Director, Student Life

Mission Driven Community FocusedAbout Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science ()

Charles R. Drew University is located in the Watts-Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles and was founded in 1966 in the wake of the Watts uprising. CDU was founded to address inadequate medical care in the region and to provide equitable medical education opportunities for underrepresented students.

CDU is strongly invested in the local and regional community. The university leads multiple partnerships and programs to provide equitable healthcare resources in a variety of South Los Angeles neighborhoods.

The Director of Student Life Belonging and Development serves as a key leadership role within the Division of Student Affairs at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU). Reporting directly to the Assistant Vice Provost for Student Affairs the Director provides leadership and oversight for all non-academic aspects of student life and serves as a key member of the Vice Provost Management Team as an advocate for students. The Director has primary responsibility for leadership management strategic direction policy development and administrative oversight of co- and extracurricular student services including student multicultural affairs student conduct student development student life student career services and student government and organizations.

The Director leads institutional efforts to foster a strong sense of belonging community engagement and persistence among all students with specific emphasis on retention persistence and graduation initiatives. The Director will directly supervise the Student Life Belonging and Development team and student support-related services. The Director will direct the growth of comprehensive student life planning and student support-related services commensurate with a growing student population.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Administration

• Develop comprehensive strategic plans targeting student persistence retention and graduation/completion rates
• Create implement and assess proactive strategies to identify and address barriers to student persistence and completion
• Develop plans and budgets and manage all operations of functions to support non-academic student services
• Manage budget personnel and resources allocated to student life programming to maximize impact on retention and student success
• Implement a cohesive vision for student engagement and belonging that aligns with the institutions and divisions mission and strategic objectives
• Develop and prepare regular assessment reports on retention and completion metrics to inform continuous improvement efforts
• Serve on the Student Affairs leadership team to ensure seamless integration of services across all units
• Work collaboratively with Institutional Research to analyze student retention and completion data to develop targeted interventions

Student Retention and Persistence

• Develop implement and assess data-driven strategies to increase student retention persistence and graduation rates
• Design and execute comprehensive belonging initiatives that create strong student-institution connections linked to improved retention
• Establish clear retention goals benchmarks and key performance indicators for student persistence
• Collaborate with academic programs to develop integrated support systems for students at risk of attrition
• Develop early alert systems and intervention strategies for students showing signs of disengagement
• Create academic and social integration opportunities that research shows improve student persistence
• Lead initiatives addressing the unique retention challenges of first-generation underrepresented and non-traditional students
• Design specific programming to support students through key transition and milestone points that represent high attrition risk

Student Engagement and Development

• Develop and implement strategies to increase student retention and enhance student satisfaction through meaningful engagement
• In partnership with other Student Affairs units and academic programs address the current shortfalls in retention strategies factors influencing retention and develop a strategy for retaining first-year students
• Oversee planning and implementation of student activities including new student orientations Gradfest campus traditions and cultural events designed to foster belonging and connection
• Develop and progress opportunities for civic engagement leadership development and community building
• Collaborate and support student organizations and student government to enhance campus life and create meaningful student connections
• Develop and implement effective strategies to foster career development and education about various health pathways
• Develop and implement effective outreach strategies to connect students with relevant services and resources
• Develop initiatives that foster an inclusive campus community celebrate diversity and strengthen students sense of belonging

Student Basic Needs Support

• Oversee the operation and continued development of the student food pantry ensuring accessibility adequate stocking and proper resource management
• In partnership with Student Health and Wellness develop and implement comprehensive strategies to address students basic needs including food security housing stability transportation and emergency financial assistance that directly impact student persistence
• Create awareness campaigns to reduce stigma around basic needs insecurity and increase utilization of available resources
• Develop support systems that enable students to overcome non-academic barriers to persistence and completion

Student Support & Advocacy

• Serve as a primary advocate for student concerns within the university administration
• Advise students on university policies procedures and resources
• Partner and coordinate with the Title IX and Compliance Officer on student conduct matters ensuring fair and equitable processes
• Support student retention through responsive programming and intervention strategies
• Support student housing information and efforts
• Develop and implement programming specifically designed to foster a sense of belonging for students from historically underrepresented groups

Career Services for Health Professional Students

• Develop and implement comprehensive career development programs tailored to health professional students that support retention and post-graduation success
• Establish relationships with healthcare employers residency programs and professional schools to create pathways for student placement
• Coordinate specialized workshops on healthcare career planning application processes for residencies/fellowships and professional licensing requirements
• Provide individualized career counseling for students pursuing various health professions
• Create resources for clinical rotation internship and job opportunities specific to health disciplines
• Partner with alumni in healthcare fields to develop mentorship programs and networking opportunities
• Maintain current knowledge of healthcare workforce trends and employment needs
• Collaborate with academic programs to integrate career readiness into curriculum planning

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Partner with Student Affairs units and academic programs to create integrated support systems for students focused on persistence and completion
• Coordinate with Student Affairs and Health and Wellness units to promote holistic student support and development
• Collaborate with Academic Programs Pipeline Programs and Pre-Health Initiatives to ensure continuity of student support across educational pathways
• Serve as liaison between the student government and Student Affairs
• Lead collaborative efforts across departments to identify and address systemic barriers to student persistence and graduation

Innovation & Assessment

• Identify emerging trends in student engagement belonging and persistence and adapt programming accordingly
• Lead assessment efforts to evaluate program effectiveness and student outcomes with particular focus on retention and graduation metrics
• Develop data-informed strategies to enhance the student experience and improve persistence
• Recommend policy revisions that support student success engagement and completion
• Seek grant funding and development opportunities to support student programming targeting improved retention and graduation rates
• Develop and implement innovative approaches to fostering student belonging and community connection

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supervise and evaluate unit staff
• In partnership with other Student Affairs units collaborate with enrollment management services to recruit new students to CDU
• The performance of the Director will be measured by the campuss success in meeting student retention and graduation/completion goals
• Support professional development for unit staff
• Be accessible visible and proactive regarding the needs of students
• Perform other duties as assigned

EDUCATION:

• Masters in Higher Education Administration Student Affairs or related field required.

• Bachelors degree from a regionally accredited university in Higher Education Administration Student Affairs along with 7 years of progressive direct experience can be accepted as an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

• Doctorate in Higher Education Educational Leadership or related field preferred

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS (IF APPLICABLE):

• Not required but relevant certifications in student success or retention strategies are valued

EXPERIENCE:

• Seven years or more of progressive experience in higher education with a focus on student affairs student development or a student affairs-related field.
• Minimum of three years of demonstrated success in developing and implementing student retention and persistence initiatives.
• Proven track record of improving student engagement belonging and completion rates.
• Experience in analyzing and using retention data to develop targeted interventions.
• Extensive knowledge of the research on improving student satisfaction student retention and strategies for improving student learning and success.
• Experience working with diverse student populations particularly first-generation and underrepresented students.
• Experience with student life programming student leadership development student career services and co-curricular activities.

SKILLS:

• Ability to build and lead a team focused on student success and persistence
• Strong supervisory and managerial skills including budgets strategic planning assessment and evaluation skills
• Knowledge of student development theory and best practices in student retention and persistence
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement successful retention initiatives
• Proficiency in analyzing and using data to inform decision-making and program development
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with diverse groups of students faculty and staff
• Detailed knowledge of HIPAA FERPA Title IX and related acts (VAWA Clery etc.) required
• Broad knowledge of student life practices and principles student development and a variety of learning styles
• Ability to exercise considerable judgment and discretion
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with the utmost discretion
• Dependability and professional demeanor with a clear client-service orientation
• Competent Spanish-speaking skills are desired.

Compensation:

• $75700 - $105500 annual

Position Status:

• Full-Time Exempt

COMPLEXITY:

• The ability to perform highly detailed work with sustained attention and care while providing/obtaining information on numerous inquiries is paramount to success in this position

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• Occasional stooping. Frequent standing. Constant walking sitting climbing reaching high/low levels finger movement feeling speaking clearly hearing conversationally and seeing far and near

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Position is on-site unless specific authorization from the manager
• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• Occasionally required to work in confined spaces
• May require occasional evening and weekend work to support student events

MENTAL DEMANDS:

• The mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• Frequent variety of unrelated tasks. Constant calculating interrupted work a variety of interrelated tasks and use of sustained concentration reasoning judgment resourcefulness analytical ability and ingenuity

Special Requirements:

• Ability to work effectively with a diverse community
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity equity inclusion and belonging
• Strong advocacy skills for promoting student success and completion

Required Experience:

Director