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Director of Residence Life

  • 492435
  • Raleigh, NC, North Carolina, United States
  • Staff Full-time

Notice: If you are seeing this position posted on a job board other than the official Meredith College career posting page, please know that any pay range included is not authorized or approved by Meredith College and may not reflect the actual pay rate for the position.

The Director of Residence Life reports to the Dean of Students. This is a full-time, 12-month, live-out position (on-campus housing can be provided, but not required for the position). The Director should demonstrate excellent communication, problem solving, management, and supervision skills. The Director should have demonstrated experience with and the ability to interact with diverse constituents with a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. The duties and responsibilities of the Director of Residence Life include but are not limited to the following:

I. Staff Supervision, Selection, Training and Evaluation

A. Supervise four professional full-time Residence Directors, one Apartment Manager, and one part-time Administrative Assistant.
B. Oversee supervision of 25 Resident Assistants and four apartment student staff.
C. Conduct yearly training for full-time live-in professional staff.
D. Oversee yearly training for Resident Assistants. Present workshops as needed.
E. Lead weekly Residence Life staff meetings to communicate information, discuss issues, recognize contributions, provide, and solicit feedback.
F. Meet regularly for 1:1 meetings with Residence Directors, Apartment Manager, and Administrative Assistant.
G. Facilitate the resolution of conflicts by providing guidance to the Residence Directors and Apartment Manager, intervening when necessary and referring cases to the appropriate offices/personnel as needed.
H. Develop annual training for all full-time professional staff and student staff.
I. Provide staff and personal development activities for the Residence Directors and Apartment Manager.
J. Conduct regular evaluations of all staff in accordance with the Human Resource Performance Evaluation process.
K. Oversee Resident Assistant evaluation process.
L. Create and develop a yearly Resident Assistant recruitment process.

II. Administration/Communication

A. Respond to email sent to reslife@meredith.edu, the departmental email account.
B. Communicate via phone calls and email with parents who have residence life concerns.
C. Market and promote on-campus living through return sign-up information.
D. Develop the return room sign-up process and apartment assignment process held each spring semester.
E. Manage the room assignment process for incoming residents.
F. Maintain accurate records of all resident students.
G. Create relevant electronic forms to support Residence Life operations.
H. Annually update departmental forms and materials.
I. Provide projected occupancy reports to members of the Executive Leadership Team and other interested campus personnel.
J. Communicate regularly with the Dean of Students regarding residence hall and apartment issues and concerns.
K. Effectively communicate residence hall policies to residents through the Guide to Community Living, Guide to Apartment Living, office brochures, closing notices, emails, letters, meetings, and bulletin boards.
L. Oversee communication distributed by the Apartment Manager.
M. Assist Admissions with campus events such as “Think Meredith” Days, Experience Meredith, and StartStrong (summer admitted student) days.
N. Maintain accurate key inventory.
O. Assess charges and fines to student accounts.
P. Complete annual Continuous Improvement Report information including feedback, results and actions taken.
Q. Develop yearly resident evaluation to include questions regarding Resident Assistant performance and quality of campus living questions. Administer to all resident students.

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III. Community Building

A. Understand Meredith’s Honor Code, college policies, and regulations related to the residence halls and Oaks.
B. Educate residents about policies and procedures and refer students to the Honor Council as necessary.
C. Have knowledge of Clifton Strengths and incorporate strengths terminology when meeting with students and staff (Strengths workshops provided by the College).
D. Encourage programmatic content for Resident Assistants through socials, events, and bulletin boards.
E. Identify and encourage student involvement in campus leadership opportunities.
F. Maintain effective and collaborative working partnerships with offices and departments on campus.
G. Support the campus community by attending and participating in events and programs offered on campus and assisting with Meredith traditions.
H. Serve on various campus committees.
I. Support the advisement of the Residence Hall Association.
J. Support the advisement of the Residence Hearings Committee.
K. Consider instructing a section of the First Year Experience course.

IV. Student Support and Retention

A. Serve as a visible and accessible resource to residents and students by maintaining an “open door” policy and being available for student meetings.
B. Follow-up with students who have been referred to the Director for personal or social concerns.
C. Meet individually with students who have personal concerns or are at-risk.
D. Meet with students who are having roommate conflicts to determine resolution options.
E. Collaborate with campus partners on enrollment and retention strategies.

V. Crisis Management

A. Counsel and refer any Meredith student in crisis.
B. Respond to emergencies involving resident students.
C. Maintain effective relationships with Campus Police, Counseling Center, Disability Services, Facilities Services, Admissions, and Campus Dining.
D. Serve on the College’s Incident Management and Care Assessment Teams.
E. Be accessible after hours by cell phone for crisis and emergency situations. Respond to major on-campus emergencies as needed.
F. Contact the Dean of Students and Vice President for College Programs regarding crisis and emergency situations as necessary.

VI. Facility Management

A. Manage six residence halls housing approximately 1000 residents and an apartment building housing 248 residents.
B. Report on-going facility concerns to the Director of Facilities Services and Maintenance Supervisor.
C. Educate residents regarding appropriate ways of reporting maintenance concerns through voicemail or the online work order request.
D. Walk through the residence halls on a regular basis.

The Director of Residence Life serves on the Dean of Students staff along with the Assistant Dean of Students, Co-Directors of First Year Experience, Director of the Counseling Center, and Director of the Health Center.

Education & Experience

  • Position requires a Masters degree or higher in student personnel, higher education administration or related field or the anticipated completion of a Masters degree within 6 months of hire. At least 5 years of relevant experience (may include residence life or higher education experience) is required. Full-time professional experience in residence life is preferred.

Skills Needed

  • Extensive working knowledge of residential life best practices, student development and collegiate housing trends.
  • Demonstrated experience with and the ability to interact with diverse constituents; commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; strong interpersonal/human relations skills; excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proven record of staff supervision and motivation while providing organizational leadership; ability to solve complex residential life issues.
  • Must have the ability to use Microsoft Office, specially Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Experience with Google suite, Google docs, Gmail, etc.
  • Familiarity with Colleague preferred.
  • Position may require van driver training.

Key Interfaces 

  • Reports regularly to the Dean of Students; member of the College Programs team
  • Supervises Residence Directors, Oaks Apartment Manager, Resident Assistants and Administrative Assistant.
  • Interacts with campus administrators, staff, students, parents, and faculty

Working conditions & physical demands

  • General office setting with moderate noise level.
  • Ability to climb stairs when elevator use is not available.
  • Ability to occasionally lift 10-25 lbs.

Required Documents:
- Resume / CV
- Cover Letter

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Contact Information

1st Floor Park Center
(919) 760-8898
Fax: (919) 760-8164
hr@meredith.edu

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