Connecticut College is a highly selective, private, coeducational liberal arts college located in southern New England overlooking the Long Island Sound and the Thames River in the historic seaport of New London, Connecticut. Founded in 1911, the College enrolls 1900 students from 42 states and 70 countries. The 750-acre campus is an arboretum, and is supported by a staff and faculty of more than 800. The southeastern Connecticut area offers a rare combination of affordable living and natural, unspoiled beauty with convenient access to Providence, Boston, and New York City.

The Director of Residential Life is a senior member of the Student Life Leadership Team, reporting to the Associate Dean for Campus Life. This position is responsible for the overall administration of residence life including supervising three professional staff, 60 undergraduate staff, providing for the safety, security, and well-being of 1900 undergraduate students living in 22 unique residential communities. The Director of Residential Life is primarily focused on the creation of a dynamic student residential experience that promotes learning, growth, safety and wellbeing.

The Residential Life office is part of the Division of Student Life led by the dean of students, and part of the Campus Life sub-division led by the Associate Dean for Campus Life. The Division of Student Life works collaboratively to maximize the student experience on campus with our partners in the divisions of the Dean of College and Institutional Equity and Inclusion (collectively known as the Student Experience Group). The successful candidate will join Connecticut College at a dynamic time with greater cross department and cross divisional collaboration and continuing education.

The mission of the College is to “educate students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society.” In addition, Connecticut College’s core values are academic excellence, diversity, equity and shared governance, education of the entire person, adherence to common moral and ethical standards, community service and global citizenship, and environmental stewardship.  We are interested in candidates who are highly motivated to help the College community realize the institutional mission and, in particular, who have a demonstrated commitment to providing leadership in building equitable, diverse, and inclusive environments.   

Other responsibilities include participation in the on-call rotation of the college, serving on campus-wide committees, and supervising the facilitation of annual processes for the Residential Life Office (staff selection, housing selection, etc.).  The director has a 12-month contract reporting to the Associate Dean of Campus Life. Compensation includes live-on housing, which is both pet and family/partner friendly, and a meal plan. The compensation is competitive and is complimented by an excellent benefits package.

1. Selecting, training, supervising and evaluating 3 professional and 60 paraprofessional staff
2. Oversee the housing assignment processes that include winter, spring, and summer break housing; new student assignments; on-line housing lottery process; room change process; off-campus housing.
3. Maintain housing occupancy statistics for the Enrollment Management Team. Generate occupancy reports as necessary.
4. Communicating with students, families and campus constituencies.
5. Develop, review and implement all residential life policies and procedures.
6. Collaborating with Campus Safety; Registrar; Academic Deans; Disability Services; Health Services; Counseling Services; Student Activities; Student Wellness, Alcohol/Drug Education Office and other offices across campus to ensure high quality and efficient services to students.
7. Collaborate with members of Facilities to develop a comprehensive maintenance schedule for all residential facilities.
8. Participate in Emergency Response Team meetings for campus crises.
9. Serving as co-chair for the Student Government Residential Education and Living Advisory Committee.
10. Participating in on-call rotation for after hour emergencies and crisis intervention.
11. Maintaining the Residential Life and Housing web page, documents, and production of various campus publications.
12. Oversight of Adirondack and Banner software programs.
13. Developing and managing departmental budgets.
14. Provide assessment of the overall residence life experience including the implementation of new initiatives.
15. Oversight of residential programming models and initiatives, including campus and area wide events.
16. Participate in committee work as appropriate.
17. Other duties as assigned or necessary.
18. This is a twelve month position with campus housing provided.

A Master’s degree in College Student Personnel, Higher Education Administration, Counseling, or a related field and previous experience in residence life is required. Candidates should demonstrate qualities that contribute to a setting where teamwork is highly valued with the ever-present goal of student learning and development. Candidates should be prepared to contribute to a setting where innovation and creativity help foster vibrant and engaged residential communities. Applicants must be student-centered and demonstrate a commitment to their own personal and professional growth. Candidates are also expected to be familiar with assessment strategies that can help the department measure the effectiveness of its educational program. 

• Extensive experience with crisis intervention, conflict resolution, supervision and program development
• Strong knowledge of current state and federal regulations and legislation as it pertains to student and residence life issues
• Must be knowledgeable and up to date on all new trends, concepts and philosophies that are related to residence life and student development and learning.
• Demonstrated commitment to a pluralistic environment; and appreciation for the culture of a small, private liberal-arts institution
• Excellent interpersonal skills and well-developed written and oral communication skills

Thorough applicant credentialing, including criminal records check, will be conducted on the selected candidate.  

Connecticut College requires employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This includes the booster vaccine. New employees must present their COVID-19 vaccination record to Human Resources prior to the first day of employment. Individuals who have a medical condition or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may confidentially request an exemption through the office of Human Resources.