Director for Student Leadership and Engagement

Director for Student Leadership and Engagement

About Talladega College
Talladega College, Alabama’s first private historically black liberal arts college, has provided academic excellence for almost 160 years. The campus blends breathtaking historic buildings with state-of-the-art facilities. These include a modern 45,000-square-foot residence hall, the Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center, and the Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art, which houses Hale Woodruff’s critically acclaimed Amistad Murals and other great works of art. The college is consistently ranked among the Princeton Review’s Best Colleges in the Southeast, U.S. News & World Report’s Best National Liberal Arts Colleges, Top HBCUs, and Top Performers on Social Mobility.
Job Summary
The Director for Student Leadership and Engagement administers, designs, and evaluates comprehensive programs and services that support a vibrant, diverse, inclusive, and equitable student life experience. Grounded in student development theory, this role directly drives student retention, persistence, satisfaction, and a sense of belonging. The Director serves as a key partner in administering the student conduct process, fosters a proactive culture of campus engagement, and directly manages the operations of the Student Activity Center. This position coordinates major institutional milestones, including Freshman Orientation Week and Homecoming/Founders’ Week, and requires a flexible schedule to accommodate evening and weekend obligations.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Assessment

• Data-Driven Policy: Partner with the Vice President for Student Affairs to design division-wide assessments, using data to shape student-centered practices and align with regional accreditation standards.
• Strategic Planning: Translate assessment data into actionable departmental goals that directly support the college’s broader strategic roadmap and enhance student success.
• Fiscal Management: Oversee the departmental budget, ensuring equitable, strategic, and compliant allocation of student activity funds.
• Campus Liaison: Serve as a visible division ambassador, building cross-functional partnerships with Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Athletics to support holistic student success.

Advising, Greek Life & Leadership Development

• Advisement & Mentorship: Provide comprehensive advising, strategic guidance, and organizational effectiveness training to the Student Government Association (SGA), Royal Court, and Greek Life governing bodies.
• Fraternity & Sorority Governance: Directly advise and oversee the operations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), ensuring strict compliance with institutional policies, national headquarters guidelines, risk management protocols, and intake/new member education regulations.
• Council Expansion: Provide administrative support and oversight for other active campus governing bodies, such as the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic Council (CPC), or independent/multicultural Greek organizations, fostering a unified and safe community.
• Civic Engagement: Oversee impartial student election processes and identify high-potential student leaders to serve as institutional representatives.
• RSO Infrastructure: Manage the registration, liability tracking, and continuous training compliance for all Registered Student Organizations (RSOs).

Program Development & Inclusive Engagement

• Co-Curricular Programming: Curate high-impact leadership development initiatives (workshops, retreats, milestones) tailored to a diverse student body.
• Inclusion & Diversity Initiatives: Design and implement targeted programming that engages various student populations, intentionally promoting success, support, and integration for international students.
• Student Retention: Maintain campus services and engagement opportunities that positively impact overall student retention, persistence, and satisfaction college-wide.

Major Event Planning & Facility Operations

• Signature Institutional Events: Plan, organize, and execute quality, high-profile campus events, serving as the lead coordinator for Freshman Orientation Week and Homecoming/Founders’ Week in close collaboration with external college departments.
• Student Activity Center Management: Manage day-to-day operations of the Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center, maximizing community space utilization and student-led programming.
• Evening Operations: Supervise and direct evening staff members to ensure safe, continuous, and effective facility operations during peak student use hours.

Operations, Conduct & Student Safety

• Compliance and Policy Enforcement: Fairly administer, interpret, and enforce student compliance with the Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, and other institutional policies, leveraging restorative justice practices where appropriate.
• Student-Centered Frameworks: Collaborate with student leaders to co-create transparent campus rules, safety protocols, and activity guidelines that enrich the campus experience.
• Crisis Response: Participate in the Division of Student Affairs on-call rotation, responding rapidly and effectively to campus emergencies.

Staff Supervision & Mentorship

• Professional Staff Development: Supervise, evaluate, and mentor assigned departmental staff, aligning individual professional growth with division goals.
• Student Employment: Recruit, train, and manage student workers, intentionally designing their roles to build marketable career-readiness competencies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree required from an accredited institution in Higher Education Administration, Student Personnel, Counseling, or a closely related field.
• Experience: 3–5 years of progressive professional experience in student activities, large-scale event execution, leadership development, or Greek life, preferably within an HBCU environment.
• Skills: Strong understanding of student development theory, crisis management, Title IX compliance, and student conduct frameworks. Proven project management skills for large campus events and excellent intercultural communication skills are essential.