General summary/purpose:

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Engineering Educational Program Services in the Whiting School of Engineering (WSE), the Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Affairs position is housed in the Educational Program Services Office, serving the non-academic student life needs for the four Graduate Education and Lifelong Learning verticals in the Whiting School of Engineering: (1) the residential master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral fellow programs (Homewood campus); (2) the professional master's and graduate certificate programs (Engineering for Professionals program), (3) the non-credit programs for professionals (Lifelong Learning), and the (4) pre-collegiate (K-12) online and on-site programs. 

The Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Affairs is charged with strategizing and ensuring both individual and at-large nonacademic and student affairs support to the four Graduate Education and Lifelong Learning verticals, both responsively when concerns arise (leading the immediate followup response and longterm care after university crisis team interventions, calling for BIT team meetings, etc.), and proactively, by working to improve systems and policies that are supportive of holistic well-being and help further the Whiting School's emphasis on innovation, excellence, and inclusion.

The Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Affairs works under the Associate Dean for Engineering Educational Program Services and collaborates with the Dean of Student Life, the Vice Provost for Student Affairs,  Vice Provost for Student Health and Wellbeing, Student Conduct,  Office of International Services, Life Design (career services for master's students), PHutures (the office supporting professional development for PhDs and postdoctoral fellows), Office of Institutional Equity, General Counsel, and other student affairs partners, as well as with faculty and staff across the Whiting School, to ensure that university and divisional student affairs policies and processes are fully informed by graduate student, learner, and postdoctoral fellow priorities.

This is a hybrid position.

Specific duties & responsibilities:

• Responsible (either directly or indirectly with partner offices) for all matters concerning student welfare and behavioral concerns to ensure that students receive support and guidance, professional mentorship, career development, appropriate physical and mental health care, and other services as needed and that students remain compliant with the policies and procedures of the university.
• In conjunction with the Associate Dean for Engineering Educational Program Services,develops and monitors the Student Affairs budget, strategizes staffing and planning.

Supervision

• Leads the student affairs team comprising (1) professional development/Life Design professional for WSE master's students, (2) student/learner/postdoctoral fellow non-academic programming and orientation, and (3) the Office of Engineering Support and Advocacy (case management) which includes determining and facilitating student disability services for Engineering for Professionals students and Lifelong Learners in partnership with the Office of Disability Services.
  • Shares dual-supervisory role with the Office of Life Design of the WSE Associate Director & Life Design Educator for Engineering Masters & Engineering for Professional Students

Student Behavioral Concern Triage

• Evaluates and addresses concerns regarding student behavior and compliance with the university Student Conduct Code and other relevant policies, referring cases as indicated to and/or partnering with the offices of Student Conduct, Academic Affairs, Research Misconduct, Office of Institutional Equity, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and/or the General Counsel's office, as well as escalating to the Associate Dean for Residential Graduate and Postdoctoral Education and/or the Associate Dean for Engineering Educational Program Services as appropriate.

Crisis Response

• Supports the efforts of the Office of Engineering Support and Advocacy (OESA) through the development of policies, advocating for infrastructure, resources, and policies
• Serve as a member of the on-call leadership team in a dean-on-call capacity, including participation in the university BIT and Risk Assessment (RAT) teams, managing appropriate institutional response and followup to campus emergencies.
• Serve as secondary crisis case manager if needed.
• Escalates severe crisis response issues to the Associate Dean for Engineering Educational Program Services/Office of Student Health and Well-Being, other crisis management partners, and the WSE Dean as appropriate.
• Serve as a member of the on-call leadership team in the dean-on-call capacity, managing appropriate institutional response to campus emergencies.

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Programming & Student Organizations

• Facilitate discussions, initiatives and School activities that enhance student life, development, and build community.
• Coordinate and initiate programming that enhances student experience, personal development, increases retention, and responds to student needs.
• Partners with admissions, academic affairs, and WSE events staff to plan and implement student, learner, and postdoctoral fellow orientations, as appropriate
• Monitors and advises the activities of select graduate/postdoctoral student organizations (including the Women of Whiting, the Black Graduate Student Association, the Homewood Postdoctoral Association, the Graduate Women in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Parental Concerns Working Group, Graduate Representative Organization), including supervision and administration of their budgets, fundraising activities, planning for special programs.
  • Ensures compliance with University regulations and ensure continuity from year to year.
• Advocates for professional development and career readiness initiatives in close partnership with the Office of Life Design and the PHutures Office.
• Coordinate student assignments on related student affairs committees

Policy

• Ensures that divisional student affairs policies and practices are in compliance with government regulations and university policies impacting students and that mandates and requirements are met and applied.   This includes sensitivity around policy and compliance issues for students under 18 years of age.

Data

• With support and partnership from the WSE and JHU Offices of Institutional Research and the university and WSE offices of Diversity and Inclusion, this role constructs and conducts surveys, needs assessments and evaluations of student needs (basic needs survey, climate surveys, etc.), summarizes the data for review with school and university leadership for decision making and follow-up
• Oversees student affairs data strategies to track student issues, needs, and trends to both advocate for resources and policies as well as to identify points of intersection and action that will align with relevant retention and recruitment goals.

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Training and Education

• Trains/Coordinates training for divisional academic staff and faculty around issues related to student affairs (QPR (preventative suicide awareness training), campus safety authority, etc.)
• Leads regularly scheduled meetings with academic program staff to enhance communication.
• Partners with the office of Student Conduct to maintain standards for student behavior, recommend disciplinary actions as necessary and document all student failures to comply with established policy and procedures.
• Attends national and local student affairs and other professional conferences to advance professional skills and services

Perform other duties as necessary for the administration.

Minimum qualifications (mandatory):

• Master's degree plus 7-10 years progressively responsible student affairs leadership experience including resource and program development, event planning. crisis response, student conduct, etc.
• Must have previous experience working with graduate students, PhD's and postdoctoral fellows
• Must have worked in academic settings with diverse student populations in terms of race, ethnicity, country of origin, etc.
• Previous experience managing and supervising extensive staff

Preferred qualifications:

Experience working in student affairs with K-12 students and/or Lifelong Learning students

Special knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• An experienced and highly skilled student affairs leader, who possesses sound judgement, organizational savvy, demonstrated empathy and compassion in complex student learning environments
• Knowledge of student affairs best practices
• Extensive knowledge of and experience with working with students with a multitude of intersectional identities, and creating inclusive learning environments for them to succeed and thrive
• Comprehensive knowledge of opportunities and challenges impacting international students
• Knowledge of higher education laws and regulations impacting students
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including ability to present to large audiences and write creative cogent communication with students
• Knowledge of budget development and administration 
• Strong MS Office Suite skills and high degree of comfort working with large databases and spreadsheets
• Strong analytical skills, with ability to summarize data for reflection and action by stakeholders
• Strong project management and event planning skills, with the ability to effectively manage many simultaneous projects and issues
• Knowledge of career counseling, student activities and student leadership principles and practices
• Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential records and information
• Highly skilled in building and leading diverse teams