Director - Diversity & Social Justice Education - 1023529-6689

at University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois, United States

Job Description

• Work collaboratively with other SSIB units, academic and institutional departments, student organizations, and community agencies throughout Urbana and Champaign to advise students and serve as a resource supporting student identity development, diversity and social justice education, and student belonging.
• Create, implement, and oversee courses, workshops and other educational activities for students that are aligned with university and departmental missions.
• Serve as a primary resource for students and Student Affairs staff on topics including, but not limited to diversity, social justice, intergroup and intercultural communication, and student belonging. Also provide advocacy, referrals and other student facing services on diversity & social justice education topics.
• Develop collaborative partnerships with experts in the areas of intercultural communication, identity development, critical thinking, and core social justice theory, practice, and policy. Also regularly work with Student Affairs partners, faculty, staff, religious leaders, and community partners to advance student learning opportunities.
• Establish and design innovative, socially just educational initiatives to positively impact students and the larger University community.
• Collaborate with other campus units to coordinate programs and experiences, emphasizing the development of cultural humility, critical self-reflection, intersectionality, and intercultural communication skills for students.
• Develop and promote activities and create resources that encourage a sense of belonging and persistence among diverse and underserved student populations.

• Direct supervision over all operations for DSJE. Responsible for administering all programming, and services offered by the unit.
• Responsible for budget planning and oversight; staff delegation, teaching and course planning, strategic planning, and goal setting.
• Responsible for recruiting, selecting, hiring, onboarding, training, supervising, and evaluating full-time and part-time staff.
• Oversee the coordination of a mandatory diversity education workshop (i.e., I-Connect) for first year and transfer students.

• In conjunction with SSIB, implement an assessment and evaluation strategy that informs a culturally responsive approach to data-driven curricular and co-curricular design.
• Provide leadership in reviewing the mission and goals of DSJE and creating a strategic plan consistent with the Student Affairs Strategic Plan.
• Conduct regular program evaluations and coordinate the unit's objectives with the Division of Student Affairs and University goals.
• Coordinate the production of reports for internal and external units.

• Lead and serve on campus and departmental committees as assigned.
• Perform other responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.

• A master's degree in higher education administration; college student personnel; critical theory including religion, race, ethnic, gender, sexuality, etc.; humanities; education; social sciences; or related fields appropriate for administering a Diversity & Social Justice Education unit in higher education.

• Five years progressive leadership experience with diversity or social justice education in a college setting.
• Experience supervising professional and student staff members.
• An understanding of theoretical frameworks undergirding core social justice concepts like power, privilege, oppression, intersectionality, and dialogic communication.
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, facilitating, teaching, and/or assessing educational, cultural, and/or social justice programming including concepts related to identity development, critical self-reflection, and fostering students' success.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.

• A doctorate degree in higher education administration; college student personnel; critical theory including religion, race, ethnic, gender, sexuality, etc.; humanities; education; social sciences; or related fields appropriate for administering a Diversity & Social Justice Education unit in higher education.

• Evidence of - and an appreciation for - the value, role and purpose of Cultural Centers, Gender and Sexuality Centers, and Social Justice Education in a college setting.
• Working knowledge of contemporary issues facing underserved and minoritized students in public higher education environments.
• Experience working collaboratively with diverse students, administrators, faculty, parents, and constituencies to advance institutional goals.
• Experience working in complex, fast-paced, political environments.
• A commitment to building a diverse community that fosters intercultural learning. Experience in operationalizing social justice constructs, bystander interventions, and student success initiatives in a public, land-grant, flagship institutional setting.
• Professional experience advising and creating leadership development opportunities for students and student organizations.
• Experience in fundraising, grant writing, and working with diverse constituents. Experience designing and implementing assessment and evaluation initiatives. Experience in developing community and public engagement programs.
• Experience in marketing and communications (e.g., electronic newsletters, websites, social media).