Area Director of Residential Life

Accountabilities:

The Area Director (AD) is a full-time, live-in position, primarily responsible for the effective and efficient execution of strategies and programs that enrich the residential experience at Colgate. The AD works closely the Residential Life Leadership Team and, when assigned to a Commons Area, a Residential Commons Leadership Team to build intellectually-engaging residential communities in which all students feel like they belong and have the opportunity to grow. ADs who oversee areas that fall within Residential Commons also work under the leadership of Commons Directors. The AD supervises live-in student staff in their respective areas, and may provide leadership for a part-time Fellow in a Residential Commons.

Specific Responsibilities

Community Development & Engagement
●Provide support in the development and furthering of the departmental philosophy, mission, and programs by translating the mission, vision, and strategic goals in ways that impact and transform residential communities
●Manage the facilitation of the community development and learning model in their area, which may include one-on-ones, event planning, community meetings, and other strategies
●Provide accurate advice and guidance that actively supports the growth, maturity, and intellectual development of individual students and groups of students within assigned residential communities
●Facilitate the administration of protocols and processes to address the needs of students of concern and to connect them with appropriate resources and support systems
●Participate in the management of student behavior by responding to incidents, meeting with students, and applying appropriate sanctions as detailed in the University student handbook.
●Resolve student conflict and conduct issues within assigned residential area (or broader when on-call), ensuring proper documentation of conduct issues
●Ensure the development of a safe, welcoming, accessible, and fair environment that actively includes and engages everyone
●Actively address issues and concerns that diminish the capacity for all students to feel like they belong and are able to engage in their respective communities
●Maintain active engagement in your assigned communities by participating in events and programs and having a presence in each area
●Serve as a role model of healthy engagement in the greater campus community

Intellectual Connection
●Provide leadership and support within assigned Residential Commons
●Assist residents with concerns that are barriers to academic success and make appropriate referrals as required
●Develop effective relationships with faculty, including assigned Residential Commons directors, in active implementation of living and learning objectives
●Facilitate the development of residential communities that support and encourage intellectual pursuits and academic engagement
●Advise the Commons Council in support of these goals

Staff Supervision
●Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate a team of student staff in accordance with department expectations, goals, and established procedures
●Participate in and plan on-going staff development and in-service activities for the purpose of continued training and opportunities for personal development for student staff
●Advise departmental committees for student staff members and students.

Facilities & Building Management Duties
●Coordinate, maintain, and monitor the administrative and operational functions associated with the management of a residence hall (occupancy management, room condition, maintenance, technology, etc.).
●Exercise judgement in effective day-to-day management of multiple housing facilities
●Manage residence hall opening and closing procedures for all assigned areas
●Facilitate regular health and safety inspections in each residential area
●Ensure that all reported damages and problems with residential facilities are fixed within an appropriate time frame

Crisis Management & Emergency Response
●Serve as a referral source for student staff during counseling and crisis issues
●Provide crisis intervention along with necessary follow-up after an incident, working in coordination with other Residential Life staff, as well as professionals from the Counseling Center, Dean's Office, Campus Safety, and other areas as needed
●Participate in scheduled professional staff on-call duty rotation
●Manage the student staff on-call duty for assigned duty areas

Core Departmental Responsibilities
●Build and maintain collaborative relationships with others in Residential Life, Dean of the College, Facilities, Faculty, and the University community, creating opportunities for them to engage and be involved with students around their areas of expertise
●Disseminate information regarding policies, conduct, administrative matters, and campus events to staff
●Become familiar with central department processes and policies in order to accurately promote and communicate with campus partners, students, and families, cover central office on a rotating basis to ensure these constituents are met with a welcome and informative presence
●Assist in assessment of student learning, student needs, and program effectiveness
●Manage room assignment changes within assigned residential communities in partnership with the Housing Coordinator
●Meet regularly with supervisor to review department goals, establish individual goals, assess progress and solve problems
●Work with students, parents, co-workers, supervisor, department staff, and University staff from diverse backgrounds on a variety of issues
●Communicate with parents, resolving concerns and addressing questions with care and support
●Maintain accurate knowledge of occupancy and vacancy records in your residential communities
●Facilitate weekly staff meetings and 1:1 meetings with assigned student staff
●Participate in university committees as deemed appropriate by members of the Residential Life Leadership Team, supervisor, or Director
●Model professional behavior appropriate for living in and among students
●Other duties as assigned

Professional Experience/Qualifications:

- Candidates must demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills and be capable of creating and maintaining productive and collegial working relationships with a diverse group of faculty, staff, students, and visitors.
- Must be available to work evenings, late nights and occasional weekends as required.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage multiple projects, programs and student challenges simultaneously with an appropriate sense of urgency.
-Room and partial board are also required and included in the compensation package.

Preferred Qualifications:

- A minimum of two years of relevant work experience is preferred.
- Preference will be given to candidates who have college or university experience in crisis management, student conduct, student staff supervision and program design.
- Experience with student activities and event planning preferred.
- Experience working with faculty within the context of a learning community or similar program is highly desired.
- Prior student intern, volunteer and/or professional supervisory experience is required.
- Previous student leadership roles are required.

Education:

- A Bachelor’s degree is required.
- A Master’s degree in higher education or related field is preferred.

Other Information:

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

Colgate University is renowned for its academic rigor, the beauty, and vitality of its campus, and the contributions of its alumni across a variety of fields and endeavors, who are exceptionally engaged with the institution. The largest of the small liberal arts colleges, Colgate boasts both substantial academic offerings as well as small classes, a strong emphasis on faculty-student interaction, and a residential community valuing all forms of intellectual curiosity. Colgate's faculty members are leading teachers and scholars, committed to intellectual engagement in all its forms. Colgate's approximately 2,900 highly motivated students achieve academically, athletically, and artistically, and are actively engaged in the world around them. Colgate is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff, and student population and fostering an inclusive community that embraces and values diversity in an environment of mutual respect, communication, and engagement.

Colgate was first founded in 1817 as The Baptist Education Society of the State of New York by 13 men with $13 and 13 prayers. The number 13 is still Colgate's lucky number; Friday the 13th is always designated Colgate Day. New York State granted the school a formal charter in 1819, and the Baptists in New York City — soap maker William Colgate among them — consolidated their seminary with the Hamilton school to form the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution in 1823. A state charter issued in 1846 changed the name to Madison University and established the right to grant degrees. Madison was changed to Colgate in 1890, in honor of the Colgate family's enduring support.

Today, Colgate is a thriving, highly selective liberal arts institution. Located in the geographic center of New York State, Colgate's campus in Hamilton, N.Y., features carefully preserved architecture, immaculate grounds, and a hillside setting. It is consistently named one of the most beautiful in the nation. It is a close-knit community where students develop lifelong bonds with the institution, with each other, and with faculty and staff members. More than 110 buildings on the 575-acre campus (the oldest dating back to 1827) and in Hamilton house Colgate's core educational, administrative, and student life functions. Faculty and staff members make intentional choices to live and work in Hamilton, N.Y., and this leads to a strong scholarly community that provides the foundation for an undergraduate education and preparation for life after college that is unique to Colgate.

The University's academic program is grounded in its Liberal Arts Core Curriculum, which has been in place since 1928 and is required of every undergraduate. The five core classes are Legacies of the Ancient World, Challenges of Modernity, Communities and Identities, Scientific Perspectives on the World, and Global Engagements. Undergraduates may choose from 56 majors and more than 45 minors. Classes are small, averaging 17 students, and are taught by nearly 300 full-time faculty members, 99 percent of whom have received a Ph.D. or terminal degree in their field. Students are encouraged to collaborate with faculty members in research efforts, and Colgate undergraduates have co-authored articles in professional publications for more than 30 years.

Colgate also has a rich tradition of international and off-campus study and has one of the largest faculty-led off-campus study programs in the nation. The University is ranked first by the Institute of International Education in the percentage of students participating in mid-length off-campus study programs. The off-campus study groups run for an entire semester, and travel to locations all around the world, including Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, South America, and within the United States. Extended study programs offer students between two and five weeks of study following the end of the semester. Through these and, more than 100 other affiliate programs, roughly two-thirds of Colgate students will study off-campus during their undergraduate years.

In recent years, the University has made significant investments in the campus in support of students' academic and overall development, most notably construction of Benton Hall, the new home of Colgate's comprehensive career development initiatives; the addition of the Class of 1965 Arena to its athletics facilities; and a new upper-campus quad featuring two new residence halls that provide spaces for collaboration, intellectual exploration, and student-faculty engagement.

The University recently announced a new no-loan initiative. Beginning with the 2020–
2021 academic year, Colgate's financial aid offering expands the support available to students and aims to lessen the burden of student debt. The no-loan initiative eliminates federal loans for all current and incoming students with a family income of up to $125,000 and household assets typical of this income range. Colgate students already graduate with one of the nation's lowest average levels of indebtedness. The average debt for students who graduated in the Class of 2019 was $15,305, compared to the national average of about $30,000. This recent announcement places Colgate in the company of the very best colleges and universities in the nation and continues a long-standing commitment to ensuring socioeconomic diversity in the student body.

With its endowment valued at more than $900 million and an annual operating budget just above $200 million, Colgate holds a AA credit rating with S&P, which was reaffirmed in October 2018. In addition, Moody's Investment Service affirmed Colgate's Aa3 rating in August 2017 based on the university's excellent strategic positioning as a highly selective private liberal arts school with a robust market and sizeable financial resources.

To learn more about Colgate University, visit www.colgate.edu.

Hamilton and the Surrounding Community

Founded in 1795, the village of Hamilton, named one of the friendliest towns in the United States by Forbes magazine, has a population of roughly 4,000. The Hamilton Village Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and is home to an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants. The area is ideal for outdoor recreation including biking, hiking, trail running, and skiing. Colgate's golf course, Seven Oaks, was designed by Robert Trent Jones and has been repeatedly recognized as one of the best college golf courses in the country. The University's location provides easy access for summer hikes and winter ski trips. It is less than a one-hour drive from Syracuse, four hours away from New York City, and five hours from Boston. A train to NYC departs several times daily from nearby Utica, N.Y. (40 minutes).

Colgate and the Village of Hamilton's Partnership for Community Development develop an active network of professional consultants, foundations, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations located throughout the Central New York region to assist area residents, businesses, and visitors. This includes efforts to stimulate and support local businesses through small business development and the revitalization of historic buildings. To strengthen the relationship between the village and the University, and to add to the economic development of downtown, Colgate relocated its campus bookstore to the downtown area of the village. Similarly, Colgate owns the Palace Theater, a 300-seat performing arts venue that is leased to an external nonprofit arts organization.

Leadership
Brian W. Casey was inaugurated as Colgate's 17th president in 2016. After a career in law, Casey earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University in the history of American civilization, focusing specifically on higher education and intellectual history. Prior to Colgate, he was president of DePauw University. At Colgate, President Casey refocusing a commitment to Colgate's core identity: academic excellence and an immersive program in the liberal arts, preparing Colgate's students for well-rounded lives and careers.

Paul J. McLoughlin II joined Colgate as vice president and dean of the college in July 2017. Previously, McLoughlin served as dean of students at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. At Lafayette, McLoughlin oversaw residential life, recreation services, student conduct, wellness, student leadership and involvement, fraternity and sorority advising, and other campus life initiatives. McLoughlin is an integral member of President Casey's cabinet, participating in all aspects of institution-wide planning and policy development as Colgate works to achieve its third-century plan. He provides operational leadership of the dean of the college division, with a portfolio including administrative advising (the administrative complement to academic advising provided through students' faculty advisers), residential life; campus safety; environmental health and safety; emergency management; multicultural and diversity initiatives, including the ALANA Cultural Center; fraternity and sorority advising; University ministry and the Chaplaincy, international student services, the Max Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education; student conduct; health services, wellness, and psychological services and counseling. As of August 2019, Colgate's award-winning career services unit joined the division and reports to McLoughlin, to further integrate career preparation into the student experience.

COLGATE STUDENTS AND STUDENT LIFE

Colgate students are achievers intellectually, athletically, and artistically, and are actively engaged in the world around them. For the Class of 2023, fewer than 2,240 students were offered admission, chosen from more than 9,900 applicants representing 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 132 countries. The acceptance rate was 22.6 percent. Admitted students had an average GPA of 3.82 and the middle 50 percent achieved a combined SAT score of 1410–1520. Of the full student body, 55 percent of students are women. Domestic students of color constitute 22 percent, and international students account for 15 percent. Forty-two percent of students receive financial aid, and Colgate meets 100 percent of the demonstrated need.

The curricular and co-curricular overlap and intersect often at Colgate. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1 and the average class has 17 students. Small classes are common and allow professors to advise and mentor students inside and outside of the classroom.

Colgate is a residential university with more than 93 percent of students living on campus. Housing options include traditional residence halls; interest-based residential communities; townhouses, apartments; and University-owned houses. The University's Residential Commons system, which launched in 2014, creates strong and welcoming living/learning communities and has required the renovation of existing dormitory facilities and the construction of new residence halls. Starting with the Class of 2021, every first-year student was randomly assigned to one of the four commons. First- and second-year students live in their Residential Commons and student lives alongside fellow first-year seminar classmates, thereby linking living and learning in meaningful ways. Colgate assigns first-year roommates through careful selection according to students' living and learning preferences. Through membership in their commons, students engage with professors and each other in special recreational, social, and intellectual activities. More on the Residential Commons.

Junior and senior students live in college apartments, college houses, fraternity- or sorority-affiliated chapter houses, or townhouses, and a limited number may apply to live off-campus their senior year. The 250 students approved to live off-campus through the lottery are expected to contribute positively to the Village of Hamilton to ensure a positive and healthy relationship between the village and the campus.

The University's visual and performing arts offerings support the academic and creative endeavors of students on campus, as well as host visiting artists, musicians, filmmakers, theater groups, and other creative professionals.

Fraternities and sororities are a long-standing tradition at Colgate, dating back to the first fraternity charter adopted in 1856. Roughly one-third of all Colgate students are affiliated with the fraternity and sorority community at Colgate University, which includes eight internationally affiliated organizations. Students are eligible to join a fraternity or sorority in their sophomore year and Colgate owns and oversees all chapter houses.

Colgate also has a rich and competitive athletic tradition. Approximately 25 percent of students are involved in a varsity sport, and 80 percent of students are involved in some form of varsity, club, or intramural athletics. There are 25 varsity teams, more than 40 club sports teams, and 18 different intramural sports. Colgate is part of the NCAA Division I Patriot League for all varsity sports (ECAC of Division I for men's and women's hockey) and consistently has one of the NCAA's top graduation rates among student-athletes. The Colgate Raiders have consistently won Patriot League championships and regularly qualify and compete in NCAA tournaments.

EEO Statement:

It is the policy of Colgate University not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of their race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, marital status, disability, protected Veterans status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, being or having been victims of domestic violence or stalking, familial status, or any other categories covered by law. Colgate is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups, women, persons with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.