Associate of

Associate Dean of Students for Belonging and Retention

Position Summary

The Associate Dean of Students for Orientation, Transition, Belonging, and Retention is one of three associate deans who support the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students with division leadership. The Associate Dean provides leadership for initiatives that support new students as they enter Westminster College, with a strong focus on belonging, student retention, and success. This role coordinates orientation programs, co-leads matriculation efforts, provides curricular consultation for WST 101, and supervises the Student Affairs functions in Student Success, including Coordinated Care, Accessibility Services, and CARE early alerts. Additionally, this position oversees the Academic Break Shuttle and provides orientation and student life support for international students. Serving as a Student Affairs Division’s data manager for accessibility, early alert, and retention platforms, the Associate Dean is responsible for providing semesterly retention and withdrawal reports, as well as usage reports for CARE, Coordinated Care, and Accessibility resources. Finally, this position holds ultimate responsibility for Student Affairs compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Student Success

• Lead divisional efforts that enhance retention and belonging for first-year, transfer, commuter, and international students.
• Collaborate closely with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to ensure new student onboarding and transition programs are seamlessly coordinated between Academic and Student Affairs.
• Lead data-informed retention and student success efforts by analyzing trends, developing initiatives, and reporting outcomes to institutional leadership.
• Collaborate with the Registrar to prepare and present regular retention and student success reports and dashboards for the Vice Presidents for Academic and Student Affairs.

Orientation, Transition, and Belonging

• Provide vision, leadership, and administrative oversight for all new student orientation and transition programs.
• Co-chair the Matriculation Team with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to align academic and co-curricular onboarding initiatives, including New Titan Day events, orientation, matriculation processes, orientation leader recruitment and training, program logistics, budgeting, and evaluation.
• Design and implement all orientation programs including specialized orientation and transition experiences for international, transfer, and early-college students.
• Supervise paid Orientation Student Coordinators and ensure programs promote inclusion and engagement.
• Serve as a core member of the WST 101 curriculum development team, representing Student Affairs and contributing content focused on transition, belonging, and resilience.
• Teach one section of WST 101 each fall semester (and potentially each spring).
• Oversee the College’s bias policy, reporting, and response process, ensuring educational and timely resolution.

Accessibility, Coordinated Care, and Retention Systems

• Provide strategic oversight for the Office of Accessibility and Coordinated Care, the Student Affairs functions housed in the Student Success Center, to ensure effective support for students with disabilities and complex needs.
• Supervise the Director of Coordinated Care, who leads the CARE Team and oversees Accessibility Resources
• .* Co-chair the CARE Team and ensure early alert processes provide timely, trauma-informed interventions for at-risk students.
• Serve as the Student Affairs data manager for accessibility, early alert, and retention technology platforms.
• Ensure institutional compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act.
• Partner with Student Success, Academic Affairs, Athletics, TRIO SSS, and the Wellness Center to build coordinated student support systems.
• Conduct exit interviews for students withdrawing from the College and use findings to inform retention strategies.

Assessment, Data, and Reporting

• Lead assessment of student success outcomes related to accessibility, coordinated care, orientation, transition, and belonging.
• Provide semesterly and annual reports on retention, withdrawal, and student support utilization.
• Coordinate with the Registrar to maintain data dashboards and trend analyses.

Supervision and Budget Management

• Supervise the Director of Coordinated Care, Orientation Student Coordinators, and other assigned professional or student staff.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and professional development for direct reports.
• Manage departmental budgets for orientation, retention, and accessibility programs.
• Ensure efficient allocation of resources aligned with divisional priorities.

Campus and Community Engagemen t

• Serve as a member of the Vice President for Student Affairs Leadership Team, contributing to strategic planning and divisional initiatives.
• Oversee the Academic Break Shuttle program and coordinate student driving personnel.

Crisis Management

• Serve one week per month on the Student Affairs on-call rotation, providing crisis response and support for students in distress.
• Contribute to institutional emergency management and student support efforts as assigned.

Core Competencies and Leadership Attributes

• Collaborative Leadership: Demonstrates a cooperative, solutions-oriented approach that bridges Student and Academic Affairs to achieve shared institutional outcomes.
• Student-Centered Philosophy: Models empathy, compassion, and developmental support in all interactions with students and staff
• .* Commitment to Belonging and Inclusion: Champions equity-minded practices and designs programs that affirm and celebrate student diversity.
• Data-Informed Decision-Making: Uses analytics, assessment, and evidence-based insights to guide initiatives and evaluate impact.
• Systems Thinking: Recognizes interdependencies across departments and fosters integrated approaches to student success and retention.
• Strategic Vision and Communication: Builds and articulates vision and outcomes effectively to audiences including students, faculty, trustees, and external partners.
• Professional Integrity and Accountability: Upholds confidentiality, compliance, and ethical standards in leadership and student support functions.
• Adaptability and Resilience: Responds constructively to emerging challenges, balancing long-term strategy with situational needs.
• Coaching and Mentorship: Develops staff potential through clear feedback, encouragement, and alignment with institutional mission and values.

Qualifications

Required :

• Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, Counseling, or a related field.
• Progressively responsible experience in student affairs, academic success, or related areas.
• Demonstrated success in orientation, transition, retention, or belonging initiatives.
• Experience supervising professional staff and managing complex budgets.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Experience with early alert systems, student success analytics, or case management platforms.
• Demonstrated willingness to engage in evening and weekend work.

Preferred:

• Doctorate in Higher Education, Student Development, or related discipline.
• Experience in a residential liberal arts college environment.
• Teaching experience in first-year seminar or student success courses.

Interested individuals should send a cover letter, resume and the names and contact information for at least three professional references to [email protected] by November 21, 2025.