Assistant Director for Student Belonging and Equity

Assistant Director for Student Belonging and Equity

Position Summary:

The Assistant Director for Student Belonging and Equity develops and leads inclusive, intersectional, and student-centered educational, cultural, and community-building programs that foster belonging, joy, connection, and success for students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities, including first-generation college students, BIPOC students, students in the LGBTQIA+ community, and students navigating identity exploration and community connection. Grounded in equity, cultural responsiveness, and asset-based practice, this role supports students in building community, exploring identity, developing leadership capacity, and navigating the college experience in affirming and empowering ways.

The Assistant Director collaborates across campus departments to enhance the student experience and support the advancement of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Programming & Identity Development (35%)
• Create engaging cultural, educational, leadership, and community-building experiences that foster connection, celebration, identity exploration, and student belonging.
• Coordinate a cohesive and consistent series of engagement initiatives and opportunities that support, enhance, educate, or uplift historically underrepresented communities including first-generation college students, BIPOC students, students in the LGBTQIA+ community, and students navigating identity exploration and community connection.
• Facilitate workshops, trainings, and dialogues that center and explore the intersection of social identities while developing student growth and wellbeing.
• Advise and support identity-centered student organizations and leadership initiatives including, but not limited to, the Identity Leadership Retreat (ILR) and the MOSAIC Collective.
• Collaborate with campus partners to create intersectional and inclusive programming opportunities and serve on or lead campus committees, working groups, and strategic planning efforts related to student success and belonging.
• Cultivate opportunities for students from diverse lived experiences to strengthen leadership skills, celebrate identity, build meaningful community, and navigate institutional spaces through approaches that center cultural wealth, resilience, joy, and asset-based mentorship.
• ACE Summer Institute & Community Coordination (20%)
• Lead the planning, implementation, and assessment of the ACE Summer Institute, an early arrival program and transition program open to all students and designed to center and enhance the success, sense of belonging, and retention of first-generation college students and BIPOC students.
• Develop an engaging, inclusive and culturally responsive curriculum focused on college transition, confidence-building, leadership development, academic success, identity exploration, and community-building.
• Recruit, train, and supervise student leaders (ACE mentors) that support the ACE Summer Institute experience.
• Collaborate with campus partners including, but not limited to, Academic Engagement and Transitions, the Care team, Career Connections, Student Employment, Residential Life and Housing, Counseling and Personal Growth, and Student Accessibility Services to ensure a holistic student transition experience.
• Manage program logistics including scheduling, communications, budgeting, assessment, and event coordination.
• Use assessment data and student feedback to continuously improve the ACE Summer Institute and measure its impact on student success, belonging, and persistence.
• Student Support & Advocacy (15%)
• Serve as a member of the Care team, providing holistic support, crisis response, and referrals for students navigating personal, academic, and social challenges.
• Serve as a trusted resource, advocate, and partner for students from historically underrepresented communities, centering care, affirmation, empowerment, and student voice.
• Assist students in connecting with campus resources including, but not limited to, counseling, academic advising, faculty, career connections, well-being, financial aid, student employment, residential life and housing, and student involvement opportunities.
• Maintain awareness of student needs, trends, and concerns impacting historically underrepresented student populations, infusing said needs, trends, and concerns into larger DEIB goals and outcomes.
• Assessment and Impact (10%)
• Design and implement assessment and evaluation strategies to measure the effectiveness, reach, and impact of identity programming supported and/or coordinated through the office.
• Establish clear, measurable learning outcomes focused on changes in student understanding of identity, self-concept, and community, as well as their ability to engage effectively across diverse identities.
• Collaborate with campus partners to identify trends, gaps, and emerging student needs, and adjust programs, outreach strategies, and policies and…