mild to moderate.

Working Conditions: 

Work is performed in and out of the office environment.

Hazards:

Mainly those present in a normal residence life setting; no known hazards.

This position description is subject to change at any time with notice to the employee.