Director of Student Affairs Penn State Dickinson Law | University Park, PA

Director Of Student Affairs

Are you passionate about helping future lawyers thrive? Penn State Dickinson Law is seeking a dedicated, student-centered leader to serve as our Director of Student Affairs. Reporting to the Senior Assistant Dean, you will provide leadership and comprehensive support to law students across our law school's two locations. From pre-orientation through graduation, you will champion student success, well-being, and engagement.

In this dynamic role based in University Park (State College), PA, you will serve as a primary resource for students facing personal, academic, financial, or health-related challenges. You will connect them with university support resources, services, and accommodations. You will oversee student support services, signature programming such as New Student Orientation (NSO), character and fitness counseling for bar exam applicants, accommodations, policy administration, and student organization activities, and you will lead the student affairs office and staff.

If you enjoy building meaningful connections with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and university partners in a fast-paced academic setting, we would like to hear from you.

Student Care, Wellness, and Support

• Provide holistic support to students facing personal, social, emotional, or academic challenges, including matters of care and concern, conduct, professionalism, bias and harassment, basic needs, and leaves of absence.
• Mentor student leaders, encourage professional identity development, and address behaviors that affect the learning environment
• Support new student orientation, signature law school events, and commencement activities

Disability Accommodations and Accessibility

• Lead programming that makes students aware of Penn State Student Disability Resources
• Coordinate classroom and testing accommodations, including proctoring of accommodated exams, with faculty, offices, students, and IT, so that implementation is timely, consistent, and compliant at both locations
• Process and certify accommodation documentation for licensing exams, including the MPRE and bar examinations.

Student Organizations and Leadership Development

• Guide the Associate Directors of Student Affairs in supporting recognized student organizations, student activities, and leadership programming
• Help resolve student organization issues, and oversee annual updates to student organization policies, registration, and leadership training
• Provide leadership to the Associate Directors ensuring support for student organization activities, events, and meetings, including event organization, logistics, and purchasing.

Program Management and Policy Administration

• Keep current on law school and university policies, ABA Standards, and state bar admission requirements
• Manage Student Affairs policies and communications, including the Student Academic Handbook, intranet content, and public web resources
• Lead daily Student Affairs operations at University Park and oversee co-curricular initiatives
• Provide support for planning and executing of annual New Student Orientation and Commencement activities with the Senior Assistant Dean.
• Support ABA accreditation and university reporting through data collection and documentation

Character and Fitness Administration

• Direct character and fitness education and counseling with the Academic Success and Bar Preparation team
• Advise students on disclosure requirements for law school and bar applications.
• Manage the annual character and fitness disclosure process to support law school certifications

Law School and University Service

• Serve on committees that advance student success and institutional initiatives, and help carry out committee recommendations and strategic projects
• Other duties as…