Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Wellbeing

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: 120,000 - 130,000

Position Summary

The Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Wellbeing is a senior member of the Dean of Students Office leadership team and serves as a strategic partner to the Dean of Students. The Associate Dean provides leadership for the School’s wellbeing and residential life functions while also supporting office-wide planning, coordination, crisis response, and operational continuity.

The Associate Dean works across the Dean of Students Office and with University partners to advance priorities affecting student wellbeing, belonging, and educational success. As delegated, the Associate Dean represents the Dean of Students and the School on committees, institutional initiatives, and matters requiring coordinated senior-level attention.

The Associate Dean supervises the professional staff responsible for residential life and wellbeing and ensures that programs, services, policies, and crisis-response practices are responsive to the distinctive needs of General Studies students.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategic Partnership

• Serves as a senior strategic advisor to the Dean of Students on matters affecting student wellbeing, residential life, crisis response, staff management, and the overall student experience.
• Participates as a senior member of the Dean of Students Office leadership team and helps coordinate priorities and responses that may span multiple units or functional areas.
• Leads or supports cross-functional projects and strategic initiatives assigned by the Dean of Students.
• Represents the Dean of Students and the School in designated meetings, committees, and University-wide initiatives.
• Identifies emerging student needs and opportunities for collaboration, and recommends appropriate strategies to the Dean of Students. 8-10
• Develops strong working relationships across the School and University to improve coordination, referrals, communication, and support for General Studies students 

Overseas Residential Life 

• Develop and implement departmental strategic plans, goals, and assessment initiatives.
• Provide strategic leadership and vision for the residential life program.
• Oversee in partnership with the residential life team the daily operations of the GS residence hall
• Partner with Columbia Residential to ensure student placement and support in all other buildings where GS students are housed
• Convene and manage the GS Housing Committee
• Responsible for student emergency housing needs and helping students identify housing options when in crisis.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies, state and federal regulations, and housing standards
• Lead continuous improvement efforts to enhance the residential student experience. 

Leads the Wellbeing Services of the Department

• Manages all wellbeing reports as the primary recipient, oversees the assignment of reports of case-management.
• Performs ongoing case-management for individuals students in various stages of distress and need.
• Standardize and track case management efforts to ensure consistency and continuity. 
• Manages student emergency response and protocols in coordination with the Dean of Students, campus and community partners, including Columbia Sexual Violence Response and Columbia Psychological Services.
• Schedules and leads the Administrator on-call team. Serves as the primary on-call School contact and coordinates emergency follow-up with appropriate school and university officials. 

Innovates and implements residential life and well-being initiatives

• Serves as the primary School staff member coordinating efforts to address food insecurity, utilizing on-campus and local resources.
• Tracks all campus wellness resources (initiatives, groups, etc) and serves as School staff’s main point of contact for questions about referrals and resources.
• Develop wellbeing programming and training for students and School staff.
• Develop residential education curricula focused on leadership, wellness, inclusion, academic success, and community responsibility.
• Promote student engagement through educational, cultural, and social programming for these units.
• Support initiatives that improve student retention, and satisfaction

POSITION REQUIRES WORKING HOURS OUTSIDE OF A TYPICAL 9:00AM-5:30PM WORKDAY OR MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WORK WEEK

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• At least 7 to 9 years of progressive experience in student affairs, counseling/case-management, residential life or other related experience required. 
• Must be able to adjust to multiple demands and shifting priorities and be a team player.
• Must possess excellent interpersonal, communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of Windows, MS Office required.
• Proficiency with Maxient or similar case management software is strongly desirable. 
• Advanced degree in student affairs with a strong counseling background, social work, counseling psychology or related fields is preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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