Community Director, Residence Life

Department

CSL Housing and Residence Life: Community Directors

About the Department

The University of Chicago is one of the nation’s leading institutions of higher education and research. Campus and Student Life (CSL) is a division comprised of 20 departments that serve the University’s 17,000 college, graduate, and professional school students, as well as the campus community more broadly. CSL is importantly charged with the dual task of supporting all students in the University, graduate and undergraduate, and managing multiple campus departments and services that serve the entire campus community. CSL’s programs and services focus on supporting student academic success, providing opportunities for personal growth and leadership development, developing community and engagement through the residential housing and dining program, and in areas such as artistic expression, community service, spiritual exploration, and athletic competition. The University of Chicago community includes approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 10,000 graduate, professional, and other students and there are over 300 recognized student organizations working together to create a vibrant and dynamic student life. At the University of Chicago, students in the College embody a spirit of relentless curiosity, characterized by an unwavering commitment to inquiry and a dedication to free expression. Our students are not mere consumers of knowledge; they are active participants in a vibrant academic community that values the exploration of complex issues, rigorous debate, and intellectual engagement.

The University of Chicago is located in the Hyde Park/South Kenwood neighborhood, a racially and economically diverse residential community of 43,000 people on the shores of Lake Michigan, about fifteen minutes south of downtown Chicago. The core mission of Housing & Residence Life is to help develop and support inclusive communities that engage residents in exceptional living experiences within secure and well-maintained environments that foster a sense of belonging and support the academic initiatives of the University. The primary strategy for the delivery of such an environment is through a residence life program that which aims to develop strong residential communities that are self-regulating, supportive of academic success; provide a strong sense of belonging, and rich opportunities for personal, cultural, social and intellectual development. The leadership of residential faculty and adult staff in fostering these experiences is key to the success of the mission.

Job Summary

The University of Chicago Department of Housing and Residence Life invites applications for one Community Director position. The Community Director will be responsible for fostering inclusive communities within their assigned residence hall for 350- 400 residents, directly supervising resident assistants, supporting Resident Head and Resident Dean programming, and contributing to the overall mission of Housing & Residence Life. This is a twelve-month live-on position.

Responsibilities

• Community Development and Engagement:

• Foster an inclusive and welcoming environment by overseeing academic, community, and departmental initiatives.

• Serve as a role model to student staff, engaging in intentional and educational conversations.

• Organize and support a variety of cultural, intellectual, and recreational activities that contribute to the overall development and engagement of residents.

• Develop community programming with Resident Assistants and Resident Heads.

• Advising and Student Success:

• Provide regular interaction to challenge and support students in their individual growth and development.

• Serve as a primary advisor to the house councils in assigned community.

• Serve as a referral agent to campus resources, providing non-clinical counseling and crisis management interventions with students.

• Advocate for student success, considering all aspects of identity that may impact students’ experiences at the university.

• Crisis Management and Emergency Response:

• Act as the primary crisis response person for their residential community.

• Participate in an on-call rotation with other HRL professional staff through the calendar year.

• Ensure emergency preparedness by being knowledgeable about departmental and university protocols and resources.

• Supervision and Leadership:

• Provide supervision to student staff and support them in their assigned responsibilities.

• Play an integral role in the recruitment, selection, training, and evaluation of student staff members.

• Student Conduct and Accountability: