The Office for Diversity and Inclusion is committed to supporting the University's mission to embrace diversity and cultivate leadership, integrity and engaged citizenship in our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Our mission is to ensure access and equity across all university units and to appreciate and leverage the experiences of individuals regardless of background towards the enhancement of the public good. Diversity can only be sustained and supported as an integral part of institutional excellence when it is actively promoted by the entire University community as part of a larger goal of equity, shared power and responsibility. The Cultural Centers enrich the student experience at UConn by fostering an inclusive, innovative, caring, and learning-centered environment. Cultural Center staff are actively engaged in the lives of students and are committed to providing outstanding programs and services that enhance student development and enrich the quality of campus life. As such, staff strive to engage every student in creating a community that commits to unwavering curiosity, pursues self-understanding and integrity, practices respect, prepares others for a life of courageous leadership, and embraces inclusion as a way of life.

The Senior Director, Cultural Centers and Community is a fundamental role in aligning staff, services, learning methodologies, programming and departmental initiatives toward these aspirations. The Senior Director must thrive in a dynamic, student-centered, engaging team atmosphere and must be committed to leading and challenging staff and students to engage fully in vital and vibrant learning environments that support holistic development and support the University's diversity and inclusion strategy. The Senior Director should be a leader who is a change agent; focused on advancing best practices in diversity and inclusion in higher education.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President &Chief Diversity Officer, the Senior Director, Cultural Centers and Community supports the University's diversity and inclusion efforts by developing programs and services that facilitate the personal, social, academic, and cultural well-being of all students with a focus on underrepresented and historically marginalized students.

The Senior Director will be a highly visible advocate and collaborative educator who will work in partnership with University stakeholders to advance the institution's on-going efforts to increase access, inclusion and retention, and to support a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members.

The Senior Director will provide leadership, oversight and supervision of the Cultural Centers and other initiatives focused on the community of underrepresented students, which include the existing African American Cultural Center, Asian American Cultural Center, Native American Cultural Society, Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center, Rainbow Center, and Women's Center. This position will also lead University efforts to aid students in the development of cultural awareness and cultural competence, create educational opportunities that support dialogue and understanding among people of different backgrounds, and promote collaboration in acknowledgement of the intersectionality in our community. In addition, the Senior Director will serve on the Office for Diversity and Inclusion leadership team, lead the strategic planning, budget development, and assessment efforts of the office, and utilize assessment data to facilitate opportunities that improve the campus climate via the Cultural Centers and other relevant University units.

The Senior Director will provide direct supervision at minimum to a full-time staff of five existing Cultural Center directors and indirect supervision to five graduate assistants.

Characteristic Tasks

• Accountable for the management and supervision of resources and functions of the Cultural Centers.
• Accountable for decisions concerning the staffing, hiring, termination, evaluation, promotion and training of the Cultural Center directors and staff.
• Administers Cultural Center staff and services pursuant to pertinent collective bargaining agreements (i.e. UCPEA, AFSCME, GEU-UAW and other relevant collective bargaining agreements). Serves as primary resource to administration on all matters related to Cultural Center Directors, staff and their outcomes.
• Sets expectations and a climate of ethical leadership, respect, trust, integrity and fairness.
• Maintains a sound organizational structure that maximizes the Centers' resources.
• Defines short and long-term goals and objectives to effectively manage Centers. Monitors Centers' progress towards goals and objectives.
• Monitors the Center Directors' management of staff. As needed, directs the realignment of staff to respond to changes in priorities.
• Develops strategies and supports communitywide access to diversity related programs and resources.
• In collaboration with Center Directors, implements Center initiatives and strategic plans.
• Develops and implements Centers' performance measures, assessment tools for constituent needs, and internal business processes.
• Conceptualizes educational programming and services. Works with Center Directors to establish and implement programs and services.
• Improves awareness of the Centers' mission, programs and services.
• Determines external communication priorities and plans, to include social media and web-based resources. Facilitates communication plans with Center Directors to ensure optimal outreach efforts.
• Collaborates and fosters relationships with on and off-campus stakeholders to develop outreach and educational opportunities for cultural programs.
• Contributes to the assessment and resolution of culturally charged issues and events, with an emphasis on community sensitivity and awareness
• Maintains leadership objectivity representing the best interests of the entire University system and its mission.
• Monitors the Center Directors' management of financial resources, ensures Center Directors operate within budgets, fiscal protocols, policies and guidelines.

Minimum Qualifications

The successful candidate must be an energetic, collaborative, learning centered professional who enjoys working in partnership with students, faculty, administration, staff, and community members to support the inclusion and diversity efforts of the University. The Senior Director must have a proven commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a demonstrated capacity to connect with individuals across racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, and other identities. In addition, the Senior Director will have extensive knowledge of student identity development, and diversity and multicultural theories within higher education, including an understanding of issues related to cultural competency, retention/persistence, and intersectionality. The Senior Director will possess proven leadership ability, critical thinking and problem-solving skills demonstrated organizational acumen and the ability to initiate, advance, and sustain organizational growth and change in a complex organization while fostering a collaborative work environment excellent communication and interpersonal skills, clarity of thought, the ability to make difficult decisions and extensive experience in teambuilding, innovation, budget management, employee development, and strategic planning.

A demonstrated commitment to developing strong working relationships with ODI colleagues, University faculty and staff, and other community stakeholders and a willingness to engage across the division and University are all vital characteristics of the Senior Director. A master's degree in a related field, 7 years of related experience including demonstrated progressive growth in leadership and supervision of professional staff in a higher education setting, and expertise in the areas of diversity, and advocacy are required. A foundation in intercultural dialogue is extremely desirable as we address diversity and inclusion on campuses today and arm both students and our staff and faculty with the tools necessary to grow through conversation and understanding.

Appointment Terms

This is a full-time management position located on the Storrs campus.

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume and the names and contact information of three (3) professional references at www.jobs.uconn.edu . It is preferable that one reference be from the immediate supervisor. Please reference Search #2018034. Review of applications will begin immediately. Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check. (Search # 2018034)

This job posting is scheduled to be removed at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on September 5, 2017.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp .

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University's teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn's ranking as one of the nation's top research universities. UConn's faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural and diverse University community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.


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