Director of Student Diversity and Belonging

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

Reporting to the executive director of the Santos Manuel Student Union and working in close partnership with the associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, the director of student diversity and belonging (director) oversees a collective of seven cultural and community centers: Asian Pacific Islander Center, First Peoples Center, Latinx Center, Pan-African Student Success Center, Osher Adult Re-Entry Center, Queer and Transgender Resource Center, and Women’s Resource Center. The centers build affinity among a highly diverse student population, provide outlets for healthy expression and representation of their identities, and offer spaces where students can gather, strengthen connections within and across communities, embrace intersectionality, and gain access to resources and support services as they navigate university life and a complex world. 

The director provides strategic vision, oversight, management, and direction for the centers as a vital part of the university’s commitment to further elevate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and foster a culture of belonging. The director supervises professional staff who coordinate the work of the centers and offer programs, services, events, and intellectual exchanges that engage diverse perspectives and identities, promote cultural competence and leadership development, and cultivate an inclusive campus climate. Additionally, the director serves on the President’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board and the Bias Response Action Committee (BRAC) to advance the university’s DEI strategic plan, respond to challenging student and community issues, and recommend policies and practices to foster student belonging, student success, and equitable student outcomes. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

CSUSB seeks a student-focused leader and champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging who can craft and implement a collective vision for its evolving cultural and community centers; lead and develop a team of dedicated professionals; and serve effectively as an advocate, adviser, and mentor for students, particularly those from historically underrepresented and underserved groups. Minimum qualifications include a bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant experience; an advanced degree and significant administrative and supervisory experience in a higher education setting are strongly preferred. Candidates should also possess the interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and resilience to engage effectively with all constituencies, achieve results through influence, and thrive in a complex and decentralized environment. 

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

• A track record of leading and managing student-focused centers or administrative units, both operationally and financially 
• Knowledge of critical issues in higher education as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and the mission and goals of campus cultural and identity centers 
• A deep passion for working with and advocating for students—including an ability to develop strong, positive, and productive relationships with student leaders who are engaged in activism and social justice change efforts to improve the campus climate for diversity and inclusion 
• Knowledge of the issues facing today’s students—including students of color, first-generation college students, LGBTQ students, women, and adult re-entry students—and programming and best practices to enhance their engagement, sense of belonging, retention, and graduation 
• Experience hiring, supervising, coaching, mentoring, and evaluating staff, and ability to lead and develop a team of dedicated professionals 
• Strong commitment to assessment and continuous improvement, and ability to utilize data and research to create measurable goals and systems of accountability 
• Knowledge of pathways for improving campus climate, addressing racism and bias, and actively disrupting harm at individual and systemic levels 
• Ability to respond effectively to challenging student and community issues 
• Adept at collaborating and fostering dialogue with multiple constituencies across the university, building coalitions, and achieving results 
• Ability to critically analyze requests for engagement on DEIB initiatives and articulate responses based on organizational priority and capacity 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to facilitate difficult dialogues, effectively listen to all points of view, and build consensus on initiatives and issues 
• High degree of personal energy and fortitude needed to effect change and achieve ambitious goals 

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE

• Create a collective vision for the university’s evolving cultural and identity centers. There is an opportunity to “make the whole greater than the sum of its parts” by identifying and elevating synergies and aligning the centers around a common vision.  
• Lead a team of dedicated professionals who are expected to work with synergy and common purpose, readily collaborating on their shared commitment to students and their well-being. The director will need to earn the trust of center coordinators through authentic relationship building, enhancing professional development opportunities, and fostering a culture of mutual respect, honest information sharing, solicitation of others’ input, and fair and consistent accountability methods. 
• Coach, advise, and mentor students in their social, leadership, academic, and identity development and encourage their well-being, self-advocacy, and access to resources and support services.
• Build a clear understanding of the intersectionality of identities that students bring to their educational experience, and support efforts to meet the needs of students who may feel invisible, underrepresented, or marginalized.
• Balance the administrative demands of a leadership position within an institution that also expects that the director will be a highly visible and accessible advocate for the centers and the students they serve.
• Work effectively with the center coordinators to assess and analyze program and service outcomes and determine priorities for change that will enhance the quality of services, optimize available resources, and achieve strategic goals.
• Serve on various committees and contribute to advancing the university’s DEI strategic plan, respond to challenging student and community issues, and recommend policies and practices to foster student belonging, student success, and equitable student outcomes. 

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

Soon after joining the CSUSB community, the director will work with Executive Director Jesse Felix to identify specific quantitative and qualitative measures of success and their timetables. 

In the short term, the director’s success will be measured by the degree to which they learn and are able to navigate the culture and complexities of CSUSB and the Santos Manuel Student Union, build relationships with reporting staff and stakeholders across the university, and earn the trust and respect of students, faculty, staff, and senior leaders. In the longer term, the director’s success will be measured by the development and implementation of a collective vision for the cultural and community centers, the achievement of long-term organizational goals and strategic plans, and demonstrated effectiveness in advancing policies and practices that foster student belonging, student success, and equitable student outcomes.