Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Posting Summary Job Title: Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students (AVP/DoS). Department: Student Affairs Office. Position Category: Staff. FLSA: Exempt. Pay Range: $190,000 - $210,000 per year. Fund Source: State Support. Job Summary The Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students (AVP/DoS) is a senior leadership role for an experienced, student-centered professional prepared to operate at the highest level of a dynamic and mission-driven division. The AVP/DoS provides executive leadership for student care, conduct, wellbeing, and crisis response and serves as a close partner to the Vice President in advancing divisional priorities and institutional goals. The AVP/DoS is responsible for six areas: Counseling Center, Food Resource Center, Student Disability Support Services, Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Support and Outreach Services, and University Health Center. This scope represents the full arc of student care — from prevention and health promotion to crisis response and intervention — and requires a leader who can move fluidly between strategic leadership and immediate operational demands, and between systemic decision-making and individual student need. The AVP/Dean of Students serves as one of the Division’s principal executive leaders and works in close partnership with the Vice President for Student Affairs and peer Associate Vice Presidents to shape the strategic direction, organizational effectiveness, and future growth of the Division. Beyond oversight of assigned functional areas, this position is expected to think institutionally, contribute to division-wide leadership, and help design the systems, structures, and partnerships necessary to advance student success and wellbeing at Morgan State University. A defining expectation of this role is the capacity to connect the work of individual units into an integrated system of care and support — one that is proactive in identifying student need, coherent in its institutional response, intentional in ensuring that students navigating complex challenges receive connected and consistent care, and designed to remove barriers to student success while advancing institutional outcomes. Duties & Responsibilities Provides executive leadership for the Counseling Center, University Health Center, Student Disability Support Services, Student Support and Outreach Services, Food Resource Center, and Student Rights and Responsibilities, ensuring that services are student-centered, data-informed, and aligned with divisional and institutional priorities. Leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive campus-wide student wellbeing strategy — developed through cross-institutional partnerships and aligned with institutional priorities — that integrates health promotion, mental health, accessibility, basic needs support, prevention, and student success initiatives. Oversees the University’s student support and crisis response systems, including case management, CARE Team operations, behavioral intervention, referral networks, and on-call emergency response, ensuring timely, proactive, and effective coordinated responses to students of concern, behavioral incidents, mental health crises, and critical campus safety matters. Provides leadership for student conduct, accessibility, threat assessment, campus safety collaboration, and student-facing policy development, ensuring that policies, practices, and responses are educationally grounded, procedurally sound, informed by applicable laws, regulations, university policies, and professional standards, and support a fair, accessible, and student-centered experience. Advances a culture of prevention, early intervention, and coordinated care by ensuring that student support systems are proactive, responsive, integrated, and designed to identify and address emerging student needs before they become barriers to success. Maintains a visible and accessible presence within the campus community, develops meaningful relationships with students, families, faculty, staff, and campus partners, and ensures that student perspectives, needs, and emerging concerns inform divisional priorities, services, and institutional decision‑making. Serves as one of the Division’s principal executive leaders and a member of the senior leadership team, contributing to divisional strategy, organizational effectiveness, student success initiatives, and institutional planning, and represents the Vice President for Student Affairs as assigned. Maintains active engagement in the student affairs profession through professional associations, conferences, scholarship, and leadership activities that inform institutional practice, contribute to the advancement of the profession, and elevate the visibility of Morgan State University and its work in student success and wellbeing. Builds and sustains collaborative partnerships across Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, University Police, Facilities, and community partners to advance student success and wellbeing, strengthen coordinated systems of care and support, and advocate for student needs in university planning and decision‑making. Uses assessment, data analytics, evidence-based practices, and continuous improvement strategies to evaluate effectiveness, identify emerging trends, inform decision-making, and advance institutional goals related to student success, retention, persistence, and completion. Recruits, supervises, and develops directors and department leaders across all assigned units, fostering a culture of care, innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement while providing oversight of personnel, budgets, planning, and organizational development across the portfolio. Requested Minimum Qualifications Education Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, social work, public health, higher education administration, or a related field from an accredited institution. Experience Experience serving as a Dean of Students, Associate Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Associate Dean, or in a comparable senior student affairs leadership role. Experience leading or serving on a behavioral intervention team, threat assessment team, CARE Team, or similar multidisciplinary student support structure. Experience working in a public university, urban-serving institution, HBCU, or similarly mission-driven environment. Experience supporting graduate, professional, adult, transfer, first‑generation, or other diverse student populations. Demonstrated experience leading institution‑wide student wellbeing, mental health, accessibility, basic needs, or student support initiatives. Demonstrated experience with student success technologies, case management systems, early alert platforms, and data-informed decision-making at the divisional or institutional level. Demonstrated experience leading organizational change, service integration, or strategic transformation initiatives in higher education. Experience building, expanding, or advancing disability services, accessibility compliance, accommodation systems, health promotion initiatives, or integrated student support services. Experience developing and implementing assessment frameworks, quality improvement initiatives, or outcome-based approaches to student success and wellbeing. Demonstrated engagement in professional associations, scholarship, presentations, or leadership activities related to student affairs, student wellbeing, student success, or higher education administration. Other Preferences for Consideration Education Preferred Earned doctorate in higher education, student affairs, counseling, public health, social work, higher education administration, or a related field. Experience Preferred Demonstrated experience in student conduct administration, crisis response, and care team, behavioral intervention, or threat assessment leadership. Demonstrated experience providing administrative leadership in an environment that includes licensed clinical, counseling, health, disability services, or related helping professionals. Demonstrated experience supervising multiple departments, complex service operations, and professional staff within a higher education environment. Demonstrated experience in staff supervision and development, strategic planning, organizational leadership, assessment, and data-informed decision-making. Proven ability to manage crises with calmness, discretion, and sound judgment while demonstrating care and respect for students, families, faculty, staff, and the institution. Knowledge of applicable federal and state laws and regulations affecting higher education and student affairs, including FERPA, ADA, Section 504, the Clery Act, Title IX, and related compliance requirements, with demonstrated ability to translate legal obligations into institutional policy and practice. Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment in sensitive and high‑stakes situations and effectively advise senior leadership on complex student, organizational, and institutional matters. Demonstrated political acumen and the ability to navigate complex institutional environments while building trust and credibility across diverse stakeholder groups. Strong critical thinking, problem‑solving, and organizational skills, with the capacity to assess systems and advance approaches that improve student outcomes and institutional effectiveness. Excellent written, interpersonal, presentation, and crisis communication skills. Demonstrated success building partnerships and collaborating effectively with students, faculty, staff, families, community partners, and external stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to lead through change, inspire innovation, and foster continuous improvement within complex organizations. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Knowledge Comprehensive knowledge of student affairs administration, student development theory, and higher education best practices. Knowledge of student conduct administration, behavioral intervention, threat assessment, case management, and crisis response frameworks. Knowledge of student wellbeing, mental health, health promotion, accessibility services, basic needs support, and coordinated care models. Knowledge of federal and state laws, regulations, and compliance requirements affecting higher education, including FERPA, ADA, Section 504, Clery Act, Title IX, and related regulatory standards. Knowledge of assessment methodologies, data analytics, institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, and continuous improvement practices. Knowledge of organizational leadership, change management, budgeting, personnel administration, and operational management principles. Knowledge of risk management, emergency response, campus safety, and student support systems within complex higher education environments. Knowledge of student success initiatives, retention strategies, persistence models, and barriers impacting student achievement. Knowledge of public health, behavioral health, accessibility, and student support resources available within university and community settings. Knowledge of current and emerging trends affecting higher education, student wellbeing, student success, and student affairs administration. Skills Exceptional leadership and executive management skills with the ability to lead multiple departments and complex organizational functions. Strong strategic planning and organizational development skills. Advanced problem‑solving, critical thinking, and decision‑making skills. Excellent crisis management and conflict resolution skills. Strong interpersonal and relationship‑building skills with the ability to establish trust and credibility across diverse stakeholder groups. Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and executive communication skills. Strong assessment, data analysis, and evidence‑based decision‑making skills. Skilled in policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Effective personnel management, coaching, mentoring, and supervisory skills. Strong budget planning, resource management, and operational oversight skills. Skilled in facilitating collaboration across divisions, departments, and external organizations. Proficiency utilizing student information systems, case management systems, student success technologies, electronic health record systems, and business productivity software. Abilities Ability to provide visionary leadership for a comprehensive student affairs portfolio and advance institutional priorities. Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion when managing sensitive, confidential, and high‑risk situations. Ability to effectively lead institutional crisis response efforts and coordinate multidisciplinary intervention strategies. Ability to analyze complex situations, evaluate risks, and make timely decisions with significant institutional implications. Ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations, policies, and professional standards to university operations and student matters. Ability to lead organizational change, foster innovation, and implement continuous improvement initiatives. Ability to build and sustain collaborative partnerships with students, faculty, staff, families, community organizations, and external stakeholders. Ability to manage competing priorities, multiple projects, and complex organizational demands simultaneously. Ability to advocate for student needs while balancing institutional responsibilities, legal obligations, and risk management considerations. Ability to utilize assessment findings, data analytics, and performance metrics to improve services and inform strategic decision‑making. Ability to supervise, develop, motivate, and evaluate professional and administrative staff. Ability to represent the Division of Student Affairs and Morgan State University effectively in campus, community, and professional settings. Ability to maintain professionalism, composure, and effectiveness in fast‑paced, highly visible, and politically complex environments. #J-18808-Ljbffr Morgan State University