STUDENT SERVICES - Assistant Director for Service Learning and Engagement

Job Classification

  

Position summary

The assistant director for Service Learning and Engagement is responsible for planning and implementing a variety of co-curricular programs that engage the Andrews University faculty, staff, and student body in service to the community. The assistant director also provides expertise and resources to both curricular and co-curricular units that use service as a means for student learning and development. This position reports to the assistant vice president for Campus and Student Life/director of Co-Curricular Education.

Qualifications summary

1. Master's degree in religion, social work, education, communication, or related field required.


2. Two to three years of experience in event planning and volunteer coordiation in the non-profit sector or similar experience with service learning initiatives on a university campus preferred.


3. Working knowledge of service learning and/or experiential learning theory preferred.


4. Previous work experience in higher education preferred.

Must be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

Duties and responsibilities

Oversees, plans, and implements Change Day, the annual University-wide community engagement event held each September.

Plans, leads, or supports monthly Change Events for smaller groups of graduate and undergraduate students throughout the academic year.

Develops and maintains Change Hub, the University's online clearinghouse for local community engagement and global service opportunities.

Initiates, builds, and maintains community partnerships between Andrews University and local non-profit organizations, public agencies, churches, and schools for the purpose of establishing, improving, and marketing service learning sites and opportunities. This includes site visits and the matching of community needs with University resources.

Provides education, expertise, and resources, as needed, to professors who are implementing service learning in the context of an academic course. Provides similar assistance to Student Life staff offering co-curricular service learning opportunities in their respective areas. This includes offering periodic service learning training seminars for faculty and staff.

Tracks and validates student volunteer involvement and facilitates structured reflection on community engagement, particularly as it relates to students' completion and documentation of university experiential learning requirements.

Consults with individual students seeking service learning opportunities and longer-term community placements. Advises the undergraduate and graduate student associations, as well as registerd student organizations, on the development of student-led community engagement and service initiatives.

Identifies and participates in an annual professional development conference related to service learning and community engagement in the context of higher education.

Serves as a member of the University Forum speaker selection team for the purpose of identifiying local and global community change agents who can effectively communicate with the student body.

Serves on University committees as necessary to carry out or promote the priorities and functions of this position.

Works in consultation with the University's office of Integrated Marketing and Communication (IMC) to promote the institution's "Change" brand, both internally and externally, including storytelling, social media presence, marketing, and promotions.

Works, as needed, with the Preview Days, Early College Experience, and Orientation Week programs to introduce new and future students to the University's commitment to service learning and community engagement.

Provides supervision on an occasional, as-needed basis for social and recreational activities, and is equally assisted by the assistant director for Student Activities and Involvement when additional supervision is required for community engagement initiatives.

Fulfills other duties as assigned by the AVP of Campus and Student Life/Director of Co-Curricular Education and the Vice President for Campus and Student Life.

Supervisory responsibilities

This position does require direct supervision of several students in the planning and implementation of Change Day. It will also require, the supervision and collaboration with a significant number of faculty, staff, and student volunteers in the implemnet of Change Day and on a regular basis in a variety of campus and field-based projects to create a culture of service and engagement.

Qualifications

To successfully do this job an individual must be able to perform a wide range of related professional tasks that includes the ability to work collaboratively to build internal and external partners as well as to work independently as well as with directives. This job requires exceptional organizational skills and the ability to remain flexible in order to handle the pressures of a complex environment that offers crucial services to University students as well as community partners.



The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or abilities required.

Commitment to Mission and Values

Understanding of, and commitment to, the mission of Seventh-day Adventist higher education, which seeks to maximize student growth, faith development, and academic success.

Ability to model strong Seventh-day Adventist Christian faith and values.



Customer Service, Communication, and Language Skills



Exceptional skills in customer service, computer technology, critical thinking, multi-tasking, and oral/written/visual communication are required.

This includes the ability to read and communicate in fluent English, as well as to understand a wide variety of documents pertaining to the Higher Educational sector.



Reasoning Ability



Ability to think critically and to analyze a wide variety of high-level problems to assess situations with great perception and to use discretion in responding to difficult situations.



Ability to apply common sense understanding to carrying out various types of directives. 

Planning and Organization Skills



Ability to integrate multiple activities around program goals.

Skills in budgeting and financial management.

Skills in administration, organization, volunteer supervision, and training.

Skills in marketing and public relations.

Subject Matter Expertise

Knowledge of current practices in the delivery of service learning activities and experiential education.

Ability to train and advise in the areas of service learning and experiential education.

Prior Education and Experience

Master's degree in religion, social work, education, communication, or related field required.

Two to three years of experience in event planning and volunteer coordiation in the non-profit sector or similar experience with service learning initiatives on a university campus preferred.

Working knowledge of service learning and/or experiential learning theory preferred.

Previous work experience in higher education preferred.


Must be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

Technical competencies

Ability to perform basic computer and word processing skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Suite products and other internal and third-party software packages, as needed.

Interpersonal interactions

Knowledge and understanding of diversity and inclusion and ability to establish good rapport with students and community members from diverse backgrounds

Ability to establish positive, professional, and collaborative working relationships with students and a variety of internal and external entities.

Physical demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.



While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk, bend, stretch, talk, see, and hear.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50-75 pounds and be able to navigate a variety of work sites, such as those that may ential painting, home repair, landscaping, cleaning, litter removal, and so on.

Participation in more demanding physical tasks, such as the physical labor that might be encountered in some volunteer projects, are not required to meet the duties of the position but left to the employee's discretion based on physical strength and ability.

Work environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.



The primary work environment will be in an office setting, yet the employee will also be required to work in a variety of other settings in the community and abroad, both indoors and outdoors, in potentially inclement weather. Noise levels in some work environments may range from moderate to very high.

The employee will be expected to meet a flexible work schedule that frequently includes evening and weekend responsibilities.

The employee may be required to accompany students on overnight trips, be lodged in temporary quarters (such as tents), and encounter conditions consitent with underserved areas or disaster zones.

The employee must be prepared to travel outside of the United States, if needed.