Chief Student Affairs Officer and Dean of Students University

Chief Student Affairs Officer And Dean Of Students

The Division of Campus and Student Life (CSL) plays a central role in fostering a vibrant and supportive campus community. Dedicated to enhancing the experience of all students beyond the classroom, CSL oversees a broad portfolio of programs and services that support students' intellectual, personal, social, and overall development. Through its commitment to community building, student engagement, fostering resilience, and well-being, CSL helps create an environment where students can thrive academically while developing the skills, relationships, opportunities, and sense of connection that define the University of Chicago experience.

The Chief Student Affairs Officer and Dean of Students of the University serves as the University of Chicago's senior student affairs leader, responsible for advancing a positive comprehensive strategy for student life and the student experience across undergraduate, graduate, and professional education. Reporting to the President and the Provost, the Dean of Students helps shape institutional strategy through the lens of the student experience.

As a key member of the University's senior leadership team, the Dean of Students serves as a trusted advisor and collaborative partner across the University, advancing opportunities, addressing complex challenges, and ensuring students remain at the center of decision-making. In a rapidly evolving higher education environment, the Dean of Students will lead efforts to respond to changing student needs, including enrollment growth, the expansion of master's and 4+1 programs, support for international students, and the opportunities and implications of emerging technologies, such as AI.

The Dean of Students serves as a critical partner to colleagues across campus, bringing a nuanced understanding of the relationship between the academic mission and the broader student experience. With attention to school and division-specific cultures, the Dean of Students aims to coalesce the University-wide resources available to students in a way that enhances the offerings of specific schools and divisions.

The Dean of Students provides leadership and coordination across the University's network of area Deans of Students and is responsible for the development and implementation of student life policies and practices that reflect the University's values and priorities. Equally important, the Dean of Students serves as a university-wide convener, fostering collaboration across the institution, aligning academic and administrative stakeholders around shared goals, and ensuring that the University remains responsive to the changing needs of its students while preserving its distinctive intellectual culture.

The ideal candidate for this position will combine deep understanding in student affairs with the ability to operate as an enterprise leader within a complex research university. They will bring the strategic judgment, credibility, and relationship-building skills necessary to navigate the institution effectively and build trust across faculty, students, staff, and senior leadership while advancing the University's distinctive commitment to open inquiry, academic excellence, and student development.

The successful candidate will also bring strong financial and operational acumen, with the ability to align finite resources with strategy, make thoughtful tradeoffs, and advance institutional priorities with discipline. They will understand the critical role of student affairs in advancing institutional priorities and will be equally comfortable serving as a strategic advisor, champion of a positive vision, collaborative partner, crisis leader, and organizational steward.

The successful candidate will bring a record of senior-level leadership, broad experience across student facing and campus life functions, and a demonstrated ability to advance student success in academically rigorous environments. They will possess the maturity and presence to engage effectively with diverse constituencies; the strategic perspective to help shape the future of the student experience; and the resilience, adaptability, principles, and sound judgment required to lead through ambiguity, complexity, and change.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the University's senior student affairs leader, providing strategic counsel to the President, Provost, and University leadership on matters affecting the student experience, student resilience, well-being,…