DEPARTMENT SUMMARY
Reporting to the Provost & Vice President Academic, the Division of Student Affairs (STUA) is committed to developing a vibrant and engaging learning community that supports both the academic and individual success of our students. The Division is comprised of 26 reporting units in four departments: Student Development & Success (SDAS), Campus Engagement, Office of the Registrar & Enrolment Management, and Wellness, Recreation & Athletics. SDAS is accountable for the delivery of a wide range of programs, front-line services, policy management, and collaborative projects in support of the overall quality of the UVic student experience. SDAS is responsible for the oversight and management of institutional policies and practices that have significant impact on student academic success, student health and well-being, student equity, diversity, & inclusion initiatives, and student risk management & critical incident response.

As a unit within SDAS, Residence Services (RESS) operates a robust campus housing program, serving domestic, international, and Indigenous students in undergraduate and graduate programs throughout communities designed for single students and students with families. Student housing has a significant impact on the institution’s recruitment and enrolment strategies for undergraduate and graduate students and has profound impact on the student experience delivered by UVic. The program includes the delivery of educational programming, community building events, and an array of supports and services to over 3,000 students living residence halls and apartment-style housing, fostering safe and welcoming living-learning environments for the broad demographic of UVic students. As a team, the residence portfolio creates healthy communities where students can thrive socially and academically, focusing on both the students’ experience as a community member as well as their own personal development.

Residence Services is a significant institutional ancillary and operates on a 24/7 basis, structured with departments of Residence Facilities, Business Operations, and Residence Life. Beyond student housing during the academic year, Residence Services also operates a successful summer accommodation program for students, continuing studies learners, conference guests, and visitors. In Residence Services, people are at the heart of our work, with every role having the ability to make a positive and meaningful impact on the student experience.

MANDATE/CORE PURPOSE OF ROLE
The Associate Director, Residence Life (ADRL), is a vital student affairs leader at the University of Victoria. As a student housing and community life professional, the ADRL has accountability for the strategic development, leadership, management, and assessment of the Residence Life department. The ADRL builds and leads teams of 125+ employees (professional and paraprofessional staff) in community life, education, student support, and student conduct.

Reporting to the Director, the ADRL utilizes grounded, contemporary theory, pedagogy, and professional standards in student housing and community life to develop and manage a comprehensive, leading, and vibrant program inclusive of living-learning communities, theme communities, and student cohorts. The program fosters student development, academic success, community engagement, personal growth and accountability, Indigenization and decolonization, leadership development, inclusion and belonging, and student care and support, with learning outcomes aligned to meet the goals, objectives, and strategic plans of Residence Services, Student Affairs, and the University (incl. Enrolment, Indigenous, Accessibility, and Equity Action Plans).

OBJECTIVE
The ADRL creates, leads, and assesses the Residence Life organizational structure along with priorities and goals that support the development of students and communities. This is achieved through the delivery of exceptional programs, processes, supports, and services provided by the department’s teams, inclusive of effective student crisis and emergency response and associated issues management.

With assistance from their leadership team, the ADRL leads the portfolio’s talent, staffing, workplace culture, and performance, including the hiring, training, and development of student affairs professionals working in student housing and community life, along with overarching leadership of the department’s management of unionized professional employees and paraprofessional student staff.

Fundamental to the role’s success is the fostering and maintenance of critical working relationships and partnerships across institutional departments and faculties, key student groups and leaders, and with community partners and stakeholders. These connections are imperative for effective and nimble execution of critical incidents and department operations (i.e. crisis response, student conduct and accountability, community care, student support) and are also essential for the continued sustainability, responsiveness, and growth of programs and services.

As part of the senior leadership team within Residence Services, the ADRL works collaboratively with the Director and other departments on the overall operation and strategic direction of Residence Services. Additionally, the role provides leadership and participation in department on-call structures, emergency plans, and critical incident models, and delivery of expertise in preparation, management, and follow-up for crisis situations.

The ADRL manages a budget of $4.5M+ in labour and operating expenses, assesses and responds to budgetary impacts, and contributes to the development of the broader Residence Services budget.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
As a student-centred professional, the ADRL is expected to deliver on the following:

• Manage, develop, and lead diverse student-centred professional and paraprofessional teams within a unionized environment, including associated labour relations, legal, occupational health and safety, and human rights implications, for roles that are front-line and experience exposure to situations that may be high-conflict, high-impact, a crisis, and/or an emergency.
• Plan, develop, deliver, and assess program models and curriculum that create a superior on-campus student housing program that embodies community, accountability, student development, leadership, equity, support, and success for the diverse demographic of UVic students, and in turn maximizing system occupancy and student satisfaction.
• Shepherds the portfolio’s approach to community care, resident interventions, case management, student support, and behaviour accountability in a manner that uplifts the goals and objectives within Residence Services as a safe learning environment and in alignment with the services and approaches delivered by other UVic departments.
• Lead Residence Life on-call systems and crisis and emergency situations that may be multifaceted, dynamic, and complex in the post-secondary residence context and involving students, facilities, and/or the environment.
• Participates in the on-call rotation for emergency response in residence, coaching and directing staff who work after-hours and weekends and are initially responding to emergencies and crises; exercises judgement for managing situations, coordinating across Residence Services, escalating issues within Student Affairs, and liaising with campus partners and community services.
• Interfaces with campus partners for coordinating responses and managing risks associated with emergent issues, student crisis, and emergency situations, all within the scope of managing student behaviours, wellness, and other housing situations that continue to grow in difficulty, frequency, and complexity.
• Utilizes superior interpersonal, communication (written and verbal), and collaboration skills to diffuse challenging situations, create clarity and confidence during uncertainty and crisis, communicate with a diverse breadth of audiences, articulate the goals and positive impact of the on-campus experience, inspire a shared vision, create alignment with seemingly competing agendas, and garner support for departmental priorities.
• Connects with residence students, student leaders, and student organizations to understand trends, expectations, and experiences with on-campus housing and inform, consult, and involve students on portfolio priorities and initiatives.
• Initiates and leads process, policy, program, and organizational change, including shifting priorities and navigating dynamic institutional landscapes.
• Exercises strong judgement and decision-making skills for a variety of settings, including daily operations, complex student cases, long-term planning, conflict, and emergent crisis situations; also operates as a creative problem solver and strategist, with the influence to galvanize action.
• Develops, implements, and manages departmental policies and procedures that balance student, team, and institutional needs, utilizing strong administrative and organizational skills.
• Provides strategic leadership for policies that guide and govern the rights, responsibilities, privacy, rules, and behaviour expectations of students living in campus housing; serves as a key leader of initiatives to uphold student health and safety, and a critical decision maker for decisions associated with residence contracts.
• Sound fiscal management and acumen to develop budgets, control expenditures, strategize priorities, and manage operational requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS
The successful leaders will bring to this position a master’s degree in a related field, such as student affairs, college student personnel, higher education, or public administration.
This position requires a minimum of five (5) years of progressive leadership and management experience in higher education (i.e. student housing and community life, student affairs, and ancillary services). Direct experience across the position’s operational areas (community life, education, conduct, support) is highly desirable.
An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.
Knowledge, skills, and abilities include:

• Demonstrated experience leading people and culture in a dynamic, unionized, post-secondary environment.
• Commitment to valuing diversity and belonging, and leading with principles of inclusion, equity, and respect in the work, community, and learning environments.
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills to manage diverse priorities, emergent situations, emergencies, and daily operations.
• Ability to prioritize objectives, align work with institutional and departmental priorities, and apply project management best practices for the timely achievement of project goals and outcomes.
• An adept communicator (written and verbal) with ability to adapt based on situation, purpose, medium, and audience.
• Ability to identify and analyze issues, develop solutions, and implement effective strategies to achieve desired outcomes, including exercising sound judgement during on-call and crisis situations.
• Experienced with managing department labour and operating budgets, including associated development, control measures, forecasting, and allocation processes.
• Skilled collaborator, with ability to be a trusted colleague, identify partnership opportunities, build relationships, and foster relationships for the ultimate goal of supporting the student experience in residence and the associate residence program.

Unusual working conditions:
The ADRL engages with situations where students, their families, residence communities, or staff may be in distress. This can include those at risk of harm to self or others, students exhibiting concerning or adversarial behaviors requiring an immediate intervention, student death and suicide, physical and sexualized violence, and other high-risk situations that may involve law enforcement or emergency services. These situations can occur at any time and may cause significant mental stress, requiring a high degree of self-care and strong professional boundaries.

Residence Services is a 24/7 operation. Some peak operating periods require work outside of regular business hours. Additionally, given the involvement with on-call and issue escalation, the role will engage in situations with little notice and requiring an urgent response that occur at any time of day throughout the year. Responses may include independent decision making along with participation in departmental and institutional issue response coordination structures.

For more information about this position or to apply please visit: uvic.ca/careers

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however, priority will be given to applicants legally entitled to work in Canada at time of application.

Candidate review will begin May 4 and continue until filled.