Assistant Dean for Community Standards and Student Wellbeing

Definition of Classification:

The Assistant Dean for Community Standards and Student Wellbeing serves as a senior leader in Student Affairs charged with serving as the designated Chief Student Conduct Officer and the execution of divisional priorities based on three key pillars: Transformational Student Experience, Student Success, and Cultivating Community. Reporting to the Associate Dean of Students, this position is responsible for planning, implementation, compliance, evaluation and oversight of the University’s student conduct system and promoting a campus culture of wellbeing, integrity, care, and respect. Centering student development and education, the Assistant Dean will be a visionary leader that utilizes the student conduct process as a vehicle for student retention, persistence, and success. They will develop, implement, and administer policies related to student behavior (including innovative educational sanctions), student and organizational conduct case management, oversight of the University Appeals Board, providing guidance and support to students as well as coordinating engaging care and wellness promotion activities, case management, and organizing campus outreach programming related to wellness education. As Chair of the CARE Team, the Assistant Dean works collaboratively with other campus departments and San Bernardino County Services to promote proactive and responsive educational initiatives and programs to ensure all students are aware of and adhere to the Code of Community Standards and have access to wellbeing resources that promote their ability to thrive in all aspects of life.

This position plays a pivotal role in overseeing restorative justice initiatives within the university and encourages a holistic approach to addressing community standards, focusing on repairing harm and restoring relationships within the campus community. This involves working closely with students, faculty, and staff to implement restorative circles, mediations, and other collaborative resolution processes that prioritize accountability, empathy, and community healing. The Assistant Dean will lead trainings and workshops, ensuring that restorative justice is integrated into the broader student conduct framework, promoting a culture of responsibility and reconciliation. In addition, the Assistant Dean will use evidence-based practices to champion a campus-wide culture of holistic wellness grounded in the nine-dimensions of well-being and LiveWell principles, coordinate prevention education, and life-skills development.

The Assistant Dean for Community Standards and Student Wellbeing should be well-versed in a variety of federal, state, local and tribal laws and regulations, and higher education best practices that govern student conduct compliance, and student wellbeing. Collaboration with campus partners, including Public Safety, Title IX and Equity, Human Resources, Institutional Research and Student Affairs, is critical to assist in the collection, analysis, and reporting of data and records retention required for compliance with federal and state regulations and improvements to departmental initiatives. This position will also serve Woodbury as needed and for rare severe incidents, may travel in-person to Woodbury, and will provide remote support to the campus for conduct related matters as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Community Standards Leadership:

• Oversee and manage the university’s student conduct process including receiving and reviewing reports of alleged student misconduct and independently determining appropriate response and resolution to conduct matters and working with students and student organizations toward appropriate resolution, up to and including separation from the University.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures, and innovative educational developmental sanctions designed to support student persistence, retention and success, related to student and organizational conduct, rights and responsibilities, and institutional compliance.
• Serve as an investigator during formal resolution processes and oversee and coordinate the Appeals process for all student misconduct cases.
• Provide outreach and education regarding the Office of Community Standards and the conduct process for various faculty/staff, students, campus organizations, or community groups along with students involved in the conduct process.
• Provide consultation with University Residence Life and Housing staff members responsible for the administration of the University’s student conduct process.
• Facilitate communication to promote transparency and maintain cooperative working relationships with various departments on and off campus, including but not limited to Public Safety, Title IX Coordinator, General Counsel, Greek Life, Student Campus Life, Athletics, and Residence Life and Housing.
• Serve as a resource for students, staff, faculty, parents, and other stakeholders regarding general conduct issues, questions, or concerns.
• Develop and deliver engaging and student-centered educational programs and workshops on topics related to student conduct, ethical behavior, alcohol and drug use, and accountability. This includes, but is not limited to, Foundations of Community, a signature New Student Orientation event, Greek Life, Resident Assistant Training, Club and Organization Leader Training.
• Work with student organizations and leaders to foster an understanding of university policies and the importance of upholding community standards.
• Mediate conflicts and disputes involving students to promote resolution and understanding.
• Lead the development and implementation of restorative justice practices within the student conduct process, focusing on repairing harm and restoring community relationships and encouraging accountability, empathy, and reconciliation.
• Work with students, faculty and staff to integrate restorative justice principles into the campus culture, promoting a community-centered approach to addressing misconduct.
• Provide oversight of the management of Office of Community Standards budgets and accounts, which includes state-appropriated funds, University development accounts, and student activity-fee funds.
• Conduct regular assessment and review of university conduct policies, processes, sanctions, and procedures, including, but not limited to, hazing, the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, and make recommendations for revisions, maintaining compliance with state, federal, and tribal laws.
• Prepare reports on conduct trends, case outcomes, and other relevant data for university leadership.

Operations Management, Oversight & Facilitation of Conduct Process:

• Implement interim measures as appropriate in response to student misconduct that poses a danger or threat to persons or property.
• Administer and coordinate the placement of registration holds, document holds, and graduation holds on student records and initiate revocation of student degrees in compliance with university policy.
• Review, update, and disseminate the Student Handbook to ensure it accurately reflects university policies, procedures, and community standards.
• Oversee the development of departmental or divisional reports (such as the annual departmental report, collaborate with Public Safety to support the production of the annual Clery report, priority planning, case summary statistics, support Transparency Act reporting, support Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act student affairs compliance and Biennial Review reporting, etc.).
• Review and approve all informational material, including digital engagement, distributed by the Office of Community Standards.

Community Standards Educators & Student Conduct Boards:

• Responsible for the recruitment, training and case assignments of Community Standards Educators that serve as administrative hearing officers as needed to support caseload needs.
• Chair the Community Standards Educators Case Management group.
• Responsible for the recruitment, training and advisement of the University Appeals Board.
• Develop a Community Standards Student Peer Conduct Board, a student group including undergraduate and graduate students who assist in the adjudication of conduct cases from a peer-to-peer perspective, and educational initiatives and programs.
• Lead and coordinate student conduct hearing boards, including the recruitment, training and on-going development of student board members.
• Oversee the advisement of the Community Standards Student Peer Conduct Board and training, continuing education, and the facilitation of student-administered hearings.
• Provide oversight of the advisement of the Community Standards Student Peer Conduct Board for maintaining an active awareness of all aspects of the organization’s operation and functionality.
• Attend student conduct board events, including weekly meetings, annual and periodic retreats, and outreach events, as needed.

Student Wellbeing Leadership:

• Provide oversight of the Bulldog Care Center and care case management.
• Serve as Chair the cross-functional CARE team and referral sources in support of successful planning, care, and retention-based interventions for students of concern referrals involving behavioral incidents and pressing concerns impacting holistic student success, wellbeing and retention, including but not limited to, student conduct issues, behavioral, threat, or safety concerns, and physical/mental health concerns. Collaborates with, integrates, and supports systemwide CARE team members and case management, as necessary.
• Chair the Student Compliance and Education Working Group Committee
• Plan, coordinate, implement, and evaluate wellness programming that focuses on educational topics including but not limited to the nine-dimensions of well-being, life skills development, and community standards prevention,
• Coordinate educational and collaborative efforts including well-being pop-ups, tabling events, and trainings to provide students with on-the-go opportunities to engage with wellness topics, connect with campus resources, and community resources.
• Serve on the Student Wellbeing Collaborative aimed at establishing a vibrant culture of well-being, where every student feels equipped, informed, and supported to achieve their fullest potential.

Divisional Leadership and Service:

• Lead divisional efforts on emerging themes, vision, priorities, and strategies.
• Collaborate with campus partners to create initiatives that promote a culture of respect, responsibility and community where all students are treated equitably.
• Responsible for helping administer the Bulldog Pathways program
• Support departmental, divisional, and university strategic goals and initiatives through service on various committees or task forces, and institutional and divisional signature events, programs and trainings.
• Participate in weekly one-one-one meetings with supervisor and appropriate Division and departmental meetings as required.
• Serve as an administrator on call and provide crisis and situational leadership as needed.
• Manage referrals and student issues related to distress/crisis interventions and policy violations, following internal protocols and procedures.
• Represent the division and University at regional student conduct officer meetings.
• Perform related work as required and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications Guidelines

• Master’s Degree in higher education administration, college student affairs, counseling or related field or Juris Doctorate.
• Minimum of five (5) years full-time experience in student conduct administration, or related student affairs or other experience working in a higher education setting with a diverse student population.
• Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution, mediation, and student advising.
• Willingness to work some nights and weekend hours.
• Knowledge of legal issues and compliance related to student conduct along with federal, state, local, and tribal laws.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrate excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
• Possess strong interpersonal skills to work cooperatively and sensitively with individuals from diverse cultures and ethnic groups, financial backgrounds and identities.
• Safeguard and maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment while maintaining effective working relations with members of the University community.
• Experience working with a diverse student population.
• Exercise independent discretion and professional judgement in decision-making and self-motivation to coordinate multiple projects and balance various tasks simultaneously.
• Understand student development theory and concepts and the ability to utilize them in student conduct matters.
• Handle sensitive situations with professionalism, discretion, empathy, emotional intelligence, and political acumen.
• Work collaboratively with various campus and community stakeholders.
• Experience with conflict resolution/mediation.
• Proven competence in responding to sensitive and crisis situations.
• Must possess computer knowledge and skills and be able to utilize word process, email, internet, calendar and database programs.

Ability to manage high attention to detail, multitasking competing priorities, and balancing time demands well.

Physical Demands:

Incumbents regularly sit for long periods; walk short distances on a regular basis; travel to various locations to attend meetings and conduct work; use hands and fingers to operate an electronic keyboard or other office machines; reach with hands and arms; stoop or kneel or crouch to file; speak clearly and distinctly to answer telephones and to provide information; see to read fine print and operate computer; hear and understand voices over telephone and in person; and lift, carry and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds.