Assistant Director of Student Affairs

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Student Affairs is a key member of the School of the Arts Student Affairs team whose duties are integral to the student experience. The person in this role must be able to exercise sound judgment in the day-to-day administration of Student Affairs operations. The candidate must also be comfortable contributing input and recommendations to the management of the Student Affairs Office on complex, sensitive, and non-routine matters in close consultation with the Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs (“Dean”).

The candidate should have a passion for working with students and thrive in creative and dynamic environments. They should also understand and be committed to fostering a community that thrives in diversity, where all members are equitably supported. The position requires the ability to alternate between planning large and small events, attending to daily tasks, and maintaining privacy with sensitive material. Attention to detail, tact, and discretion are essential.

The Assistant Director of Student Affairs disseminates information on School-wide and University policies and procedures, advises students and refers them to the appropriate offices for assistance, helps carry out the planning and execution of orientation and commencement, helps coordinate and administer housing allocations in accordance with established policies, monitors student registration; collaborates with the School’s Finance Office to monitor billing to maximize retention, maintains student databases and files, prepares reports to further advance the goals of the office and determine student needs; prepares surveys for informational purposes as needed, advises student groups; and helps to foster an inclusive community.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a primary point of contact for School of the Arts students for a variety of questions, including questions about School and University policies and procedures. Provides information through School of the Arts websites, email, the School of the Arts community portal, and student meetings regarding the onboarding of incoming students, immunization requirements, housing, health services and insurance, school policies, graduation, university resources, events, and student activities and programming, and other topics related to the cocurricular life of the students.
• Works under the guidance of the Dean to plan orientation and commencement.
• Collaborates with the Dean to review incoming student eligibility for Housing and coordinates housing allocations in accordance with School and University policies. Helps resolve housing issues as needed. Escalates issues outside of policy to Dean for resolution.
• Under the guidance of the Dean, works with the Offices of the Registrar and Student Financial Services to facilitate student registration and resolve issues in consultation with the Directors of Academic Administration, monitors student registration and billing to assure compliance with CU and SOA policies and requirements, assists students to resolve registration issues, assists with cross-registration at other schools, and assures correct certification of full-time status in Vergil. Consults with the Dean on all requested exceptions or issues outside of policy.
• Under the guidance of the Dean, works collaboratively with individual academic programs and the Admissions and Financial Aid Office to track student progress toward fulfillment of graduation requirements in accordance with Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
• Supports Assistant Dean of Student Support as needed as they review and process withdrawals and leaves of absence.
• Supervises the day-to-day activities of student groups, facilitates student events, and manages and reconciles budget allocations for student organizations in accordance with established guidelines and oversight.
• Coordinates special SOA student events in collaboration with the Dean and Assistant Dean of Student Support, Alumni Affairs, and the Artists Resource Center.
• Maintains student database and files; prepares various other reports and surveys based on database information.
• Keeps SOA website current with events and news. Reviews and revises all web and printed copy related to Student Affairs. Works with the Dean to coordinate and update modifications with Office of Communications.
• Prepares vouchers and purchase requisitions for payment through the SOA Business Office, understands and complies with all University business policies that apply to financial transactions.
• Confers with the Dean to refer students having difficulty due to medical, emotional, familial, or psychological reasons to SOA Assistant Dean of Student Support and appropriate University services and resources, including the Offices of Disability Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Health Services, as needed.
• Refers students having financial difficulty to the Financial Aid Office. Will also refer students to Assistant Dean of Student Support and the Artists Resource Center as appropriate. Follows up as needed.
• Provides on-call support for Student Affairs Office. Works with relevant offices within and outside the School of the Arts to support the initial response to student issues and crisis situations, referring and escalating to the Dean and/or Assistant Dean of Student Support as needed.
• Participates in various University committees as needed.
• Represents the School of the Arts as a University Delegate as needed.
• Assists Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs with other related duties as assigned, including managing calendars and helping with scheduling, etc.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field and/or equivalent experience required.
• Minimum of three years of related work experience is required.
• Must have a strong interest in the arts.
• Ability to exercise exceptionally good judgment and strong ethical standards, to be innovative, and to understand the importance of School of the Arts and University governance and policy is required.
• Tact, discretion, and ability to maintain complete confidentiality are essential.
• As part of a small team, demonstrated ability to be flexible and work in a fast-paced environment on concurrent projects with frequent interruptions, including clerical tasks as needed, is essential.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, written and oral communication, presentation and analytical skills required.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent follow-through required.
• Ability to collaborate within and across teams, take both simple and complex directions, and to discern when to seek guidance is essential.
• Ability to develop relationships with the larger Columbia community is essential.
• Proficiency with standard office software, database systems, university reporting tools, and social media platforms required.
• Ability/willingness to learn new software systems and platforms as required.
• Duties often require evening and weekend work to attend student events.
• Some travel may be required.

All applicants must attach a cover letter and resume. Applications without these two documents will not be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree, a passion for working with students and events programming, a demonstrated interest in the arts.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.