"Assistant Director, Housing Support and Community Responsibility"

Department Summary

Michigan Housing is an actively engaged unit within Student Life Auxiliary Services within the Division of Student Life. M Housing serves approximately 11,500 students: 9,100 undergraduate and 2,400 graduate and professional students and their families. Although first-year students are not required to live on campus; historically 96-98% of all new first-year students choose to live on. Currently, the M Housing portfolio consists of 19 residential facilities that include traditional residence halls, apartments, and other living options located in communities on north and central campuses in Ann Arbor. In partnership with Michigan Dining, there are 9 dining halls and 9 retail operations embedded within the residence halls that serve approximately 4 million meals per year. M Housing partners with other units and Student Life departments to support the residential experience for approximately 50 U-M students on the Marygrove campus, located in Detroit. In Fall 2026, five new residence halls housing 2,300 undergraduate students and a new 822-seat dining facility will open to continue M Housing's strong tradition of providing affordable housing options and services for U-M students. In addition to supporting the academic mission of the University, M Housing creates and sustains diverse learning-centered residential communities that ultimately enhance the residential experience and serve as a guide for their work in support of M Housing values.

Position Summary

The Michigan Housing Support and Community Responsibility Team (HSCR) consists of 7 full time staff and 11 student staff who coordinate support to residential students and foster communities in which students feel a strong sense of belonging. Our work is rooted in restorative practice principles, which focus on partnering with students to balance support and accountability as members of the community. The team accomplishes this by facilitating dialogue-centered community circles, connecting students to campus resources, and helping them to navigate the campus systems that help them thrive. The team facilitates conduct meetings when a student is alleged of violating a housing policy, inviting them to reflect on their perspective, how they impacted community members, and how to restore relationships so that the community thrive.

The Assistant Director enhances the residential experience by providing leadership to the community circle program, partnering on the M Housing critical incident responses, overseeing the student staff training needs, managing administrative tasks and auditing reports within the Simplicity Advocate system to ensure accuracy and necessary follow up. They are responsible for developing educational and outreach materials, as well as staff development curriculum.

Position Responsibilities (primary responsibilities and duties expected in this position totaling 100% allocation):

Department Leadership (40%)

• Supervise and develop 2-4 full time Program Managers, including coaching, feedback, and evaluation of staff.
• Oversee the supervision of 8-11 student staff, including staff development and performance management processes.
• Develop and implement the training programs for M Housing student staff grounded in restorative practices.
• Collaborate to lead student conduct appeal meetings, interim emergency actions as needed.
• Utilize relevant student development, restorative justice, social justice, and conflict resolution theory and practice to facilitate alternative and adaptable conflict resolution strategies whenever appropriate.
• Assist with team communications for students and staff, including newsletters and digital media initiatives.

Program Oversight and Case Management (40%)

• Provide leadership to the Community Circle program including training and restorative practice implementation.
• Assist the team in daily triaging and tracking reports, assignment for follow up, and outcome resolution.
• Adjudicate individual student conduct cases via administrative hearings or refer to other conflict resolution processes as appropriate.
• Support students through care meetings, connecting students to campus resources, and facilitate support plans.
• Assist HSCR leadership to ensure appropriate processes are followed with accuracy, sound judgment, and with full rights to due process and fundamental fairness by all case coordinators.
• Utilize department internal systems for note management including Advocate and StarRez.

Education, Outreach, and Collaboration (20%)

• Collaborate with campus partners and coordinate requests for workshops and training for students and student staff related to restorative practices and conflict resolution.
• Assist in the assessment initiatives, benchmarking, and trend reporting
• Support the HSCR leadership team in the annual CLERY compliance review process
• Represent M Housing on Student Life Committees
• Other duties assigned by M Housing

Required Qualifications

• A Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs Administration, Social Work, or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years of full-time progressively responsible professional experience.
• Minimum of one (1) year of supervision, which can include both professional and student staff.
• Working knowledge of the philosophy of restorative practices.
• Proven ability to communicate and relate effectively with diverse students, staff and faculty in a way that nurtures inclusiveness, shared responsibility, and collegiality.
• Demonstrable evidence of ability to work in and through experiences of conflict.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Clery reporting, Title IX, FERPA, and other related compliance mandates.
• Experience working with Advocate by Symplicity conduct database or a similar conduct database.
• Professional experience in a college or university housing and residential life setting.
• Demonstrated skill in developing and sustaining collaborative and culturally inclusive relationships.
• Considerable leadership experience with student conduct, support services, and crisis response.
• Awareness of trauma informed models of care

Position Responsibilities Criteria (leadership and behavioral qualities expected in this position):

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to problem solve, be adaptable in a fast-paced environment, and thrive in a student affairs office responsible for responding to challenging emergent needs and issues.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and navigate change effectively.
• Capacity to interact and work with different constituent groups, including students and staff, and the ability to navigate conflict and high-level concerns of wellbeing among groups.
• An understanding of social justice, restorative practices, and student development, including social identities, power, privilege, and oppression, and their role in conduct and conflict.

Working Conditions

This job requires some evening and weekend hours and traveling to multiple M Housing locations on campus. The position is an onsite position and shares office coverage responsibilities. Possibility for one (1) day remote work a week when working full-time.

Physical Requirements

Be able to move and transport packages up to 25 pounds.

Direct Reports

This position supervises 2-4 Program Managers and indirectly provides functional supervision to 8-11 student staff.