Associate Dean of Students and Director of Gender Violence Education and Outreach

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

Reporting to the senior associate dean of students for policy and governance, the associate dean of students and director for gender violence education and outreach (prevention) is responsible for providing expertise in the development of prevention, training, and educational programs and initiatives to address issues of gender violence for the Duke community. This position supports the university’s overall response to gender violence for undergraduate, graduate, and professional student populations, their families, friends, and significant others. The position leads a non-clinical outreach and programming unit and is part of a larger gender violence prevention and intervention (GVPI) team with a clinician for gender violence intervention.

Additional duties/responsibilities as outlined in the institutional position description are as follows:

• Collaborate with various divisions, departments, and offices on campus (e.g., office of undergraduate education, academic affairs, athletics, and public safety) to develop and implement educational programming, messaging, and awareness of support services related to healthy relationships, sexual assault, dating, domestic abuse, and stalking.
• Responsible for initiating, planning, delivering, and assessing ongoing programs focused on prevention and education related to the development of healthy relationships and the reduction or elimination of gender-based violence.
• Develop, lead, coordinate, facilitate, and assess educational workshops, presentations, and trainings for students, faculty, staff, and administrators related to gender-based violence that reflects current research and practice (i.e., trauma-informed care and pedagogy, prevention and health promotion theory, gender role socialization, support for minoritized students, policy and law dissemination and bystander intervention) by utilizing student leaders, staff/faculty, and community service providers.
• Develop a strategic plan to support and enhance ongoing prevention and awareness campaigns.
• Coordinate and develop both general and population-specific peer dialogue facilitators and educators who support primary and secondary prevention efforts on topics such as cultural norms aroundsexuality, healthy relationships, the hook-up culture, healthy masculinities, sexism, alcohol and substance abuse, sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking, risk-reduction, and bystander intervention.
• Create partnerships with units/departments working to enhance engagement among male-identified students and the exploration of healthy masculinities; work to increase the community’s understanding of such engagement and exploration.
• Serve as a resource for the campus community on gender-based violence through committees and task forces as requested to improve the status of women on campus or other campus climate issues; develop and maintain relationships with campus, community, and national agencies that support the mission of gender violence prevention.
• Facilitate the development of partnerships and efforts to ensure the delivery of high-quality services to students and key constituents, including mentorship and advisement of students and student groups.
• Hire and provide supervision to peer facilitators/educators; collaborate with other student affairs professionals to reimagine how peer facilitators/educators can best support the overall sexual health and the wellbeing of the community.
• Supervise associate director and graduate and undergraduate student interns in gender violence prevention and the delivery of prevention and educational outreach services and programming.
• Collaborate with various partners on the development and implementation of goals and objectives for sexual violence compliance initiatives.
• Responsible for administering, managing, and monitoring programming budgets as allocated by the university’s sexual violence prevention and response budget for student-directed initiatives.
• Develop relationships with community partners in an effort to ensure high-impact practices.
• Manage online training modules for all incoming undergraduate and graduate/professional students.
• Support student affairs assessment practices and compile and provide metrics and statistical reports on various programs.
• Evaluate and assesses programmatic effectiveness through regular data collection and analysis, such as focus groups, pre and post surveys, benchmark tracking, or other performance and outcome data; maintain program statistics, including key demographic information on participants, and produce annual programming reports; identify program areas that are below expected performance and devise solutions with the senior associate dean of students.
• Collaborate with campus partners in creating university-wide educational publications (print and web) and educational marketing campaigns, as well as maintaining and updating written protocols and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISITCS OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

Minimal requirements include a bachelor’s degree and six years-experience in student personnel/services, college/university administration, or a related field to acquire skills necessary to manage a major program area within student affairs at a selective university or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience. Strongly preferred is a Master’s degree in Public Health, Counseling, Social Work, Education, or a related field and four years work experience with at least one year being post-Master’s work experience. Strongly prefer two to three years of experience as an educator on gender violence in higher education.

Job-specific skills and competencies, as listed in the position description, include the following:

• A thorough understanding of gender violence in a university community.
• Expertise in understanding the practice and impact of federal regulations, including Title IX and the Campus SAVE Act.
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students at varying levels.
• Supervisory experience with staff and graduate students, and interns is helpful.
• Strong communication, writing, and organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Effective interpersonal skills, including a willingness to create an environment that challenges gender-based violence and norms yet remains a welcoming environment for all people.
• Expertise in education and service provision from a feminist, anti-oppressive framework.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and implement programs and outreach for diverse populations including but not limited to Latina/o, Asian and Asian American, African and African American, and Native American students.
• Ability to provide short-term crisis support as needed.

In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders identified the following capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate:

• Change management mindset
• Self-starter
• Collaborator
• Compassionate
• Innovative
• Flexible
• Engaged throughout campus
• Equity-driven mindset
• Leadership experience
• Program and project development experience
• Passionate
• Creative problem-solver
• Advocate
• Community builder
• Partner

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE

The inaugural AD/DGVE will ensure the growth and success of this critical area. The AD/DGVE should possess strong abilities and expertise in gender violence education and best practices within a private, highly-selective university.

Trust and Confidence of Students: The new AD/DGVE must build a culture of accessibility, support, and connections. The AD/DGVE will be charged with relationship-building with the general student population and student leaders.

Strategic Planning: They are expected to develop the strategic plan with student affairs leadership and determine priorities for this new position in its inaugural year. It will be essential to assess current issues, facts, and perceptions of gender violence on the campus to build practical goals and timelines for the office.

Collaboration: The AD/DGVE will forge significant partnerships with students, faculty, staff, and key campus stakeholders through collaborations, programs, programming initiatives, and student engagement.

Advocacy: The AD/DGVE will champion and advocate for students around gender violence education and outreach. They will promote dialogue and practices that uphold these values and a greater sense of responsibility among the student population.

Stakeholder Expectations: The AD/DGVE must build expanded collaborations, programs, and relationships. They will need to educate the community about the purpose of the office and convey the impact that they seek to create—a culture shift at Duke around incidents of relationship and gender violence.

Change Management: The AD/DGVE will be courageous in advancing new ideas, thinking outside the box, and pushing the unit to address challenges with creativity, systems, and futuristic thinking.

Leadership: A thought leader and self-starter who can take ideas and implement them well is sought for this position. Creativity, initiative, and drive will be essential for the success of the new AD/DGVE.