Assistant Dean of Students / Director of Student Advocacy and Support

Assistant Dean of Students / Director of Student Advocacy and Support

Agency: East Texas A&M University

Department: Vice President for Student Success/Dean of Students

Proposed Minimum Salary: Commensurate

Job Location: Commerce, Texas

Job Type: Staff

Job Description:

The Assistant Dean of Students provides day-to-day operational oversight and strategic direction for Student Advocacy and Support (SAS) and collaborates closely with Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR). Reporting to the Dean of Students, this role is responsible for the functional integration of non-clinical student advocacy initiatives with the university's behavioral accountability processes. Additionally, the Assistant Dean serves as the chair of the CARE Team.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Operational Oversight: Provide day-to-day management and strategic direction for the office of Student Advocacy and Support (SAS).
• Personnel Supervision: Directly supervise, train, and evaluate the Assistant Director for Student Advocacy and Support and the Coordinator of the Lion Food Pantry.
• Basic Needs Management: Manage the operations and strategic growth of the Lion Food Pantry, Lion Wardrobe, and other basic needs initiatives to address student food insecurity and displacement.
• CARE Program Leadership: Lead the implementation and campus-wide expansion of the CARE program, ensuring faculty and staff are trained to identify and refer students of concerns.
• Behavioral Intervention: Serve as a core member of the Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) to assist with risk assessment and the coordination of support interventions.
• Direct Case Management: Provide non-clinical case management for students experiencing significant personal distress, financial hardship, or mental health-related concerns.
• Specialized Liaison Roles: Serve as the designated institutional representative for Foster Care Liaison resources and Pregnancy and Parenting support.
• Conduct Process Integration: Serve as a hearing officer, facilitate hearing boards, and facilitate appeal boards as case load dictates. Collaborate with the Dean of Students regarding situations of high risk.
• Grant and Funding Acquisition: Identify and apply for external funding opportunities to support initiatives related to food insecurity, homelessness, legal aid, and financial literacy.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with University Police Department, Title IX staff, and other University stakeholders to streamline student access to critical resources and advocacy.
• Prevention and Outreach: Develop and execute outreach initiatives and marketing efforts focused on student advocacy services for students and faculty/staff.
• Data and Compliance: Manage departmental data collection and reporting in Maxient, ensuring all records comply with FERPA and the Clery Act.
• Training and Development: Design and implement training for faculty, staff, and hearing boards regarding student support frameworks.
• Budgetary Management: Oversee departmental project budgets and ensure compliance with specific funding or grant requirements.
• Targeted Student Support: Coordinate programmatic support and intervention services for specific populations, including student veterans and victims of crime.
• Policy and Procedure Development: Lead the development, implementation, and periodic review of policies and procedures related to student advocacy, behavioral intervention, and basic needs services; recommend updates to ensure alignment with institutional priorities and regulatory requirements.
• Division Policy Leadership: Collaborate with the Dean of Students and divisional leadership to assess, interpret, and operationalize university policies; contribute to the development of division-wide protocols impacting student conduct, care response, and crisis management.
• Institutional Representation: Serve as a representative of the Dean of Students on university committees, task forces, and cross-functional initiatives; provide subject matter expertise on student advocacy, risk assessment, and student support systems.
• Acting Leadership Authority: Represent the Dean of Students in their absence for designated meetings, case consultations, and decision-making processes; provide guidance to campus partners on student-related matters requiring elevated review.
• Strategic Initiative Leadership: Lead or co-lead division-level strategic initiatives as assigned by the Dean of Students, including projects related to student retention, campus climate, and coordinated care systems.
• Crisis Response Leadership: Provide leadership in institutional crisis response efforts involving students of concern; assist in developing and implementing response protocols aligned with university emergency management practices.
• Governance and Compliance Oversight: Ensure departmental and divisional practices align with university policies and applicable laws; recommend procedural improvements to mitigate risk and enhance consistency in student support and conduct processes.

Minimum Requirements:

• Education: Masters in an applicable field (Higher Education, Student Personnel, etc.) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience / Knowledge / Skills: Five (5) years of related experience in an educational environment providing case management and student support services. Proficiency with Maxient or similar case management software for tracking both advocacy and conduct cases.
• Ability to: Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others. Ability to work extended hours, including late evenings and some weekends.
• Licensing/Professional Certifications: None
• Physical Requirements: None
• Other Requirements: Ability to travel during academic year.

Preferred Education / Skills/ Experience:

Direct experience in non-clinical case management in a post-secondary, higher education setting. Demonstrated experience and skills in implementing effective programs, services, and systems that assist individuals who are involved in or impacted by personal crisis, mental health concerns, trauma, and/or other disruptive/disturbing life events with great care and sensitivity; 24 hour on-call experience is notable. Experience participating as a member of multi-disciplinary crisis, care, and/or behavior intervention teams. Experience with the application of federal, state, and local laws, policies, and/or regulations, specifically FERPA, Title IX, HIPAA, Clery, VAWA, and others that are similar and apply to higher education. Bilingual preferred.

Supervision of Others:

Support and Outreach Coordinator, graduate assistants, student workers.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution's verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution's procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.