Assistant Director of Community Standards

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, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary range starting low $60k; commensurate with education and experience

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

It is the mission of the Office of Student Conduct and the Student Conduct System at George Mason University to turn potential incidents of misconduct into opportunities for the facilitation of education and student development. It is our goal that as students make their way through the adjudication process, they will leave that process as better-educated students, better all-around members of the University community, and better global citizens.

About the Position:

The Assistant Director of Community Standards is part of the professional staff team of the Office of Student Conduct, within the Division of University Life. The position is a primary report to the Director of Student Conduct and closely collaborates with the Associate Director of Residence Life.

The Assistant Director of Community Standards manages multiple tasks while fulfilling the strategic goals as established by Student Conduct, Housing and Residence Life, and University Life. This position is responsible for the overall administration and management of residential conduct in collaboration with the Office of Student Conduct and Housing and Residence Life. The primary focus and responsibility include conduct management and procedure development for the residential communities.

Responsibilities:

Conduct Management:

• Supervises the Coordinator for Community Standards;
• Provides leadership and support for the Graduate Assistant for Community Standards;
• Oversees management of the system database utilized by hearing officers for case adjudication and development;
• Serves as a primary student conduct case manager for incidents involving residential students;
• Oversees assigning of cases to appropriate hearing officers and/or adjudication boards within Housing and Residence Life;
• Serves as hearing officer for high-level cases;
• Serves as an advisor to the Community Adjudication Board or Residential Adjudication Board as needed, and assists in the coordination of cases;
• Serves as a facilitator in the restorative justice model as needed;
• Serves as an appeals officer for cases adjudicated by Residence Life staff;
• Manages case tracking and staff accountability to ensure guidelines and case management standards are being met effectively and efficiently;
• Provides training, guidance, and coaching on the conduct and educational process with hearing officers in Residence Life;
• Provides guidance and oversight of the Residential Adjudication Board in conjunction with the Coordinator for Community Standards; and
• Ensures that student records are maintained in accordance with university policies and applicable laws.

Assessment & Outreach:

• Gathers and reports data for monthly, semester, and annual reports, assessment initiatives, and statistical analyses;
• Oversees tracking and trends that advise on programming initiatives to support the Residence Life staff;
• Works in conjunction with the assessment team in assessing educational sanctioning and internal procedures;
• Assists in outreach to the residential student population regarding rules and regulations governing residence hall living;
• Oversees the development of educational sanctioning opportunities;
• Ensures collaboration with the Student Support & Advocacy Center in the development, implementation, and assessment of educational sanction programs addressing alcohol and other drugs; and
• Collaborates with key stakeholders to provide education regarding policies, programming based on concerns/trends, and initiatives that impact the residential community. 

Departmental Responsibilities:

• Assists with Housing and Residence Life staff training regarding administration of the conduct process from its origination as an incident report through sanctioning;
• Remains current in case law, compliance guidelines, and policies governing higher education and student conduct;
• Assists with developing and maintaining a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual for case adjudication guidelines;
• Provides follow-up with staff on duty reports, updating appropriate offices and staff as necessary;
• Assists in on-going training and the development of staff regarding best practices in conflict resolution, mediation, and case adjudication;
• Collaborates with the Residence Life team on the development of the Health & Safety adjudication process;
• Recommends needed changes to policy and procedures based on conduct data; assists in updating the Resident Student Handbook;
• Serves on departmental and divisional committees;
• Actively researches and proposes best practices in education and conduct to appropriate university and departmental stakeholders; and
• Represents Housing and Residence Life at appropriate stakeholder meetings. 

Other Related Duties:

• Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor;
• Engages in assessment and reporting as needed;
• Actively supports and complies with all University policies, Housing and Residence Life regulations, and the department vision and goals; and
• Acts as essential personnel in times of emergency and at critical times. 

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Progressive experience (typically obtained in three years) in residence life and/or student conduct;
• Progressive experience (typically obtained in three years) in adjudicating student conduct cases and/or serving as an advisor or member of a conduct board;
• Demonstrated experience administering the conduct process;
• Demonstrated experience supporting students from diverse backgrounds;
• Demonstrated skill in written, oral, and interpersonal communication; ability to build relationships across teams;
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment, creating solutions and implementing change; and
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and administrative responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in student development and education with a background in conflict resolution (mediation, restorative justice, etc.);
• Experience supervising student or graduate staff;
• Experience working with Guardian or similar case management software; and
• Demonstrated ability to establish successful new programs or partnerships.

Instructions to Applicants: 

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

Posting Open Date:  April 24, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  May 8, 2024

Open Until Filled?:  Yes