Assistant Director Student Support

The Division of Student Life supports dynamic co-curricular learning and engagement for all undergraduate and graduate students within the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA@Tufts). As a central resource supporting the safety, engagement, and wellbeing of all Tufts AS&E students, Student Life promulgates community standards; coordinates communication between campus constituencies and departments; supports programs and activities to advance student learning; facilitates the coordinated support of individual students, and; works cooperatively with members of the faculty and the colleges' senior leadership team to ensure the successful achievement of institutional and divisional goals, vision, and values.

Student Support is a department within Student Life, which contributes to student growth, development, and wellbeing by teaching students to navigate challenging situations, understand and evaluate their options, and make decisions aligned with their goals and values. The Student Support team coordinates comprehensive support for undergraduate and graduate AS&E students experiencing health, personal, and other challenges. Student Support also oversees the medical leave and return from hospitalization processes for all AS&E students. Student Support partners closely with colleagues across the university on policies, programs, and initiatives related to student development and wellbeing.

The Assistant Director of Student Support provides comprehensive, non-clinical case management and support to students experiencing personal, health, and other challenges. This includes:

• Working directly with students in distress
• Managing emergency hospitalizations
• Overseeing leave of absence processes
• Maintaining a student caseload
• Coordinating access to both on- and off-campus resources
• Implementing other support processes to promote student wellbeing and success.

The Assistant Director of Student Success resolves such situations in a way that prioritizes the safety of both the student of concern and others in the community; respects student agency, encourages resilience, and facilitates personal development; and restores health and wellbeing.

This position primarily focuses on undergraduate students, although occasional support and case management for graduate students may be necessary.

Basic Requirements:

• Knowledge and skills as typically acquired by a Master's Degree in higher education, college student development, social work, counseling, psychology, or another closely related discipline, or the international equivalent
• A minimum of 4 years of work experience in a related field, with a minimum of 2 years of experience working directly with students of concern in a higher education setting
• Experience with crisis response, including the ability to analyze situations and implement effective solutions in a thoughtful way during times of distress
• Strong helping skills (e.g., active and reflective listening, facilitated reflection, appropriate confrontation, recognition of mental health concerns requiring referral, suicide prevention, etc.), experience making referrals and providing case management to students in distress
• Extensive, nuanced understanding of college student mental health concerns, trends, and best practices
• Excellent judgment and experience making thoughtful decisions in complex, sensitive scenarios
• Current and thorough knowledge of laws, trends, and practices related to student support in the college and university environment
• Demonstrated success in starting up and implementing innovative programs
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, especially in complex situations that carry safety, legal, and reputational risks
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Experience successfully employing conflict management skills (e.g., de-escalation, assertive communication, conflict coaching, giving feedback, etc.)
• Proven ability to shape outcomes successfully in a cross-functional, fast-paced environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to build strong relationships with members of diverse constituencies, and a successful track record of collaboration in achieving objectives
• Experience working effectively with a wide range of diverse faculty, staff, and students
• Commitment to Tufts' goal of becoming an anti-racist institution and experience with diversity, equity, inclusion, or social justice work
• Ability to utilize technology in the delivery of student programs
• Experience with the administration of a student records system
• Personal computer, time management, and strong organizational skills
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Training in case management, suicide prevention and intervention, and/or closely-related topics
• Experience formulating and/or advising on organizational policy
• Experience creating and assessing learning outcomes and/or programmatic objectives
• Membership in and service to relevant professional organizations

Special Work Schedule Requirements:

This is a hybrid role expected to be in person at least 3 days each week. Occasional night and weekend commitments are required.