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Director of Parent & Family Programs
Unit Mission:
Student Success strengthens
collaboration among students, faculty & staff to create a diverse and inclusive culture of excellence by expanding understanding
including academic and personal well-being. Our departments demonstrate a commitment to providing undergraduates and graduates with guidance
and services essential to the creation of an engaging learning environment where community is strengthened and individuals flourish. Parent
& Family Programs facilitates and advocates for the role of family involvement in community development and individual student success.
Our programs provide resources and activities that connect families with each other and with the W&M community. The activities,
programs, services, and regulations of the university are all planned with the following objectives in mind. Parent & Family Programs
welcome parents and families; creates opportunities for meaningful engagement with the university; connects parents and families with one
another; informs and educates parents and families about resources, critical issues and topics relevant to student success.
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Vice Dean for Student Success, the Director of Parent & Family Programs
facilitates and advocates for the role of family involvement in community development and individual student success. The program provides
resources and activities that connect families with each other and with the W&M community. The office implements pre-matriculation
events, large scale university events, and various constituents events throughout the year. The Director will have the overall
responsibility for the department including creating, executing, and managing the communications, marketing, and engagement strategies for
current families and is responsible for event management for all population-specific and campus-wide events (Family Orientation and Family
Weekend), including the planning, promotion, implementation, and assessment. The Director also develops and manages the budget for the
office, supervises professional and operational staff and student interns, and collaborates with other university departments to develop and
maintain communications and marketing strategies. The Director works with university advancement and the vice president for student affairs
as a member of the parent team for the overall success of the Parent & Family Council including engagement programs and initiatives. The
Director serves as an important team member of the Student Success staff focused on providing intervention strategies for students in
crisis, academic related advice, negotiates solutions between faculty and students regarding academic policies and procedures.
Required Qualifications:
The successful candidate must have a Master’s degree in Student Affairs
Administration, Communications/Marketing or related field; a minimum of 2 years professional higher education experience with demonstrated
successful major program planning and implementation experience; superior presentation skills; superior oral, written, and requires strong
interpersonal skills and an ability to interface professionally with alumni, parents, administration, faculty, and students. Must have
ability to work effectively with volunteers, with the donor community, with the academic community, and with colleagues. A high level of
expertise with social and electronic media; excellent problem solving, and negotiation skills; a high level of expertise with Microsoft
Office suite; and the ability to work within a diverse setting with faculty, student affairs staff, students, and family members
Preferred Qualifications:
It is highly desirable for the Director to have at least three to five years experience
working as an administrator in a higher education setting. The ideal candidate will have experience in the areas of parent engagement,
marketing and strategic communications, event planning, public relations, volunteer management, strategic implementations of new programming
and emerging and best practices in social media. The ideal candidate would demonstrate a desire to work with our family volunteer
communities to welcome parents and families to William & Mary family; create opportunities for meaningful engagement with the university
community; connect families with one another on a regional level; and educate families about valuable resources, critical issues and topics
relevant to student success.
