Associate Vice President and Dean of Students

Job Description - Associate Vice President and Dean of Students (STU00000149)

Job Description

Associate Vice President and Dean of Students - ( STU00000149 )

Description

Southern Methodist University (SMU) seeks an experienced and dedicated student-centered leader to serve as its Associate Vice President and Dean of Students (AVP-DOS). Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, the AVP-DOS provides strategic vision and executive oversight for a comprehensive portfolio that promotes student health, safety, wellbeing, advocacy, and success. This is an exciting time to join SMU and the Division of Student Affairs, as the institution continues its ascent towards excellence across the academic, research, teaching, and athletic enterprises, as well as ongoing enhancements to the overall student experience. SMU is experiencing growth and momentum, including expanding undergraduate, transfer, and graduate student populations, increasing national visibility, and the upcoming implementation of an ambitious new strategic plan. The AVP-DOS will play a central role in ensuring that student support systems and wellbeing initiatives evolve alongside the university's continued growth and rising national profile.

Founded in 1911, SMU is a private research university with a focus on global impact, educating more than 12,500 students (approximately 7,500 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate) studying across seven degree-granting schools. Now in its second century, SMU is broadly recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty, staff, and alumni to be ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. Over the last three decades, SMU has expanded its reach and reputation both nationally and globally, enrolling increasingly high-achieving students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries.

The Division of Student Affairs at SMU plays a central role in shaping a transformative student experience, fostering an environment where students are empowered to thrive academically, socially, personally, and professionally. Guided by a mission to create purposeful learning and leadership opportunities, the division partners across the university to support student success, wellbeing, engagement, and belonging. The collective work of student affairs cultivates the skills students need to become impactful leaders and “world changers.”

The AVP-DOS oversees areas central to ensuring the health, wellbeing, and safety of SMU students, including Student Conduct & Community Standards, Student Advocacy & Support, the Dr. Bob Smith Student Health Center, and Campus Recreation and Wellbeing Education. As a key member of the Student Affairs senior leadership team, the AVP-DOS collaborates across the institution to address complex student needs, lead critical incident and crisis response efforts, ensure regulatory compliance, and advance divisional and university priorities. The AVP-DOS will also partner closely with SMU's schools to support students and ensure that student support resources, wellbeing initiatives, crisis response protocols, conduct and community standards, and student success efforts effectively serve the needs of both undergraduate and graduate populations.

The SMU community is highly engaged, collaborative, and inventive, and staff pride themselves on providing a high-touch student experience. The ideal candidate is a highly approachable leader who combines strategic thinking with a deep commitment to student wellbeing, fostering a culture where every student feels supported and empowered to succeed. They will bring demonstrated success leading complex student affairs teams, navigating critical incidents with confidence, and building strong partnerships across campus to address student needs. Most importantly, they will be a highly visible and engaged leader who uses their position, relationships, and influence to help students navigate challenges, access support, and succeed. They will combine decisive leadership, strong supervision, and a deep commitment to student wellbeing with an authentic desire to engage students directly, support talented staff, and advance both student success and the university's broader mission.

The minimum educational qualifications include a master's degree in higher education administration, student affairs, counseling, or a related field. A terminal degree is strongly preferred. While no one person will embody all of the following, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications, skills, experiences, and personal qualities:

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in student affairs in the areas directly related to the portfolio of the AVP-DOS, including: student conduct, student care and support, wellness, and/or crisis management.
• Significant experience leading institutional crisis response efforts, behavioral intervention processes, student conduct and accountability processes, behavioral intervention, and emergency management activities.
• Experience with student conduct systems and care teams.
• Familiarity with current and emerging issues in higher education, including mental health, Title IX, campus climate, and regulatory compliance.
• Exceptional communication, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Facility in analyzing data to develop and assess programs to drive change and innovation.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with students, families, alumni, donors, trustees, faculty, staff, and senior leaders.
• Experience serving as a spokesperson, public-facing representative, or participant in media related communications during sensitive or high-profile situations.
• Experience navigating complex institutional environments and managing relationships with multiple stakeholders while balancing competing priorities and perspectives.
• Facility in analyzing data to develop and assess programs to drive change and innovation.
• High degree of accessibility and openness to students and demonstrated record of earning and maintaining the trust of the student body.
• Demonstrated experience working in a high-touch, service-oriented environment that requires frequent engagement with students, families, and campus partners.
• Proven ability to inspire, lead, support, and mentor a student affairs team of skilled and dedicated professionals, effectively manage talent, and develop processes for effective teamwork.
• Proven track record of effective fiscal and operational management.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and credibility with students, families, faculty, staff, and institutional leaders in a highly relational and service-oriented environment.
• Demonstrated record of decisive leadership, sound judgment, and effective decision-making in complex and rapidly evolving circumstances.

SMU will not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, education activity, or admissions on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. SMU’s commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The Assistant Vice President for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies, including the prohibition of sex discrimination under Title IX. The Assistant Vice President/Title IX Coordinator may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, View phone number on click.appcast.io, View email address on click.appcast.io.