Residence Life provides a living-learning community in well maintained downtown facilities designed for the student artist. Student and Professional staff engage in community development, offer fun & educational events and programs, connect students with campus resources and provide 24hr on call support.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Provide supervision and direction to the professional staff member Housing & Residence Life Coordinator, Graduate Assistants, Housing and student assistants who are responsible for the housing contract, assignments, billing, and reception. Manage all aspects of Academic Year and Summer housing processes, including management of contracts, prepayments, assignments, billing and communication with students. Manage all aspects of residence hall summer housing program, management of all marketing efforts, projection and oversight of summer income including direct management of daily reconciliation, communication to all summer populations, and assignment and billing of summer populations. Administer residence hall housing database and coordinate with other offices to ensure the most effective use of the database. Serve as quality control management over delivery of service to students and others. Provide facility oversight of cleaning schedules and repair/replacement schedules; Monitors and reports on building operation concerns and contributes to the long-term improvements and construction plans of the residence halls. Serve in on-call duty rotation. Evening and weekend commitments should be expected.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Staff Supervision* – Supervise and provide leadership for 1 professional staff member, Housing and Residence Life Coordinator and 2 Graduate Assistants. Communicate expectations and monitor work processes. Provide on-going direction & feedback about performance through weekly 1:1 meetings. Evaluate performance, including conducting performance evaluation, to ensure they are equipped to perform their roles effectively and efficiently and attend to their professional development. Assist in recruitment and hiring of direct reports, including reviewing applicant materials, conducting candidate interviews, and offering recommendations for hiring.
Administer Housing Database*--Administer and manage the Housing Database (RMS/Mercury), the online housing system, assignment and billing of students, interns, and guests for the Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms. Provide leadership in the administration of the housing database; develop strategies for more efficient use of our housing database and other technology. Work within Residence Life and with other departments (i.e. Accounting, International Student Affairs, and Registrar,) in order to provide accurate and timely information on bills, applications, occupancy, etc.
Housing Processes: Academic Year & Summer*—Manage marketing and promotion efforts; online housing process for new and returning students; room assignments; and Housing Renewal process. Ensure effective communication with students throughout their respective housing processes. Work closely with Admissions Staff to ensure constant feedback on the status of housing contracts and assignments during the Fall and Spring admissions process. Manage marketing and promotion efforts for summer interns, SAIC students and Continuing Studies; online housing processes; and room assignments. Ensure effective communication with constituents throughout their respective housing processes. Oversee all communication with Early College Program students, Continuing Studies guests, interns and conference groups, including mailings and e-mails via our Housing Database, Welcome Letters, etc.
Billing*—Directly responsible for all residence hall billing issues, including coordination with Student Financial Services and Fiscal Office to ensure residence hall billing information is received in a timely and accurate manner. Provide reconciliation of General Ledger with the Housing Database to ensure accurate billing for each term. Oversee entry of all residence hall damage charges or fines and ensuring the accuracy of such charges.
Provide Facility Support*— Establish cleaning schedules, preventative maintenance schedules, and other facility project schedules such as schedules for replacement and repair in rooms. Work with IRFM to create and implement a preventative maintenance schedule and cleaning plan.
Manage Occupancy/Reporting*--Oversee accurate weekly occupancy statistics for residence halls, and provide comparisons to previous years, as well as the budgeted expectations. Provide reporting on a variety of issues concerning housing such as residence hall rate comparisons, historical data regarding summer housing, demographic data on residence hall occupants, etc.; use data to make predictive analysis for future housing needs, identify current occupancy trends.
7. On-Call Responsibility & Student Support* - Participate in 24-hour on-call rotation with live-in professional staff colleagues; recognize that residence halls are open 365 days/year and therefore being on-call during holidays should be expected; respond to student and/or facilities issues/crises in person 24-hours a day; high level of in-person response to mental health concerns, other student support situations should be expected; professional staff may be asked to respond to the hospital if a student is transported via ambulance; consistent communication with Dean On-Call during crisis/emergency situations; maintain accurate incident reports using Symplicity Advocate Software; work with Residence Life and Student Affairs team to respond to critical incidents on campus; work with other departments including IRFM, Campus Security, Wellness Center, and others to provide appropriate response to crises. Identify personal and emotional concerns of students; provide appropriate resources and referrals; track and monitor student issues using Symplicity database; maintain contact with parents and other constituencies as appropriate.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)*- Participate and assist in DEI initiatives within SAIC including programming and training. Ensure all initiatives within area respond to the needs of a diverse student body.
Manage Residence Hall Move In/Move Out*—Coordinate all move-in and move-out processes. Management will include developing a logistics plan and communicating with residents, residence hall staff, other departments (Security, Operations) about their role.
10. Off Campus Housing* —Supervise Graduate Assistant, Housing in providing ongoing services for students looking for off-campus housing including online tools, programming, and one on one meetings.
Quality Service*—work with the Assistant Dean to provide quality service to all internal and external constituents at SAIC. Manages, both directly and indirectly, that email & phone calls to Residence Life; Ensure they are responded to accurately and in a timely manner. Quality service includes responding in a prompt and professional manner to all student or guest concerns as well as working with others at SAIC to provide assistance when needed. Quality service also includes setting a high standard of service for all full-time staff and student staff, training that staff appropriately, and holding that staff accountable to this standard.
12. Live-in Position* – This is a 12-month, live-in position; weekend and evening commitments should be expected; assist on-call staff as needed for student and/or facilities issues/crises (e.g., fire alarms, flooding, multiple student issues, etc.); allowed one weekend away each month (to be approved by supervisor).
Liaison with other Departments* - Serve as liaison with other departments and offices on campus including: Campus Security, Instructional Resources and Facilities Management, President’s Office, Office of Student Affairs, Health Services, Counseling Services, Academic Advising, Information Services, CRIT, Admissions.
Assist with Residence Life & Office of Student Affairs Programs* - Assist with departmental programs and events such as RA Selection, RA training; Assist with OSA departmental programs such as Halloween Ball, Holiday Art Sale, Spring Art Sale, Leadership Dinner; serve on school committees and various work groups as assigned.
Student Success* —Provide leadership and oversight toward the goal of overall student retention. Provide individualized care to address student concerns within Residence Life, and work to eliminate barriers to retention. Utilize resources at your disposal through other departments, such as Student Financial Services, Academic Advising, Contemporary Practices, Counseling Services, and Health Services to provide a coordinated response to student needs.
Other duties as assigned*.
Bachelor’s Degree required with at at least two years professional experience
Master’s Degree preferred
Effective communication skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
Ability to work with diverse populations, including multicultural experience, cross-cultural communication skills and the ability to create and promote an inclusive community
Demonstrated collegiality and leadership ability
Student-focused candidate with experience supervising staff (paraprofessional or professional), developing community, advising student groups, working with other student affairs offices, or promoting student learning in a residence hall setting
Basic understanding of mental health and mental health support
Skills in crisis management, counseling, mediation, student referrals and understanding of working with artist
Strong written and verbal skills. Ability to effectively communicate in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize work.
Be a self-starter with a demonstrated ability to plan, organize and prioritize strategies and tasks in an independent way.
Exhibit strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community
Our world-class art and design college flourishes as a result of our passionate, talented staff and faculty––people who think creatively, drawing from their own unique experiences to forge fresh insights, innovative ideas, and ambitious goals for the future.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is an equal opportunity, equal access employer fully committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe in a culture that benefits from a wide range of experience, backgrounds, and career paths, and we encourage nontraditional candidates to apply. All faculty and staff must embrace the School’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution.
We strive to attract, engage, and grow with our talented staff and faculty.
We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package*—including:
5+ weeks of paid time off
paid holidays
medical, dental, and vision insurance
generous parental, caregiver, and medical leave benefits
competitive retirement plan (up to 9% employer contribution)
tuition remission and Tuition Exchange Program
employee discounts
and complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions
*Part-time benefits may vary
