Associate Dean for Multicultural and Student Affairs

Job Summary: Under administrative supervision from the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, the Associate Dean for Multicultural and Student Affairs will serve as the Chief Student Affairs Officer and the leading voice in matters pertaining to student success and well-being. This includes, but is not limited to, orientation, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, student support, and student life outside the classroom. Primary responsibilities will be to lead a comprehensive orientation and transition effort; to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across all areas of the campus, and coordination of student leadership development programs. The Associate Dean provides strategic vision and oversight for all activities and programs of the Office of Multicultural and Student Affairs and carries out WVSOM’s mission to educate the campus community and promote student code of conduct policies.  The Associate Dean will work in close collaboration with the Dean to create and coordinate pathways for student support and success and will provide leadership and direction in achieving these goals.    

General Duties and Responsibilities:

• As a hands-on and highly visible campus leader, the Associate Dean shares with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean and Associate/Assistant Deans the responsibility for student guidance, support, and general welfare;
• Serves as a champion and guide for the school on matters of equity, inclusion and diversity;
• Creates a common vision for an inclusive climate at WVSOM and outlines steps to realize the vision including the identification of benchmarks to measure progress;
• Develops and implements assessment tools that evaluate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the following areas: recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, faculty and staff; impact of culturally sustaining programming and services; anti-racist curriculum implementation; and community engagement at WVSOM;
• Leads WVSOM by developing, conducting, and assessing cultural competency to advance diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across all areas of campus. This includes oversight of the strategic planning for diversity and inclusion, including data-driven development of plan goals, implementation of plan initiatives, monitoring of key indicators, and assessment. The Associate Dean is also expected to regularly develop and conduct campus climate surveys.

• Working with the VP of Human Resources to implement and evaluate systems and structures for reporting bias, discrimination and harassment in the federally protected categories.
• Work collaboratively with staff in the Office of Admissions who are responsible for supporting pipeline programs;
• Conduct DEI presentations for new employee onboarding and student orientations.
• The Associate Dean reviews, investigates, address and/or refers potential professionalism cases; ensures operations are in compliance with all applicable policies, procedures, and regulations; and serves as a liaison with numerous campus units and organizations to maintain cross collaboration. Convenes all appeals committees;
• The Associate Dean regularly interfaces with faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni by providing training, advice, counsel, and—when appropriate—in the capacity of directly administering and enforcing policies and related sanctions.
• Creates, supervisees and implements innovative student activities, programs and budget. Reviews and approves activities, both on and off campus, for all student organizations;
• Provides leadership for faculty and staff in understanding and assisting in meeting student needs and services;
• Provides leadership in developing policies and procedure for the Office of Student Affairs;
• Directly provides leadership and supervision of members of the Student Affairs Staff, including the Director of Student Programs, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Wellness, and the Administrative Assistant.
• Oversees the development and implementation of student services programming for the entire student body effectively, empathetically, diplomatically, non-judgmentally and fairly;
• Oversees Student organizations; 
• Serves as external liaison for WVSOM with numerous state and national organizations with focus on Student Development/Enrollment/Diversity, Equity and Inclusion;
• Write and manage grants acquired for advancing the diversity mission of the school;
• Serves as the Chair and develops and implements the Committee on Social Justice and Cultural Diversity;
• Serves as a Title IX Coordinator;
• Serves as WVSOM’s Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) training and compliance officer;
• Assists in the development and implementation of institutional events; 
• Serves as an active member on the President’s Forum, Dean’s Cabinet, Dean’s Advisory Council, and other campus committees as assigned in support of the strategic goals of the institution;
• Performs other related duties as assigned or directed.

Qualifications: WVSOM is looking for a dynamic person who is student-centric and experienced in working to support students while upholding university policies. Candidate will have an advanced degree (Master’s, Ph.D., JD, or equivalent) in student development, DEI, social justice, higher education administration, law, or a related field and a progressive record of five or more years of professional leadership and supervisory experience in student affairs within a college or university setting are required. Experience as a diversity officer is preferred.

Additional requirements include: demonstrated knowledge of student development and student conduct processes, as well as applicable laws; well-developed advising skills; experience adjudicating policy violations; and excellent written and verbal communication skills. Also desired are effective conflict resolution skills, the ability to find mutually acceptable solutions to difficult problems, and the ability to build consensus, find support and reconcile competing interests.  Evidence of working cooperatively and collaboratively with others in a diverse, complex environment will also be important considerations in the selection of the Associate Dean for Multicultural and Student Affairs. 

Position: This is a full-time, non-classified position; it is exempt from FLSA regulations concerning overtime. Not all activities of this position occur within the confines of an 8:00-4:30 schedule and will require evening and weekend scheduling as needed. The weekly schedule for this position will be established between the supervisor and the employee and approved given the needs of the department and the institution.

This position has been designated as Essential. This means that when WVSOM is faced with an institutional emergency, employees in such positions may be required to remain at their work location or to report to work to protect, recover and continue operations at WVSOM.

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to enhancing diversity among its faculty and staff.