Assistant/Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life

The AVC for Student Life will serve as a collaborative, engaged leader of the innovative University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) Student Life team, focused on student engagement and wellbeing. At UMR our diverse student body and commitment to the success of all students, including those who have traditionally been underrepresented in higher education, are core to our identity and future. Working closely and collaboratively with academic affairs, this student affairs AVC will lead and connect student development programs and will represent student development on campus and with University of Minnesota system colleagues. 

As a growing campus devoted to educational innovation, we seek a visible, optimistic, and dynamic student development leader; at the same time, given the size and stage of our young campus, this leader will also need to work side-by-side with colleagues in all aspects of student development. The AVC will lead, supervise and provide strategic direction to  a multi-faceted staff to increase student engagement and wellbeing and to enhance residential life. The Student Life team includes directors of residential life, student health and wellness, and student engagement with staff members and partners who support those areas (e.g., counseling, recreation, health services, disability services, intercultural programs, living learning communities, and student activities). Together, this campus leader and their team will also manage new student orientation, student conduct, care reporting, biased incident response, and student Title IX issues. 

At UMR, all students engage in the âœhigh impact practices' identified by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) while we also pilot and test other potential high-impact practices. This student-centered leader will model UMR values of respect, diversity and inclusivity, community, evidenced-based decision making and human potential. 

The AVC for Student Life reports directly to the Chancellor, working closely and collaboratively with colleagues on the Chancellorâ™s Senior Advisory team including the vice chancellor for academic affairs and innovation, the vice chancellor for finance and campus resources, the AVC for enrollment management, and the director of communication and marketing. This leadership position is a full-time, 12-month, senior administrative position. The position is open until filled. 

Key Responsibility Areas

Specific responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to the following:

• As a student-focused leader, provides a positive, dynamic, visible presence on campus, modeling engagement, inclusion, and respect.
• Provides student development, equity, and retention leadership and expertise for the campus, working closely with other members of the chancellorâ™s leadership team.
• Leads and is responsible for student development staff and outcomes through strategic project management, evidence-based practice, and coordination with faculty and other relevant staff in this intentionally matrixed campus community. 
• Provides oversight for student development operating budgets, working closely with the vice chancellor for finance and campus resources and the chancellor to ensure alignment with strategic priorities.
• Manages the policies and processes associated with general student conduct, care reporting for at-risk students, biased incident reports involving students,  and student-related Title IX/sexual misconduct.
• Provides retention and equity expertise as a member of the campus Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the chancellorâ™s leadership team. 
• Works collaboratively and strategically with the vice chancellor for academic affairs and innovation and faculty to ensure coordination and intentional integration of curricular and co-curricular endeavors and to contribute expertise to foundation and grant proposals that include student development elements.  
• Works collaboratively with other officers of the University of Minnesota system to meet the student development objectives of the system-wide and campus level strategic plans. 

Work Location 

This position is expected to work on campus (in-person) to meet the needs of the Student Life  team and students on the residential UMR campus. If needed, on-campus housing can be made available to assist in the new leaderâ™s transition to the Rochester community.

Key Opportunities and Challenges

• Work collaboratively to advance a compelling, innovative student engagement and wellbeing vision and culture for the student-centered University of Minnesota Rochester. 
• Be a visible leader, present and engaged with students and the campus community. 
• Continue to advance and enhance community and belonging through responsive and impactful initiatives. 
• Strengthen student engagement and wellbeing by developing student life staff who will lead, assess, and invent new ways to enhance student life. 
• Promote and practice collaboration, communication, trust, and transparency. 

Key Leadership Competencies

• Finds joy and purpose in supporting student success.  
• Models respect for all.
• Has a visible and positive presence.
• Excels at collaborative project management.
• Generates and implements evidence-based solutions.
• Is reflective, curious, empathetic, and approachable.
• Thinks strategically and works collaboratively.
• Facilitates inclusive decision-making communicated with transparency. 
• Motivates, inspires, and empowers students and staff. 
• Listens well and builds trusting relationships.
• Operates with integrity.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a masterâ™s degree in a relevant field. 
• Substantial prior experience in student development leadership.
• Demonstrated administrative abilities
• Ability to maintain high visibility on campus

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate for the position will have the following qualifications, expertise, and characteristics:

• Doctoral level academic preparation in student development theory and/or equitable practices in higher education. 
• Success in obtaining grant funding, especially for initiatives related to access, diversity, inclusion, and student success.
• Experience in strategic planning and assessment of student development programming and efficacy.
• Experience supervising or leading a team of student development professionals with a wide range of responsibilities.

Note that a person with these preferred qualifications would have the opportunity to advance to the Associate Vice Chancellor position classification.

About University of Minnesota, Rochester

The University of Minnesota Rochester is located in University Square, one block away from the Mayo Clinic, seven miles south of IBM, and just 75 miles south of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. As a student on the UMR campus in downtown Rochester, you will be at the heart of one of the world?s top medical centers and at the center of an internationally known research community.

Connections working at University of Minnesota, Rochester