Dir of Residence Life & Community Standards

Job Description

Job Description

Centenary University Mission & Priorities

Centenary University launches students into a successful career and life. Centenary advances three strategic priorities: Student Success, University Vitality, and World Engagement.

Position Summary

The Director of Residence Life and Community Standards is a full-time, twelve-month, live-in professional position responsible for providing strategic leadership, administration, and operational oversight of the University's residential life program and student conduct process.

The Director oversees residential operations serving approximately 500 undergraduate residential students and approximately 100 residential students from Sussex County Community College across eight residence halls. Reporting to the Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students, the Director provides leadership for housing administration, occupancy management, student conduct, residential education, staff supervision, crisis response, facilities coordination, assessment, budgeting, and strategic planning.

As a senior member of the Campus Life team, the Director develops a student-centered residential experience that supports student engagement, belonging, retention, personal development, and academic success. The Director collaborates extensively with Campus Safety, Facilities, Information Technology, Academic Affairs, Admissions, Health and Counseling Services, Student Affairs, and external partners to ensure a safe, inclusive, and vibrant residential community.

Core Responsibilities and Expected Outcomes

1) Residential Operations and Housing Management

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight for all residential life operations across eight residence halls.
• Oversee housing assignments, occupancy management, room changes, waitlists, openings, closings, and early arrival processes.
• Manage continuing student housing selection and room assignment processes.
• Maintain accurate occupancy data, forecasting models, and residential records.
• Develop and maintain housing policies, procedures, and operational protocols.

Outcome

• Residence halls operate efficiently and consistently with accurate occupancy management, timely communication, and effective residential services.
• Housing occupancy and forecasting data support institutional planning and enrollment objectives.

2) Staff Leadership and Development

Responsibilities

• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate Residence Life professional staff, including Assistant Director and Graduate Resident Directors.
• Provide indirect leadership and oversight for approximately 25 Resident Assistants.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive training programs, manuals, and professional development opportunities.
• Establish performance expectations, accountability measures, and ongoing coaching practices.

Outcome

• Residence Life staff demonstrate strong performance, professionalism, student support skills, and effective community leadership.
• Student staff are trained and prepared to meet departmental and university expectations.

3) Community Standards and Student Conduct

Responsibilities

• Administer the University's student conduct process.
• Ensure fair, consistent, educational, and timely adjudication of student conduct cases.
• Maintain oversight of the Student Handbook and annual policy review process.
• Analyze conduct trends and recommend prevention, education, and intervention strategies.
• Ensure accurate conduct of documentation and compliance with institutional policies.

Outcome

• Student conduct processes support accountability, student development, and community expectations.
• Conduct trend data informs policy enhancements, educational programming, and risk mitigation strategies.

4) Residential Education and Student Engagement

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for residential programming and community development initiatives.
• Support the development of learning communities and academic partnerships within residential environments.
• Promote student engagement, belonging, inclusion, and retention through intentional programming.
• Collaborate with campus partners to provide resources and support services for residential students.

Outcome

• Students experience a welcoming, supportive residential community that enhances engagement, personal growth, and persistence toward graduation.
• Residential programming contributes positively to student success and a sense of belonging.

5) Emergency Management and Student Support

Responsibilities

• Lead residential emergency response and crisis management efforts.
• Maintain and oversee on-call duty systems and emergency protocols.
• Respond to urgent student situations and ensure appropriate intervention and follow-up.
• Coordinate with Campus Safety and other university departments during emergencies.

Outcome

• Emergency situations are managed effectively through established protocols, appropriate documentation, and timely response.
• Students receive appropriate support during crises while institutional safety standards are maintained.

6) Facilities Management and Capital Planning

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Facilities to address maintenance concerns, building conditions, and capital improvement priorities.
• Monitor residential facility conditions and advocate for student experience and safety enhancements.
• Participate in planning and implementation of facility improvement initiatives.

Outcome

• Residential facilities remain safe, functional, and supportive of student needs.
• Facility concerns are identified and addressed proactively through effective cross-functional collaboration.

7) Budget Administration and Resource Management

Responsibilities

• Develop, manage, and monitor Residence Life operating budgets.
• Ensure compliance with university financial policies and procedures.
• Evaluate resource allocation and operational efficiency opportunities.

Outcome

• Departmental resources are managed responsibly and in alignment with institutional priorities and budget expectations.

8) Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Continuous Improvement

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an assessment plan focused on student learning, engagement, satisfaction, retention, and operational effectiveness.
• Utilize data to evaluate residential programs and services.
• Identify new initiatives to strengthen housing occupancy and student recruitment.
• Participate on university committees and strategic planning initiatives as assigned.

Outcome

• Data-informed decision-making drives continuous improvement and supports institutional goals related to student success, retention, and residential occupancy.
• Residence Life programs demonstrate measurable impact and effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, Educational Leadership, or related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in Residence Life, Housing, Student Affairs, Student Conduct, or a related higher education functional area.
• Demonstrated experience of supervising, developing, and evaluating professional and student staff.
• Experience administering student conduct processes, conflict resolution, crisis response, and student support interventions.
• Strong leadership, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to build effective collaborative relationships across campus departments and external partners.
• Proficiency with housing management systems, student information systems, Microsoft Office applications, and other relevant technology platforms.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends, participate in an on-call rotation, respond effectively to emergencies, and reside in university-provided housing as a condition of employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supervising live-in professional staff within a residential campus environment.
• Knowledge of higher education housing operations, occupancy management, residential education, and student engagement programming.
• Experience developing and utilizing assessment data and key performance metrics to improve student outcomes, retention, and departmental effectiveness.
• Budget planning, management, and fiscal oversight experience.
• Experience working with community college housing partnerships, dual-enrollment residential programs, or other external educational partners.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Vice President for Student Affairs

• Direct Reports:
• Assistant Director of Residence Life
• Graduate Resident Directors
• Resident Assistants (indirect supervision)

Expected Performance Indicators (Illustrative)

• Residential occupancy rates meet or exceed annual targets.

• Student satisfaction with residential services demonstrates continuous improvement.
• Residence halls operate safely and effectively during openings, closings, and throughout the academic year.
• Conduct cases are resolved consistently and within established timelines.
• Staff performance expectations are met, and professional development goals are achieved.
• Assessment results show a positive impact on student engagement, belonging, and retention.
• Budget expenditures remain within approved allocations.
• Emergency response protocols are implemented effectively and documented appropriately.