Dean of Students

Dean of Students

A student-centered senior leadership opportunity within a Catholic Franciscan learning community in Sioux City Iowa.

Founded in 1930 and rooted in the Catholic Franciscan tradition Briar Cliff University is a vibrant values-based community dedicated to academic excellence and personal growth. Located on the scenic Loess Hills overlooking the Missouri River The Cliff maintains a tight-knit learning environment with an institutional 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Academically the university offers over 30 undergraduate programs and several respected graduate degrees including regionally recognized programs in Nursing Physical Therapy and Sport Management. Our commitment to the student-athlete experience is equally robust; as members of the NAIA and Great Plains Athletic Conference the Briar Cliff Chargers have earned 19 conference championships and were recently honored as an NAIA Champions of Character Gold Level institution.

A city of 85000 stretching across the corners of Iowa South Dakota and Nebraska (referred to as Siouxland) Sioux City is nestled along the Sioux River approximately 80 miles from both Omaha NE and Sioux Falls SD. The city offers a vibrant friendly community with a cost of living that is attractive for families and individuals alike. Sioux City possesses a bustling riverfront a lively downtown arts and entertainment scene numerous parks and rich cultural opportunities combining small-town charm with the amenities of a larger metropolitan area. As a regional hub for business and culture the city features over 50 parks the historic Orpheum Theatre Tyson Events Center and a mix of national retailers and award-winning local favorites. Sioux City has twice been named an All-America City highlighting its strong community and significant quality of life.

Briar Cliff University is a community committed to higher education within the liberal arts and Catholic the Franciscan tradition of service caring and openness to all Briar Cliff emphasizes quality education for its students combining a broad intellectual background with career development. The University challenges its members to grow in self-awareness and in their relationship to others and to God.

The lifelong learning place preparing ethical world changers.

• We nurture healthy relationships.
• We value and respect the uniqueness of each person.
• We treat others with care compassion and kindness.
• We are welcoming and open to all we meet.

• We promote peace and non-violence and work for justice.
• We encourage open dialogue.
• We accept and value differences.
• We resolve conflicts through respectful listening and negotiating.

• We see all life as sacred and relate to all of creation with a sense of reverence.
• We honor the goodness of Gods presence in all of creation.
• We strive to live in harmony as sister and brother.
• We conserve and preserve our natural resources for future generations.

• We are open to gratefully receiving the gifts of others.
• We give as we have received and joyfully share our gifts with others locally and globally.
• We recognize that every person can make a difference in anothers life.
• We seek to serve those most in need.

These values are not just the values of the Franciscan order that founded Briar Cliff University over 90 years ago they are the foundation of everything we do and believe here at Briar Cliff University. We ensure that every single academic program and activity is centered on these ideals to help instill these Franciscan values in our community.

Briar Cliff University seeks a student-centered mission-driven leader to serve as Dean of Students. Reporting to the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs this position serves as the Universitys chief student affairs officer and a member of the Provosts senior leadership team with responsibility for the departments services and initiatives that shape the extra- and co-curricular student experience.

The Dean of Students provides strategic leadership supervision and oversight for Residential Life and Housing Student Activities Mission and Campus Ministry Counseling Services Health Services student conduct and behavioral intervention through the CARE Team working in close partnership with academic leaders enrollment management athletics and the Title IX Coordinator to create an inclusive student-centered environment consistent with the Universitys Catholic and Franciscan mission.

This role is at its core a role deeply tied to the institutional mission. Dean of Students is expected to actively advance Briar Cliffs commitment to educating the whole person fostering an environment that promotes academic achievement personal growth wellness service and community engagement in the Franciscan practice that means:

• Grounding student conduct and CARE Team work in Building a Caring Community treating every student with dignity even in difficult moments.
• Approaching conflict crisis response and Title IX collaboration through the lens of Peacemaking respectful listening fair process and restoration.
• Supporting Campus Ministry and the broader Catholic and Franciscan identity of the University as an active partner not a bystander.
• Modeling Connection with Joyful Service in how the division supports students most in need on campus and in the Sioux City community.

This directly reflects Briar Cliffs Institutional Learning Outcome that graduates will be people who ethically lead in purposeful loving service to creation a standard the divisions leadership is expected to model not just teach.

• Provide vision and strategic direction for the division as a member of the Provosts senior leadership team.
• Develop policies procedures and programs that support student engagement well-being persistence and success.
• Promote a campus culture grounded in respect integrity accountability and inclusion.

• Direct residential life and housing operations including housing assignments occupancy management and residence hall programming.
• Provide leadership in developing student life programs and services
• Supervise professional and student residence life staff and student activities staff
• Oversee residential student conduct
• Oversee activities related to our Catholic Franciscan Mission and Campus Ministry
• Ensure safe healthy and supportive living-learning environments that foster belonging and community.

• Supervise campus counseling services mental health initiatives and crisis intervention and referral systems.
• Oversee campus health services immunization compliance health records management and public health guidance.
• Develop wellness prevention and health education programming that supports student success.

• Administer the Universitys student conduct process and serve as or supervise the primary student conduct officer.
• Chair the CARE Team ensuring students in distress are identified early and connected to the right support.
• Work closely with Compass Navigators to address early alerts to ensure that students do not fall through the cracks between academic life and student life
• Engage in threat assessment and after-hours crisis response

• Ensure divisional compliance with FERPA Title IX the Clery Act ADA The Stop Hazing Act and other applicable regulations.
• Develop and maintain emergency response protocols affecting students.
• Monitor departmental effectiveness through assessment and data-informed decision-making and report to senior leadership.

• Hire supervise develop and evaluate staff across assigned departments
• Manage departmental budgets
• Partner with faculty staff and student organizations to enhance campus life and support retention initiatives.
• Serve as an advocate for student needs and concerns across the institution.

• Masters degree in Higher Education Administration Student Affairs Counseling Educational Leadership or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education student affairs.
• Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff and managing complex student support services.
• Knowledge of student development theory student conduct crisis management and support services.
• Familiarity with or affinity for faith-based or mission-driven higher education environments.

• Terminal degree in Higher Education Educational Leadership Counseling or a related field.
• Experience overseeing multiple student affairs functional areas including residential life and counseling.
• Experience with student conduct and Title IX process training such as ATIXA or NaBITA as well as
• experience with Clery reporting

• Student-centered mission-aligned leadership
• Strategic planning and execution
• Crisis management and sound decision-making
• Communication and relationship building
• Budget and resource management
• Equity inclusion and conflict resolution

• Ability to respond to emergencies outside regular business hours with occasional evening and weekend responsibilities.
• Ability to move throughout campus facilities and attend student events.

This is a full-time twelve-month exempt position. The successful candidate should expect to begin January 4 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. A competitive salary is commensurate with professional experience and academic credentials.

Interested candidates should visit the Briar Cliff University employment website for more information and to apply. Candidates should submit:

• A letter of interest describing the alignment of the candidates qualifications with the position requirements
• Current curriculum vita
• A statement of philosophy that addresses ways in which the candidate creates and sustains a culture of belonging fairness and appreciation for different perspectives on campus
• Graduate and undergraduate transcripts (unofficial copies are fine at this point)
• Contact information (only) for three professional references

For full consideration candidates should submit their applications no later than October 31 2026 although review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Any final offer is contingent on a successful background check. If you have any questions about this position contact .