Community Director – Student Living

The Department of Residence Life and Housing at Cleveland State University and Greystar are excited to announce the hiring for the Community Director (CD) position for Fenn Tower. The Community Director is responsible for creating a welcoming, exhilarating, and inclusive community for students while fostering a living, learning environment that complements the vision, missions, goals, and values of Greystar and Cleveland State University. The Community Director will assist with the training and supervision of Resident Assistant (RA) staff and will address student concerns and developmental needs. The Community Director will report to the Director for Residential Education and will, as part of the of the Department of Residence Life and Housing, to develop an atmosphere that enhances student growth and development and the overall student experience. The Community Director is a live-on position.

JOB DESCRIPTION

1. Residential Education and Community Engagement

• Facilitate, monitor, report and evaluate engagement strategies based on the residential curriculum.
• Utilize the residential curriculum to encourage personal development, academic achievement, community living and social interaction.
• Assist with the planning and implementation of community development and engagement activities and educational events within the residential communities.
• Serves as a Conduct Hearing Officer for policy violations that occur within the residential communities.
• Abides by, interprets, educates on, and enforces University and departmental policy, procedures, and regulations.
• Monitor, follow up on, and approve underage guest requests. Communicate with underage guests’ guardians to ensure they are permitted to visit the residential communities at CSU.

2. Facilities and Operations

• Assists with the opening of the community, including preparing the residential communities prior to resident arrival and welcoming residents to their community on move in day. Assists with closing the community at the end of the year as well as the transition to summer student and conferences housing.
• Manage administrative aspects of the residential community, including administering room inventory reports, executing health and safety inspections, key inventories, room changes, and other details as related to the opening and closing of the respective residential community in collaboration with the Central Office Team.
• Assume the overall responsibility of a residential community, monitoring and reporting concerns related to the safety and facilities of the community.
• Ensure that daily maintenance and custodial issues are effectively and efficiently entered and managed within the residential community.
• Assist in facilitation of annual resident satisfaction survey.
• Prepare an end of the year report to capture success, challenges, and inner workings of the residential community.
• Work in collaboration with the Residential Education Team to oversee the daily functions of the residential communities.

3. Student Support

• Serves as a resource for students and staff to address needs and concerns in an effective and timely manner.
• Meet individually with students and, when appropriate, with parents to assist them in making appropriate choices and utilizing appropriate resources to help foster success at CSU.
• Serve as on-call professional staff on a rotating basis during weekend and evening hours to respond to residential emergencies dealing with student behavior, mental health emergencies, and other situations that require an immediate response. Submit Pro Staff On-Call report after every duty night to ensure all Pro Staff members are aware of any ongoing incidents or concerns.
• Provide and support student recognition initiatives and promote leadership opportunities.
• Maintain a professional relationship with students assigned to the designated residential community, offering assistance and support through regular student contact, and conducting wellness checks upon request.

4. Staff Management

• Supervise, mentor, evaluate, train, and make recommendations for thirteen Resident Assistants and one part-time Assistant Community Director in a first-year student community.
• Actively participate in the facilitation of Resident Assistant selection, rehire and placement processes.
• Develop, implement, and assess semi-annual (fall and winter) training programs and weekly staff meetings for the purpose of staff education and on-going professional development of the residential education paraprofessional team in collaboration with the Residential Education Team. This includes serving on the Resident Assistant Training Committee.
• Model and promote inclusiveness through staff training, and support of division and campus wide DEI Initiatives

5. Department Leadership and Teamwork

• Attend and actively participate in departmental and Residential Education Team meetings, trainings, retreats, and development opportunities.
• Actively participate in departmental and University committees, including a specific auxiliary assignment or special project as designated by the Executive Director of Residence Life and Housing.
• Be accessible, visible, and present for university-wide programs, speakers, and athletics events.
• Employ and promote supportive, collaborative, and educational communication skills with faculty, staff, and students.

• Support the various programs and initiatives of the department in addition to primary duties.
• Work in collaboration with the Admission’s Office to welcome future Vikings to Cleveland State University visit days, including tours, presentations, and answering questions from potential students and their families.
• Respect and maintain confidentiality, parameters of operation, professional protocols, and individual privacy.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor, the Executive Director, or their designee.

Essential Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in higher education, counseling, student personnel services, student affairs administration, or other relevant field.
• Experience in residence life and housing.
• Supervisory skills which inspire, motivate, and foster a culture in which all staff members are treated with respect, fairness, and professionalism and promotes professional development among the team.
• Detail-oriented and self-motivated with the ability to work independently and as leader and collaborative member of a team.
• Sensitive, diplomatic, and articulate written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to implement problem solving strategies to manage everyday residential challenges such as crisis response, conflict management, community development, and student/family concerns in a fast-paced environment.
• A demonstrated commitment and passion for professional growth in the areas of student learning and development, community development, supporting students’ well-being, and best practices in residence life programs and operations.
• Commitment to expand knowledge and awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion, understanding cultural differences, social identities, and historical inequalities, and strategies for interacting effectively with people different from oneself.
• Commitment to professional growth in best practices in using technology in residence life and student affairs to increase efficiency, accessibility, and quality of housing operations and residence life practices (Microsoft Office suite, Google suite assignments, billing, and conduct database management systems, social media, community development tracking).
• This is a full-time, benefits eligible, live-on position. The incumbent must live in University-owned housing.
• Availability on weekends and evenings as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience using diversity, equity, and inclusion lens in delivering programs and services practice (i.e., staffing practices, supervision, training, policies, programs).

• Knowledge of equity and inclusion issues and laws that impact higher education and particularly community living (all gender spaces, Title IX, affinity-based living learning communities, ADA compliance).
• Experience in housing systems that include crisis management, student advising, program planning, and supervision of student staff.
• Experience working with a learning outcome based residential curriculum.
• Demonstrated skills in public speaking, facilitating conversations, and presenting to families, students, staff, and other constituents.
• Experience with student conduct, mediating student conflicts and restorative approaches to conflict resolution.
• Experience planning and successfully executing programs, events, and trainings.

Depending on the position offered, regular full-time and part-time team members may be eligible to participate in a bonus program in addition to their base salary. Once eligible, team members may participate in the 401k plan. Regular, full-time team members are also offered a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits from which to choose.

Greystar will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.