Director of Orientation and First Year Experience

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Overview:

The Director of Orientation and First-Year Experience provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for programs that support new students in their transition to college life. This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing comprehensive orientation programs and year-round first-year experience initiatives that foster student engagement, belonging, social life, retention, and academic success. The Director serves as a key partner in advancing the institution's commitment to holistic student development and will collaborate closely with colleagues across the College.

Essential Job Functions:

Cultivate an inclusive campus experience that facilitates student engagement, social inclusion, intellectual curiosity, and personal exploration in collaboration with students and colleagues. Manage all orientation programs, as well as social programming to support students and their transition to Denison University.

• Plan, coordinate, and execute comprehensive new student orientation programs for first-year students and support orientation programs for other student populations.
• Collaborate with a broad range of campus stakeholders to design inclusive orientation content that integrates academic and co-curricular components.
• Implement and lead a year-long First-Year Experience (FYE) program designed to promote academic success, social integration, and personal development.
• Design and implement assessment tools to evaluate program effectiveness and student outcomes; use data to inform decisions, improve programming, and support retention and student success efforts.
• Oversee the staff, general planning, budgets, and assessment of all orientation
  programs.
• Partner with the Provost's Office to create opportunities for engagement with faculty to
  support the holistic development of our students as well as support the orientation and
  academic advising efforts of first-year students.
• Service in on-call rotation.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's in Higher Education, Student Affairs, or related field
• 5+ years of professional experience in higher education/student affairs preferred.
• Understanding of how the first-year experience is situated within a selective, rigorous four-year residential college environment.
• Knowledge of high-impact practices related to supporting students' transition to college life.
• Awareness of the concerns of parents of traditional-aged college students.
• Demonstrated ability to work in collaboration with students, faculty, administrators, parents, & external partners.
• Ability to develop strategies, set priorities and handle multiple tasks while meeting deadlines.
• Strong project management skills; experience leading meetings; producing/editing publications; excellent analytical, organizational and communication skills.
• Experience developing and supervising professional or student-staff.
• Ability to be an innovative thinker and problem solver; and effective at developing and implementing solutions.
• Able to work independently and carry out assignments and projects without detailed instructions.
• Evening and weekend work required, including flexibility of work hours and availability to attend to emergent situations on campus as needed.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and computer skills required. Proficient in Google, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7+ years of professional experience in higher education/student affairs preferred.

• Prior experience in the preparation and presentation of workshops preferred.

Physical Demands:

Occasionally work long hours, especially during orientation programs.

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!