"Dean of Students"

Job Description

Salary: $119,900.00 - $141,059.00 Annually
Job Type: FT Exempt Salaried Staff
Job Number: FY2605348
Closing: 1/23/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
Location: 800 W University Parkway, Orem
Division: VP Student Affairs

Position Announcement

Utah Valley University is seeking a Dean of Students to provide leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for a comprehensive portfolio dedicated to student success, safety, wellness, and accountability. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Access and Outreach, this role leads and integrates student support and care systems that promote a safe, supportive, and thriving campus environment. The Dean of Students plays a critical role in aligning institutional priorities with student needs through collaborative, student-centered leadership.

The Dean directly supervises the Associate Dean of Students and provides senior oversight for Student Rights and Accountability, Student Health Services, and Accessibility Services. This position ensures a coordinated and holistic approach to student well-being, crisis response, and student accountability, while maintaining compliance with federal and state regulations and university policy. UVU offers an opportunity to lead meaningful, campus-wide efforts that support students through every stage of their academic journey.

Summary of Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Provide vision and long-range planning for all units within the Office of the Dean of Students, aligning work with UVU's institutional priorities, student success framework, and divisional goals.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive student health and accessibility strategy integrated with student conduct, care, and support services.
• Lead policy development and continuous improvement across student rights, accountability, wellness, accessibility, and crisis response systems.
• Ensure coordinated service delivery across campus by building strong partnerships with academic affairs, student services, general counsel, campus safety, housing, and other key stakeholders.
• Represent the Dean of Students portfolio on university-wide committees and with external agencies as appropriate.

Student Conduct, Rights & Accountability

• Oversee comprehensive student conduct and accountability systems that emphasize learning, fairness, due process, and community standards.
• Ensure policies and procedures align with trauma-informed practice, restorative approaches when appropriate, and sound decision-making.
• Review and guide high-impact or complex cases, sanctions, appeals, and resolution pathways.
• Ensure student grievance and rights processes are clear, accessible, educational, and procedurally sound.
• Collaborate with general counsel, Title IX, academic affairs, and other units to ensure coordinated case management, policy alignment, and free speech issues.

Supervision, Culture, and Operational Effectiveness

• Provide senior leadership, mentorship, and support for multiple director-level positions across the Dean of Students portfolio.
• Foster a culture of student-centered service, professionalism, collaboration, equity, and continuous improvement.
• Support professional development, performance management, and succession planning to strengthen teams and service outcomes.
• Provide strategic oversight of large and complex budgets; ensure responsible resource allocation aligned with student needs, institutional priorities, and compliance requirements.
• Support and guide resource development and long-term sustainability for Student Health Services, Accessibility Services, and student conduct programs.
• Ensure a strong culture of assessment by using data, metrics, and student feedback to evaluate effectiveness, improve services, and inform decision-making.
• Oversee annual reports, compliance documentation, and strategic outcome tracking for the Office of the Dean of Students.
• Oversight and strategic direction for the University Accessibility Committee and related university task forces.

Qualifications / Licenses / Certifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, Counseling, Public Health, Social Work, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive leadership experience in student affairs or related higher education roles, including supervision of multi-unit portfolios.
• Demonstrated experience with student conduct, student rights/accountability processes, student wellness or health services, accessibility/ADA/504 compliance, or crisis response.
• Experience leading or supporting behavioral/threat assessment and students-of-concern work.
• Proven ability to manage complex budgets, personnel, and compliance obligations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in Higher Education, Counseling, Leadership, Public Health, or a related field.
• Advanced training/certification in threat assessment, restorative justice, trauma-informed care, or case management.
• Demonstrated success implementing data-informed strategic planning and assessment.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

Knowledge

• Comprehensive understanding of student development theory, student conduct best practices, and student rights frameworks.
• Strong knowledge of federal/state compliance, education, and reporting (FERPA, Title IX, ADA/504, Clery, DAAPP, public health and disability standards).
• Familiarity with mental health crisis response, risk management, safety campaigns (e.g., SAFE UT), and student wellness models.
• Understanding of budgeting, resource development, and strategic planning in higher education.

Skills

• Ability to lead multi-unit departments through direct and indirect supervision.
• Skilled in developing and implementing comprehensive student support, health/wellness, and accountability strategies.
• Strong communication skills for policy development, sensitive case management, and campus-wide engagement.
• Expertise in systems building, assessment, and continuous quality improvement.
• Proficient in preparing accurate federal compliance reports and maintaining regulatory standards.
• Ability to manage high-stakes situations with empathy, fairness, and clarity.

Abilities

• Ability to analyze data and apply metrics to improve programs and services.
• Ability to adapt to changing student needs and respond quickly to emerging issues.
• Ability to build partnerships across academic, operational, and external stakeholder groups.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a complex, fast-paced environment with attention to detail and confidentiality.