Assistant Director - Tatkon Center for New Students

Student & Campus Life (SCL) inspires transformation in all Cornell students on their journey of individual, academic and personal evolution. Our division is comprised of leading student affairs experts who support our campus on pressing student life matters including public service, health, wellbeing, connection and belonging, residential living, food services, sports, recreation, career services, and student activities and organizations including sorority and fraternity life. We provide support and services to roughly 25,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on multiple campuses in the U.S. and abroad.

Student Involvement (SI) provides a welcoming and inclusive community that respects the individual while promoting community values. We are dedicated to helping students thrive in all stages of their Cornell career through student organization involvement, learning opportunities, and a multitude of leadership and engagement experiences. SI includes a broad range of departments, including Campus Activities, Tatkon Center for New Students, Sorority & Fraternity Life, and the Cornell Commitment. Dedicated to enriching the student experience outside of the classroom, we partner with colleagues from across campus to build a community and create co-curricular opportunities where the intrinsic value and worth of the individual is affirmed and community standards and values are upheld.

The Tatkon Center for New Students is committed to the care, connection, and confidence of new students. Through intentional collaboration with university and college partners, we strive to support students as they create community, develop a sense of belonging, and transition to life at Cornell. We empower new students to explore their diverse identities and encourage them to take ownership of their college journey. Our passionate professional and student staff serve as an intellectual bridge for students navigating their academic and co-curricular success. We provide robust programs designed to inspire students and guide them through a transformational college experience.

The Assistant Director, Tatkon Center for New Students works collaboratively within the Cornell campus to support, advocate, and model the mission, goals, and values of the Tatkon Center, Student Involvment, and Student and Campus Life. In partnership with SCL and the broader campus community, The Assistant Director will help develop, implement, and assess orientation and continued orientation programs for new first-year and transfer students at Cornell. Including supporting a New Student Orientation (Fall model) with a focus on academic success and creating a sense of belonging. In addition, the AD will recruit, select, train, mentor, and supervise undergraduate student employees to support orientation programming needs.

As a member of the Tatkon Center team, the AD will assist with major Tatkon Center initiatives prioritized by the office. This is a full-time position and may require flexibility with work hours, including occasional nights and weekends.

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

Success Factors    

• Vision and ability to organize others through implementation of goal setting through actualization.
• A demonstrated ability to design and evaluate programs for a diverse group of new students.
• A deep understanding of the importance and value of orientation and the first-year experience.
• Proficient in working effectively with student employees.
• The ability working collaboratively and successfully with academic affairs colleagues.
• Familiarity with a decentralized institution and solid experience with quickly building and maintaining both broad and deep relationships with key stakeholders that support first-year and transfer students.
• Ability to multi-task and function as a team player in a small and collaborative office.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in student affairs or related field along with 3 to 5 years relevant experience or equivalent combination
• Knowledge of the first-year experience, college transition, transfer student experience, and college student development
• Experience supervising and/or advising students
• Experience planning campus wide undergraduate orientation, as well as planning and implementing large-scale, inclusive, collaborative programs
• Willingness to work in a team oriented and collaborative environment
• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• Experience incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in student affairs or related field
• One year of post-graduate experience in student affairs or a related field.
• More than two years of direct student supervision and/or student development experience
• Experience with higher education module (online orientation) software and systems including; ADG, Slate, Campus Groups
• Affiliation/Involvement with professional associations such as NODA – Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education

University Job Title:

Coord Program II

Job Family:

Student Services

Level:

F

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Pay Range:

$72,209.00 - $80,619.00

Remote Option Availability:

Onsite

Company:

Endowed

Contact Name:

Bri Muscente

Contact Email:

[email protected]

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

To learn more about Cornell’s non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

Union Positions

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell’s union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

Current Employees:

If you currently work at Cornell University, please exit this website and log in to Workday using your Net ID and password. Select the Career icon on your Home dashboard to view jobs at Cornell.

Online Submission Guidelines:

Most positions at Cornell will require you to apply online and submit both a resume/CV and cover letter.  You can upload documents either by “dragging and dropping” them into the dropbox or by using the “upload” icon on the application page. For more detailed instructions on how to apply to a job at Cornell, visit How We Hire on the HR website.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email [email protected].

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Office of Civil Rights at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at [email protected].

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing [email protected].

Notice to Applicants:

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEO Statement:

Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “... any person ... any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

2026-09-04