Director, Office of College Community Standards

About the role

Department

College Dean of Students in the College

Job Summary

The Senior Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Office of College Community Standards (OCCS) oversees the College's area disciplinary and academic standing review processes. This includes implementing the disciplinary procedures, delegating disciplinary casework to OCCS staff as appropriate, partnering with the Dean of Students and college leadership on educating students.

The Director brings expertise around issues of academic integrity in the age of AI and works with University partners to develop strategies to support students' learning, accountability, and growth. The Director convenes and provides leadership for the area disciplinary committee and academic review committee.

The Director works with the Dean of Students and Deputy Dean of Students on office initiatives, quarterly data collection and review, and other tasks as assigned.

The Director reports to the Dean of Students and serves on the Dean of Students Senior Leadership Team, represents the Dean of Students on College- and University-wide committees, and works closely with campus colleagues as needed for supporting students engaged in conduct processes or academic review including UChicago Student Wellness, Student Disability Services, Campus and Student Life, Housing and Residence Life, Academic Advising, College Academic Resource Center, Care and Support Team and more.

Responsibilities

• Administers the College student disciplinary system.
• Coordinates case management and processing for complaints about college student behavioral and academic misconduct, including delegating disciplinary casework to the assistant director(s) or other staff as appropriate.
• Addresses and resolves student disciplinary matters, including performing intake, meeting with students, conducting investigations, administratively resolving cases, referring cases to the college Area Disciplinary Committee, and communicating with students about policies, procedures, their case status, and outcomes.
• Manages the membership and work of the College Area Disciplinary Committee.
• Leads bi-weekly meetings of the College Area Disciplinary Committee.
• Provides support and counsel to instructors and faculty members on matters relating to academic integrity and student conduct.
• Monitors national trends and practices at peer institutions around approaches to discipline and conduct management and innovates to encourage student integrity and success.
• Oversees the College's review of students' academic performance at the end of each academic quarter and its process for determining students' academic standing, including appeals.
• Manages the membership and work of the College Academic Standing Committee, which determines academic standing for students who failed to meet the College's standards for satisfactory performance and progress toward the degree.
• Leads quarterly meetings of the College Academic Standing Committee.
• Partners with the University's Office of the Registrar to develop, maintain, and improve tools to identify students at risk of failing to make satisfactory academic progress.
• Partners with College Advising and the College Care and Support Team to gather information about students' individual circumstances impacting their academic progress.
• Communicates the Academic Standing Committee's standing determinations to students and University partner offices.
• Partners with and presents to other University offices on topics relevant to College student conduct, academic integrity, and academic standing.
• Communicates information about students' disciplinary and academic standing outcomes with faculty, other College staff, and University partner offices as appropriate.
• Works closely with the University Deans on Call and University law enforcement.
• Manages record-keeping for the disciplinary system, including using Maxient for case management.
• Manages annual reporting of student conduct cases and appropriately identifies cases for Clery and other University reporting needs.
• Works with Campus and Student Life staff on annual reporting as needed.
• Manages record-keeping for academic standing, including using AIS and Maxient platforms as appropriate.
• Conducts data collection and analysis of misconduct and academic standing trends to develop interventions and inform policy decisions.
• Reviews and certifies disciplinary and academic standing records of individual students who are candidates for opportunities requiring a background check, degree verification, or petitions related to student employment on behalf of the Dean of Students.
• Meets with students who experience academic, personal, or disciplinary challenges, and communicates with parents when appropriate.
• Supervises and develops OCCS staff, including two Assistant Directors.
• Works with the Dean of Students and the Deputy Dean of Students on office initiatives, projects, and planning as assigned.
• Manages the hiring of OCCS staff and office budget as needed.
• Provides training and programming for College students around topics related to conduct and academic integrity, including hazing prevention, appropriate use of AI in academic work, and support resources.
• Designs, updates, and delivers training and informational resources to students, faculty, and staff around College disciplinary policy and procedures, academic standing and progress toward the degree, hazing prevention, reporting, and other topics that fall within OCCS's jurisdiction and expertise.
• Maintains and updates OCCS website content and all distributed communication, such as flyers, brochures, and publications, etc., to provide education and reflect office practices and community needs.
• Stays informed of pending and final changes to legislation and other laws or regulations relevant to student conduct and issues within OCCS's jurisdiction.
• Manages a team of individuals that validate the academic status of students within the school to ensure proper tuition assessments and scholarship awards.
• Identifies and implements technological solutions to improve operating efficiencies and assure veracity of data gathering.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications: Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Advanced degree; JD strongly preferred with a 6-year minimum gap between date of college graduation and appointment as a senior assistant DOS and director.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of experience in higher education or related field, including at least 5 years of experience working directly in university case management, conduct, or related field.
• Familiarity with university structure and the functions of its various offices and departments.
• Demonstrated commitment to young adults and the values and goals of a liberal arts education.

Certifications

• Investigator certification.

Technical Skills or Knowledge

• Demonstrated knowledge of Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), federal and state hazing and hazing prevention laws and regulations, and other laws and regulations applicable to student conduct, privacy, record-keeping, complaint resolution, and investigations.
• Proficiency with Canvas, various AI and LLM platforms, and AI detection tools.
• Proficiency with web and social media platforms.
• Use Maxient, PeopleSoft, Canvas, and other learning technologies and systems that support instruction, maintain records, and assist in data collection and analysis.
• Strong investigation and project management skills including writing, research, and organization.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills including excellent editing/proofreading ability in English.

Preferred Competencies

• Ensure meticulous documentation of all conduct and academic standing matters, consistent with data analytics needs and legal and regulatory expectations for reporting.
• Conduct data analysis for compliance reporting and other data sharing.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong organizational skills and close attention to detail.
• Manage multiple concurrent tasks in a competent, professional manner while meeting deadlines.
• Work effectively individually with minimal supervision, as a part of a team, or while taking directions from others.
• Collaborate effectively with diverse populations and stakeholders, including faculty members, staff, and students in different roles and from different backgrounds.
• Maintain confidentiality/discretion at all times related to students, faculty, and staff.
• Work under pressure and manage stressful situations.

Working Conditions

• Office environment.
• Some evening and weekend work.
• Fast-paced environment.
• Sit at a computer for 4-6 hours.
• Periodic walking to other campus locations.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter, which is to include your interest in this position (required)
• References Contact Information (3)(required)

Additional information

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

• Job Family
• Student Affairs & Services
• Role Impact
• People Manager
• Scheduled Weekly Hours
• 37.5
• Drug Test Required
• No
• Health Screen Required
• No
• Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
• No
• Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range $100,000.00 - $125,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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