Senior Assistant Dean of Students

We invite applications for an exciting opportunity in the Division of Student Affairs. The Division of Student Affairs is guided by a three-pronged mission: to help students build community, pursue wellness, and grow as citizen-leaders. The Division consists of over 200 employees within five units - the Office of the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer, the Office of the University Dean of Students, Student Health and Wellness, the University Career Center, and Housing and Residence Life - all working together, for and alongside students, to create the distinctive student experience for which UVA is known. Care and Support Services (CASS) in Student Health and Wellness provides free inclusive support for all students with unmet needs to increase students' ability to identify, reduce, and navigate barriers to their growth and well-being; CASS does this by providing direct student services and programming, and by creating and expanding support infrastructures. The Division is recruiting a Senior Assistant Dean of Student Affairs who will report to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and director of Care and Support Services. The Senior Assistant Dean will support the CASS team's generalist response functions, by providing incident response support for students in a variety of behavioral and personal well-being contexts and also engaging in general nonacademic advising and non-clinical case management. The Senior Assistant Dean will also provide strategic leadership for critical incident response and case management, and will supervise multiple team members with responsibility for case management.

The Senior Assistant Dean will have student support and case management responsibilities including triaging student concerns, and helping them access appropriate resources, solve problems, and respond appropriately to challenges and/or crises; Assistant Deans primarily support students managing complex, urgent, and/or high-level concerns. Response may include responding to student calls and walk-ins; responding to questions from or consulting with parents, faculty, or staff; and meeting with students who have interpersonal, behavioral, health and wellness, or other concerns. They will also collaborate with and make referrals to University offices/organizations to provide ongoing broad-based student support while implementing effective case management practices and appropriate administrative processes.

The Senior Assistant Dean will also have incident response and crisis management responsibilities. The Assistant Dean will be expected to respond appropriately to student incidents and crises; coordinate and utilize emergency protocols; and provide crisis management support. The Senior Assistant Dean will also provide consultation and case response support for other CASS staff members regarding effective and appropriate case management, and will serve as the primary source of consultation and case response support to their direct reports/supervisees. The Assistant Dean will provide incident response during business hours, and will also serve in the after-hours CASS on-call rotation.

The Senior Assistant Dean will provide strategic oversight and resource stewardship for a critical area of CASS programs/services: Critical Incident Response & Case Management. This functional area of leadership includes: strategic oversight and leadership regarding training, best practices, and data collection related to critical incident response, including the after-hours CASS on Call program; key membership and CASS unit representation on University Threat Assessment Team and divisional Critical Incident Management Team; and oversight of development, revision, maintenance of and training on resources and protocol related to critical incident response.

Senior Assistant Deans serve as leaders within Care and Support Services by providing department-level leadership to key functional areas and serving as the primary designees for the Associate Dean and Director. They do this by: setting and assessing strategic direction for functional area, with a focus on meeting current and future needs, and by serving as unit leaders with key campus partners to develop modern practices, shared philosophies, and continuous improvement around the work of the CASS team.

Senior Assistant Deans also provide supervision and management of multiple CASS staff members, including responsibility for hiring, supervision, evaluation, and providing ongoing professional development for full-time staff; they may also provide indirect supervision for graduate student staff. The Senior Assistant Dean will steward resources related to their area of leadership, and may also have responsibility for strategic budget oversight and/or stewardship of funds allocated to CASS programs/services in area(s) of leadership. Finally, Senior Assistant Deans serve as a designee of Associate Dean/Director on identified unit, departmental, and divisional committees and initiatives as needed.

Qualifications

Candidates must have the following required knowledge areas, skills and abilities:

• Excellent judgement, ability to "think on their feet" and be nimble and flexible in high-stress situations/environments;
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively and interact effectively with students, faculty, staff, team members, and community/government agencies;
• Demonstrated resourcefulness and initiative, ability to proactively and independently problem-solve and marshal resources across the institution;
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills;
• Demonstrated experience excelling in a fast-paced work environment with multiple competing priorities;
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging;
• Master's degree or equivalent in Counseling, Higher Education, Student Affairs Administration, or a degree in a relevant field such as Law;
• A minimum of six years of progressive relevant experience; Prior experience in a leadership role within student affairs, counseling, or case management in a higher education setting; and
• Prior experience supervising full-time staff.

A competitive applicant for the Senior Assistant Dean position will have many of the following preferred knowledge areas, skills and abilities:

• Eight or more years of progressive relevant experience;
• A demonstrated mastery of managing student behavioral issues, providing outstanding student advising and support;
• Knowledge of specific trends and issues affecting student affairs practice, including legal issues;
• Understanding of psychological support and cognitive development models related to support and development of college students;
• Extensive experience working with diverse student populations;
• Experience with assessment and data-driven decision-making;
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with ability to present information/facilitate dialogue to a wide variety of stakeholders; and
• Prior experience utilizing case management and documentation strategies and software according to departmental guidelines and standards.
  

To Apply
The position is open until filled, but to assure full consideration, candidates are encouraged to have complete applications submitted by February 7, 2025. Please apply through the UVA job board and submit requested application materials including a letter of interest or cover letter; resume or curriculum vitae; and the names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least three professional references. All applications, nominations, and inquiries will remain confidential. The anticipated hiring range for this position is $90,000 to $100,000 and is commensurate with experience and qualifications. This is an exempt-level position with UVa benefits. Employees' benefits package highlights include:

• 22 days of paid time off, increasing with service; 13+ paid holidays each year, in addition to paid time off
• Parental and Community Service Leave
• Health plan with options to meet healthcare and financial needs available immediately
• Competitive retirement benefits
• Tuition and professional development benefits after six months of employment
• Employee wellness program featuring activities to earn up to $500/year.

The successful candidate will pass a criminal background check. This position will not sponsor applications for immigration. For information regarding the position or the application process, please contact Michele Jarman, Academic Recruiter.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

About Charlottesville and UVA
Consider working on the beautiful Grounds of the historic University of Virginia. Located in the thriving and growing city of Charlottesville, Virginia, UVA is a world class institution with nationally ranked schools and programs, diverse and distinguished faculty, a major academic medical center and proud history as a renowned research university. Charlottesville is nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the edge of Shenandoah National Park, while also being just 2.5 hours to Washington, DC and 3 hours to the ocean. Charlottesville is home to a seemingly endless array of award-winning restaurants, wineries, attractions, schools, and business to keep you and your family entertained, educated, and well fed for years to come. Learn more here about all CVille has to offer.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician's Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.