"Assistant Director, Orientation & Family Programming"

Job Details

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Assistant Director of Orientation & Family Engagement will be responsible for developing and implementing the new student orientation program and strategies to foster positive relationships between the school and families, ensuring active family involvement in the educational process. This role will focus on enhancing communication, increasing family participation in school activities, providing resources to support the academic, social, and emotional development of students, as well assist with creating and implementing fundraising opportunities with families. The position will work closely with campus administrators, faculty and staff to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for families and families.

RESPONSIBILITIES

New Student Orientation

Program Development: Designing and implementing orientation sessions and activities for new freshmen, transfers, and their families.

• Handling event planning, scheduling, marketing, and coordinating with various College departments like Admissions, Residence Life, and IT.
• Serving as a key contact between students/families and College resources, connecting them to campus life.
• Assessing program effectiveness and making improvements for future orientation cycles.

Staff Supervision: Recruiting, training, scheduling, and managing orientation leaders

Communication: Managing student/family newsletters, online modules (like CampusESP), and communication protocols.

Family Engagement Programs:

Event planning: Organize and implement large-scale, workshops and information sessions and events like Family Orientation, Family Weekend and webinar series.

Relationship building: Cultivate strong relationships between the College, families, and community organizations.

• Help cultivate families as another constituent group for fundraising and event attendance.
• Work with the Office of Advancement to assist in cultivating potential donors from the family population

Communication: Develop and manage communication projects to inform and support families.

• Develop and distribute newsletters, emails, social media posts and other communications to keep families informed about school events, deadlines, and opportunities for involvement.
• Use various communication platforms (phone, email, social media, etc.) to ensure accessibility for all families.

Support: Provide resources, information, and personalized assistance to families to help them navigate the College system.

• Provide families with resources and strategies to support their child’s academic, social, and emotional development.
• Offer guidance to families on how to navigate College’s systems, including how students can access support services and assist with any trouble shooting.

Assessment: Administer and analyze surveys to gauge family needs and the effectiveness of programs.

• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of family engagement activities, adjusting strategies as needed to improve participation and outcomes.
• Collect and analyze data related to family involvement, identifying trends, barriers, and opportunities for improvement.
• Report on family engagement activities and outcomes to school leadership and stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in a related field
• An understanding of and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Ability to understand the needs of students from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships with students, faculty, and staff
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong management and organizational skills
• 1-2 years experience in orientation, student activities, leadership development and/or family programming. Student affairs experience with an emphasis on student development strongly preferred

CHARACTERISTICS PREFERRED

• Ability to adjust quickly to changing needs on a daily basis.
• Ability to apply strong problem solving and conflict resolution skills
• Maintain productive and effective, inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, students, and other internal and external constituents

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously
• Ability to train and evaluate performance, taking corrective action as needed

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involved sitting most of the time and occasionally walking and standing.
• Climbing, walking, crouching, repetitive motions, and ability to communicate appropriately with students/colleagues.
• Occasional hours outside the normal College work day to attend events, specifically nights and weekends.