Program Manager, Community Connections and Engagement

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Unit 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. Beginning Fall 2024, M Housing partnered with other units and departments within Student Life to support the residential experience for approximately 25 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 creating a sense of belonging for students.

Position Summary:

The Michigan Housing Community Connections and Engagement Department is vital in fostering vibrant and inclusive residential communities where students feel a strong sense of belonging. It achieves this through dynamic engagement and programming in residence halls, addressing residents' accommodation needs, facilitating connections to campus resources, and supporting students in navigating residential inclusive community concerns. By offering events, educational workshops, staff training sessions, and the You Belong Here campaign, the department strives to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive.

The M Housing Community Connections and Engagement Department is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all residents. The Program Manager's role in creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is to manage and support residential climate support initiatives. They offer residents opportunities to engage and develop leadership skills within the undergraduate residential community through guidance of the multicultural councils and supervision of Diversity Peer Educators. Additionally, they collaborate with the team to effectively manage the daily triaging and tracking of residential inclusive community concerns and reports, and use restorative practices to mediate identity-related conflicts.

This position reports directly to an Assistant Director, Community Connections and Engagement.

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

Management of Residential Experience (40%)

• Lead the Diversity Peer Educator (DPE) program by:
• Supervising, mentoring, and empowering DPEs live-in student staff dedicated to fostering belonging and throughout the residential community. Guide DPEs in the design and facilitation of educational workshops, courageous conversations, and signature programming that strengthen intercultural competence and uphold an inclusive campus climate.
• Overseeing Multicultural Councils, providing expert advice, leadership development, and ongoing support to student leaders as they create and implement programs celebrating identity, cultural heritage, and shared experience.
• Actively engaging with department and campus committees geared toward enhancing the residential experience, collaborating with campus partners to shape initiatives that promote a strong sense of belonging for all residents.
• Supporting all aspects of the residential experience that cultivate an inclusive, welcoming community including specifically for international and graduate students through:
• Partnering with student leaders and professional staff to plan and facilitate community-building initiatives directly geared towards this population
• Overseeing programmatic and logistical components of residential events and engagement opportunities, ensuring accessibility and meaningful participation.
• Promoting opportunities for residents to connect, build relationships, and engage in dialogue in ways that foster connection, belonging, and individual growth.

Residential Climate Support and Education (40%)

• Support the M Housing residential climate work, by supporting residents when residential inclusive community concerns arise.
• Provide consultation to colleagues across M Housing (i.e. Residence Education, Marygrove, Housing Support and Community Responsibility) on residential inclusive community concerns.
• Directly mediate conflicts among residents and residential communities/floors, manage conflict resolution processes with residents, problem-solving crisis intervention options to deliver for residents, and manage crisis management processes related to identity within the residential community using restorative practices.
• Determine educational needs based on crisis interventions and create and facilitate trainings, workshops, community circles, and roommate/resident conflicts based on those needs for both residents, student staff, and professional staff.
• Collaborate closely with Community Connections and Engagement and campus partners on creating and implementing educational programs that complement the M Housing You Belong Here campaign
• Develop and facilitate training sessions, workshops, and programs for students and staff that address residential inclusive community concerns.
• Develop digital content about the You Belong Here campaign and educational components for programming, partnerships, websites, social media platforms, and phone apps.

Departmental Administration (20%)

• Serve in on-call rotation to manage residential inclusive community concerns remotely, by phone, or email.
• Daily triaging and tracking of residential inclusive community concern reports
• Support crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and providing resource and referral services to students of all identities utilizing a culturally competent framework.
• Work with the Community Connections and Engagement staff to assess the effectiveness of programs and interventions in residential communities and how it supports campus-wide initiatives of belonging.
• Manage departmental communication including resident newsletters and social media and supervision of student staff who support this work
• Alongside Community Connections and Engagement staff create and coordinate programs and events sponsored by the department
• Provide support for administrative processes of the department, including serving as the primary back-up support for health, disability, and religious observance accommodation

Other duties as assigned by M Housing and Community Connections and Engagement department leadership

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field
• Experience in student affairs and/or related educational services work
• Experience building inclusive and multicultural communities.
• Experience in mediation, conflict management, or restorative practices in resolving conflict

Financial/Budgetary Responsibility: This position will work with students to support the administration of their student organization budget.

Working Conditions: The job requires working 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 following successful completion of probationary period.

Physical Requirements: Be able to move and transport packages and boxes up to 25 lbs

Direct Reports: Direct supervision over a number of Diversity Peer Educators and hourly student staff. Provides functional supervision of all Community Connections and Engagement student staff on addressing residential inclusive community concerns and supporting residents.