Community Director

Department: University Life

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax

Salary:  Beginning mid $40k; commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Housing & Residence Life (HRL) is an auxiliary organization within the University Life unit of George Mason University. HRL employs over 170 full-time and graduate staff members and over 200 undergraduate student staff members. HRL oversees student housing areas comprised of roughly 6,000 beds within over forty (40) residential facilities, as well as housing the distributed campuses including the Science & Technology Campus and the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation. HRL is committed to provide a safe, student centered environment that is inclusive of the global community; dedicated to creating a home that enriches the experiences of our students, staff, and faculty.

About the Position:

The Community Director is a 12-month, live-in professional staff member responsible for the educational, social, and cultural growth of the individual student and the overall residential community. The primary responsibilities include initiating, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating efforts in the assigned residential area(s) that result in a student-centered community that supports the academic mission of George Mason University. The Community Director is responsible for the overall administration and management of their assigned residential area(s).

Responsibilities:

Supervision and Leadership:

• Supervise and lead a team of Resident Assistants (RAs) and/or Community Assistants (CAs); provide on-going training to develop leadership skills and enhance competencies essential to their positions;
• Educate and hold staff accountable to all University policies, HRL policies, and HRL student staff expectations;
• Plan and implement staff development to aid the RAs and/or CAs in creating positive team dynamics that foster collaboration and problem-solving skills;
• Supervise and support RAs and/or CAs in their administrative assignments, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and completion; 
• Provide opportunities for staff to receive feedback on the quality and effectiveness of their work; formally evaluate the performance of RAs and/or CAs during the fall and spring semesters;
• Lead regular staff meetings with the RAs and/or CAs in assigned area;
• Conduct bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with RAs and/or CAs; 
• Develop and maintain staff awareness of campus/community issues through training, programming, individual contacts, and role modeling;
• Aid and advise undergraduate student staff in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and social justice;
• Recruit, interview, evaluate, select, and on-board student staff candidates for all HRL hiring processes; and
• Support any Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) in assigned residential area and engage in ongoing collaboration with respective academic and University Life partners. 

Student Support and Development:

• Address incidents of inappropriate behavior in/around the residence halls using an educational and developmental approach;
• Serve as a hearing officer to effectively resolve cases of student misconduct and violations of the Code of Conduct and/or Resident Student Handbook;
• Assist students with academic, vocational, and personal concerns; connect students with on-campus resources when appropriate;
• Manage situations involving various psychological, emotional, medical or other safety related incidents in the residential community; collaborate with appropriate campus resources to properly support students and provide adequate resources;
• Participate in the evening, weekend, and holiday duty rotation with other Community Directors; directly respond to on-campus emergencies and student crises as needed;
• Actively participate in cultivating an environment that supports the well-being of residential students through various University initiatives, committees, and events;
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with both residents and HRL staff that encourages on-going communication, mutual support, and respect; and
• Support University-wide initiatives focused on student retention and early intervention efforts.

Community Development and Programming:

• Implement the residential curriculum within assigned area to address the developmental needs of specific student populations; 
• Design proactive approaches to involve students in creating community values and engaging in ethical standards such as respect, courtesy, inclusion, appreciation of differences, and civility;
• Coordinate and participate in department-wide and University-wide events such as Welcome2Mason, Block Parties, Family Weekend, Orientation, Admissions events, and other programs as assigned;
• Engage instructional faculty, RLC stakeholders, and/or other University partners in community events and overall residential curriculum plan for assigned area; and
• Accurately track community development efforts and assessment data as requested by the Assessment Coordinator or HRL Leadership Team. 

Administrative Duties, Collaborations, and Partnerships:

• Attend and participate in staff development activities as outlined by the department; attend regularly scheduled HRL and University Life meetings;
• Conduct regular community walk-throughs of assigned residence hall(s) to detect any maintenance or facilities concerns; when necessary and appropriate, utilize the damage billing protocol outlined in the student Housing Agreement;
• Maintain all appropriate documentation related to facilities management and inventory control, and conduct equipment and building inventories on a regular basis;
• Ensure timely and accurate documentation of all student interactions and processes as needed such as incident reports, student conduct meeting notes, student care reports, etc.;
• Maintain accurate records regarding all purchases and budget reconciliations as required;
• In conjunction with Environmental Health & Safety, assist in the execution of fire drills and health and safety inspections as scheduled by HRL;
• Manage community and roommate agreements for all students in assigned residence halls;
• Actively support and comply with all University policies, department regulations, vision, and goals; 
• Serve in an assigned committee role to support other units within HRL or University Life, such as Mason Well-Being Initiatives, University Career Services, summer operations, etc.;
• Maintain a visible presence in the residence halls as a live-in professional; engage in positive, professional interactions with students after business hours to promote community development;
• Maintain positive relationships with other University departments (i.e., GMU Police Department, Student Involvement, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Support and Advocacy, etc.);
• Assist in the recruitment and selection of HRL staff through participation in search committees;
• Support and assist in the implementation of summer projects, including but not limited to summer housing operations, training, annual policy and procedure assessment/review, orientation, etc.; and
• Assist in fulfilling duties for vacant positions on the Residence Life team or within the department when necessary and appropriate. 

Other: 

• Engage in assessment and reporting as needed;
• Actively support and comply with all University policies, HRL regulations, department vision and goals;
• Act as essential personnel in times of emergency and at critical times;
• Participate in Divisional hiring search committees as available; and
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the direct supervisor and/or HRL Leadership team.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Previous leadership experience as an undergraduate and/or graduate student within a residential and/or university setting;
• Undergraduate and/or graduate student staff supervision experience;
• Problem solving abilities;
• Demonstrated effective communication skills;
• Effective leadership skills; and
• Organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in a live-in housing and residence life position;
• Demonstrated relationship-building skills;
• Ability to work in a highly autonomous environment; and
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Community Director at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application; and provide a cover letter, resume, and a list of three professional references with contact information.

Posting Open Date:  January 3, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  January 15, 2024

Open Until Filled?:  Yes