Assistant Dean, Graduate Student Life

Position Title:

Assistant Dean, Graduate Student Life

Position Type:

Regular

Hiring Range:

$115,200- $143,987 annually; Compensation will be based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.

Pay Frequency:

Annual

A. POSITION PURPOSE

The Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Life serves as a leader within the Dean of Students Office and is the primary campus leader responsible for identifying and implementing enhancements to graduate student life. The Assistant Dean provides strategic oversight and day-to-day leadership, working collaboratively with partners from each of the schools and colleges and the Provost’s Office,  to support graduate students. The Assistant Dean will report directly to the Dean of Students with a dotted line to the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs.

The Assistant Dean is responsible for the vision and both short- and long-term strategic planning and efforts that advance University support for Graduate Student Life. The Assistant Dean develops goals, outcomes and assessment efforts that advance University support for graduate students. As a leader in the Division of Student Life, the Assistant Dean provides oversight and advising support to the [Graduate Student Association (placeholder).] The Assistant Dean will collaborate with campus partners to implement and track recommendations from the Fall 2025 Graduate Student Working Group.

B. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leadership
  • Provides university-wide leadership in assessing and addressing graduate and professional student issues and needs. 
  • Provides advocacy on behalf of and outreach to students from all of the graduate programs at Santa Clara University including the Leavey School of Business, School of Education and Counseling Psychology, School of Law, College of Arts and Sciences Program in Pastoral Ministries, School of Engineering, Jesuit School of Theology, and Santa Clara Online.
  • Serves as the primary university liaison for student support services for graduate and professional students and actively collaborates with university units in the provision of such services, including but not limited to: Health Services, Counseling Services, Career Services, Information Technology Services, Libraries, Parking and Transportation, Off-Campus Housing, Dining Services, Emergency Management, Campus Safety and Campus Recreation.
  • Serve as the primary Dean of Students Office for Graduate Program staff with student well-being and conduct issues and/or concerns involving graduate students.  Provide advice, support, referral, and serve as a conduct hearing officer as may be needed.
  • Provides support, advising and as needed, oversight of the Graduate Student Organizations, compliance with University policies, community standards associated with graduate student organizations.
  • Create, launch and advise Graduate Student Association. (placeholder name)
  • Supervises the operations of the Graduate Student Hub: staffing shifts, protocols, inventory/supply, event scheduling, etc.

• Financial Management
  • Supervises financial processes of the Graduate Student Association (GSA)
    • Monitor and maintain budgetary controls and accountability for the GSA budget and associated organization budgets
    • Advise the Financial Director of the Graduate Student Association.
    • Authorize all expenditures from accounts

• Programs and Communications
  • The Assistant Dean collaborates with the Program Directors of individual schools and departments to support school or department-specific programs, provides feedback regarding student needs, and engages in collaborative programming efforts with academic partners. 
  • Supervise all programs coordinated by the Graduate Student Life, including those related to orientation and student formation, as requested by the graduate programs.
  • Identify opportunities for collaborative communications (print/social media) across graduate programs, inclusive of ensuring consistency of policy notifications in Student Handbook publications.

• Collaboration
  • Represent graduate student needs to the Provost’s Office, through the Vice Provost for Student Life and the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs.
  • Connect programs, initiatives and services of Graduate Student Life to the institutional strategic plan.
  • Collaborates with partners in the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of the Provost to provide track and implement recommendations from the Fall 2025 Graduate Student Working Group
    
• Dean of Students On-Call Rotation
  • Serve as a member of the On-Call Team that provides 24/7/365 coverage for the purpose of providing response (sometimes in person), support, direction and communication to parents of a student(s) and university leaders when critical incidents happen on or off campus.  Critical incidents are: medical hospitalizations due to alcohol/drug use, accidents, or health conditions, mental health crisis, inclusive of suicide attempts, involuntary and voluntary hospitalizations for psychiatric services, and assaults, inclusive of sexual misconduct, and death of a student.
  • Contribute to the regular review, assessment, and updating of on-call protocols and policies to ensure clear, consistent, and effective responses to student safety, well-being, and conduct concerns in alignment with institutional priorities and best practices.

• Other Responsibilities
  • Participate and sometimes lead the development of new initiatives, services, and programs pertaining to graduate student life. 
  • Represent the Division of Student LIfe on Working Groups, Task Forces and Committees pertaining to graduate student life.
  • Participate in the yearly Graduate Student Services Bootcamp sponsored by the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs.
  • Conduct periodic assessments of graduate student needs and satisfaction in partnership with institutional research, including administering a Graduate Student Experience Survey.
  • Represent Graduate Student Life on university committees, and working groups, including behavioral evaluation and academic liaison teams as may be requested.
  • Serve as a member of the Dean of Students Office by assisting colleagues in the office when student conduct and CARE Referral caseloads are impacted.

C.   PROVIDES WORK DIRECTION

• Supervise student assistants including recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, performance oversight, and task assignment.

D.   GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Recommends initiatives and implements changes to improve quality and services for graduate students.
• Identifies and determines cause of problems; develops and presents recommendations for improvement of established processes and practices related to graduate student life.
• Maintains contact with graduate students and solicits feedback for improved services.
• Prepares annual reports related to graduate student life.
• Prepares and submits data or other reports as requested and required. 
• Develops and implements guidelines to support the functions of graduate student life.

E.   QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential
duty satisfactorily. The items below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience required or preferred. This position requires the ability to effectively establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse environment.

Santa Clara University is committed to Inclusive Excellence; therefore, it is vital all candidates seeking employment be committed to and demonstrate skills, knowledge and awareness to serve the unique needs of our diverse campus community. 

• Knowledge
  • Knowledge of the Jesuit mission of the University, strategic initiatives, and major developmental issues of graduate students. 
  • Understanding and support of the Jesuit tradition of education and a commitment to the fundamental values of service to others, community, and diversity as well as a commitment to and demonstration of skills, knowledge, and awareness to serve the unique needs of the diverse campus community of Santa Clara University.

• Skills
  • Organizational skills, including time management and project completion. 
  • Oral and written communication skills, including experience in delivering workshops and speaking to groups of various sizes. 
  • Commitment to customer service, both internal and external to the university.
  • Competency in working with students of different cultural, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 
  • Evidence of strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 
  • Experience with technology, database management, social media, and digital communication. 

• Abilities
  • Demonstrated ability to cultivate collaborative interpersonal relationships with internal and external constituencies. 
  • Demonstrated ability to provide clear, effective, and timely written and verbal communication to a variety of internal and external stakeholders. 
  • Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment and provide a high level of professional discretion and integrity in handling confidential, sensitive information.
  • Demonstrated ability to complete projects of varying complexity from inception through implementation and assessment with minimal supervision and direction.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently, prioritize, and be flexible. 
  • Demonstrated ability to work beyond conventional business hours by having the flexibility to work in the evenings and on weekends when necessary.

Education and Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in higher education administration, college student services, education, counseling or related field.
• 8-10 years of progressively responsible work in an academic setting.
• Demonstrated experience with developing, implementing, and evaluating programs, specifically those focusing on graduate student success

Preferred 

• Prior supervisory experience. 
• Master's degree in higher education administration, college student services, education, counseling or related field.
• Experience serving as an on-call staff person to provide crisis response 24/7.
• Experience with building community and addressing student safety and well-being in the context of graduate student experiences. 
• Experience with assessing risk of harm to self or others with training by National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment or similar professional organization. 
• Experience with responding to sexual violence and compliance with Title IX.

F. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, the California Fair Employment & Housing Act, and all other applicable laws, SCU provides reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities. A qualified individual is a person who meets skill, experience, education, or other requirements of the position, and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. 

• Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer terminal. 
• May be required to travel to other buildings on the campus. 
• May be required to attend conference and training sessions within the Bay Area or in or out-of-state locations. 

G.   WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. 

• Typical office environment. 
• Mostly an indoor office environment with windows. 
• Offices with equipment noise. 
• Offices with frequent interruptions.

Telecommute

Santa Clara University is registered to do business in the following states: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Illinois. Employees approved to telecommute are required to perform their work within one of these states.

EEO Statement

Equal Opportunity/Notice of Nondiscrimination

Santa Clara University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, parental status, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy or related conditions, reproductive health decision making, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.  For a complete copy of Santa Clara University’s equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX website at  https://www.scu.edu/title-ix/. 

Clery Notice of Availability

Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus crimes and other reportable incidents in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. To view the Santa Clara University report, please visit the Campus Safety Services website. To request a paper copy please call Campus Safety at (408) 554-4441. The report includes the type of crime, venue, and number of occurrences.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Consistent with its obligations under the law, Santa Clara University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities.  Applicants who wish to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact the Department of Human Resources ADA Team at [email protected] or by phone at (408)554-4392. Please note: This contact information is intended for accommodation requests only. Resumes or inquiries about application status sent to this inbox will not be reviewed or forwarded. For resumes or questions regarding application status, please contact [email protected].