Assistant Director, Bias Education and Response

Assistant Director, Bias Education and Response

The Assistant Director for Bias Education and Response provides leadership for bias education, outreach, and incident response at Syracuse University. This position develops and delivers proactive educational programming that fosters dialogue, engagement, and a welcoming campus community, and chairs the Bias Education Team to coordinate support for students and communities affected by acts of perceived bias. The Assistant Director also manages the STOPBias reporting process, coordinates individualized and community-level response plans and provides support during major campus incidents involving bias or hate.

In reviewing concerns, the Assistant Director remains neutral, providing impartial assessments that balance students' rights with alleged violations. This position also investigates Title VI related concerns and produces regular reporting on bias incidents and trends. The Assistant Director collaborates closely with the Office of People and Culture, The Intercultural Collective, the Department of Public Safety, and other campus partners. The Assistant Director supervises the Bias Education Coordinator, and indirect supervision to student peer educators.

The Assistant Director reports to the Director of Community Standards with a dotted line to the Executive Director of the Intercultural Collective.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree required, Master's degree preferred. Three-five years of professional experience in higher education and inclusion work or conflict resolution in an educational setting; demonstrated experience with supervision of professional staff and student workers.

Skills and Knowledge:
Demonstrated knowledge of the field of unconscious and conscious bias. Experience with training/educational programming. Demonstrated ability to partner with various stakeholders to accomplish goals. Professional and flexible. Strong written and oral communication. Calm in high stress situations. Commitment to student development and restorative practices.

Responsibilities:
Develop and implement strategic direction for Bias Response and Education, including an assessment plan, budget plan, annual reports, and marketing strategy. Supervise a full-time Education Coordinator and provide oversight of the peer educator team. Provide scholarly based guidance on bias-related issues and recommend programs, practices, policies, and campus-related events in collaboration with key campus partners. Develop and facilitate educational and resource sessions for community members.

Provide leadership to the Bias Education Team, monitoring trends and coordinating response efforts to support both individuals and the broader community. Ensure staff maintain current knowledge of issues impacting protected identities under the University's Anti-Harassment Policy. Develop and facilitate workshops, seminars, and training modules that promote effective anti-bias strategies. Collaborate with campus partners to further the strategic priorities of the Division of Student Experience and the University.

Serve in the Student Experience on-call rotation. Assist in reviewing, tracking and resolving bias related incidents and complaints. Provide support as needed during major campus incidents regarding bias. Facilitate educational interventions for student-facing professional staff.