Assistant Dean of Students

Job Description:

The Assistant Dean of Students provides strategic leadership that strengthens Berry College's commitment to the personal growth and professional preparation of students in a residential setting. This role oversees the Signature Scholarship Programs and advances a mission-aligned developmental framework that integrates leadership development, character formation, and community engagement. The Assistant Dean will champion Berry's Good Neighbor Culture to foster a thriving campus environment grounded in dignity, humility, relationship-building, and belonging. The Assistant Dean of Students will report to the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.

Signature Scholarship Programs

• Provide strategic leadership for Signature Scholarship Programs, supervising the scholarship program directors.
• Foster cross-divisional collaboration to ensure scholarship programs are connected to campus resources, developmental pathways, and community engagement opportunities.
• Lead the implementation of a developmental framework for Signature Scholarships that emphasizes academic flourishing, student leadership development, character formation, and systemic peer mentoring.

Community Engagement

• Supervise and partner with the Director of Community Engagement and Director of Belonging Initiatives to strengthen Berry College's community engagement strategy, ensuring alignment with the institution's strategic priorities and regional needs.
• Develop and sustain partnerships with local organizations, nonprofits, government agencies, and national and international entities to promote shared goals and create meaningful engagement opportunities.
• Expand and promote student pathways for service, internships, and Signature Learning Experiences within the local communities and beyond.
• Facilitate cross-campus collaborations that embed community engagement into academic programs, student organizations, Residence Life, and other co-curricular initiatives.

Good Neighbor Culture

• Serve as campus champion for the Good Neighbor Culture as a guiding framework to support a thriving community.
• Coordinate campus-wide initiatives that integrate Good Neighbor Culture with community engagement, including Solidarity Week, Be Love Week, and related student-led programs.
• Provide oversight and vision for The Good Neighbor Center, ensuring it functions as an open, reservable space that fosters reflection, relationship, and responsibility.
• Promote campus practices that uphold dignity, encourage humility, and build belonging through relationship and community building.

Institutional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Advancement staff to support fundraising, donor stewardship, and parent engagement efforts related to community engagement, Good Neighbor Culture, and Signature Scholarships.
• Maintain strong collaborative relationships across campus, to include but not limited to Academic Affairs, Student Affairs colleagues, the Chaplain's Office, Athletics, Center for Professional and Personal Development, and other campus partners.
• Represent Student Affairs in various institutional committees, provide support during campus-wide events, and actively engage in professional development, staying current with best practices in Student Affairs.

Requirements:

Preferred education and experience include an advanced degree in Higher Education Leadership or a related field with 5 - 7 years of progressive experience in post-secondary education.

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative and mission-driven leader who:

1. Demonstrates a deep understanding of student development and the transformative power of residential education
2. Has experience in community engagement and cohort leadership development
3. Communicates with clarity, empathy, and purpose across diverse audiences
4. Leads with integrity
5. Will thrive in a dynamic, relational campus environment and embrace Berry's culture of mentorship and service.

Additional Information:

ABOUT BERRY COLLEGE

Berry is a selective independent college of 2,200 students located adjacent to Rome, GA, midway between Atlanta, GA, and Chattanooga, TN. Berry's educational approach deliberately unites challenging academic programs with practical work experience in a residential campus community that encourages faith and emphasizes caring for the needs of others above self. Our mission and values are grounded in the ethic that our founder instilled more than a century ago:

"*We educate the head, heart, and hands - to inspire leaders of integrity who cultivate thriving communities.* Combining academic exploration with meaningful work responsibilities in a residential setting, our approach emphasizes firsthand experiences and mentoring. We invest in the personal growth and professional preparation of talented students from varied backgrounds, with an enduring commitment to help those hindered by financial need. Guided by Christian principles, we value the dignity of individuals, the search for truth tempered with grace, and the well-being of our neighbors."

Nationally recognized for quality of learning and quality of life, Berry offers first-rate undergraduate degree programs in the sciences, humanities, arts, and human sciences, as well as undergraduate and master's level opportunities in business, physician associate studies, and teacher education. The College's stunning 27,000-acre campus affords opportunities that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. Berry's ongoing commitment is to provide exceptional educational experiences to talented students from a wide range of social, racial, and economic backgrounds.

COLLEGE COMMITMENTS

Berry College is committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse faculty and staff. An Equal Opportunity Institution, Berry complies with all applicable laws and provisions prohibiting discrimination in its educational and employment policies. Berry respects the essential dignity of all individuals and accordingly hires and promotes employees without regard to matters of personal identity such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. Berry College is committed to ensuring facilities, programs, services, and activities are accessible to everyone, including those seeking employment at Berry College. Inquiries about interviews or workplace accommodations are welcomed and can be directed to employment@berry.edu or (706) 233-4062.

Application Instructions:

Applicants should submit an online application, cover letter, resume, and information for three professional references. Review of candidates will begin immediately and will continue until position is filled. Berry College is an equal opportunity employer.