Reporting directly to the Director of Emory First, the Assistant Director will serve as a key member of Emory First within the broader context of the Belonging and Community Justice (BCJ) team.
BCJ is comprised of six identity spaces at Emory that serve as a hub of support for students to matriculate to and through the university and includes the Asian Student Center (ASC); Centro Latinx; the Emory Black Student Union (EBSU); Emory First which includes first-generation college students and/or low-and- limited-income students; the Center for Women; and LGBT Life. BCJ promotes dynamic and cohesive learning by creating space for individual, cultural, and communal development. BCJ's value of ensuring every student belongs and graduates is central to all programming, events, and initiatives within and across the respective identity spaces.
Emory First at Emory University is an identity space focused on supporting all Emory undergraduate, graduate, and professional students including first-generation college students and/or students from low-and-limited-income backgrounds, extending Emory's history of support and ensuring their access to resources and community essential to their educational journey. One of the most important parts of the first-generation experience at Emory, and a key focus of the university's Student Flourishing initiative, is building community. Emory First is led by a Director and supported by the Associate and Assistant Directors. Emory First also employees several undergraduate and graduate student staff supervised by the Associate and Assistant Directors.
This position is student-centered and responsible for supporting the Director's strategic vision and alignment of Emory resources to coordinate and assess community relevant programs and services to support access, academic progress, sense of belonging, persistence, and retention. Supports collaboration amongst other identity spaces within BCJ (Asian Student Center; Center for Women, Centro Latinx; Emory Black Student Union; and LGBT Life) as well as colleagues across Emory Campus Life, provost areas, and the university as a whole to develop intentional planning and implementation of programs and resources focused on students' salient and non-salient identities and intersectionality while also promoting a university culture of inclusion where students from all identities can thrive.
Responsible for program development and implementation, first-generation and low-and-limited-income student support, and collaboration with students and campus partners. Focuses on supporting students and their personal and professional development. The individual in this position will actively engage in student advising and forge strong partnerships across campus to enhance the services available to all first-generation college students, individuals from low-and-limited-income backgrounds, and the broader student body.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Student Support & Supervision
- Provide resources to all first-generation college students and/or those from low-and-limited income backgrounds (FGLI), with a specific focus on the undergraduate student experience.
- Serves as an advisor for student organizations supporting FGLI students.
- Collaborates with student organizations and campus partners leading high impact practices for FGLI students.
- Refers FGLI students to appropriate campus resources for support, as needed (i.e. Student Involvement, Leadership, and Transitions, Student Case Management and Intervention Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, etc).
- Meets one-on-one with all students who request assistance in collaboration with Emory First Leadership Team.
- Creates reflective spaces for FGLI students to celebrate their first-generation college student and/or low-and-limited income identities.
- Supports the creation and implementation of professional development for student staff included but not limited to Emory First graduate assistants and student staff.
- Supervises and develops Emory First undergraduate student staff members.
- Responds and supports leadership in crisis situations in accordance with university policies and protocols.
Emory and Campus Life Program Coordination
- Develops, coordinates, and executes comprehensive and consistent FGLI-specific programs and services designed to support Emory's Student Flourishing Initiative.
- Assists in creating and implementing outcome-based, innovative, and transformative programs that invite all students to communicate across lines of social identities.
- Coordinates efforts to welcome FGLI students to Emory, including those transitioning from the Oxford Campus.
- Supports the Emory First staff with additional large-scale programs such as the annual National First-Generation College Celebration Week.
- Collects and tracks quantitative and qualitative program data and trends. Supports the BCJ areas and initiatives as well as other units within Campus Life.
- Supports and presents educational engagement opportunities for students in collaboration with Director and Associate Director.
- Assists with first-generation college student and/or low-and-limited income focused presentations, conferences, retreats, and workshops.
- Cultivates and strengthens relationships with colleagues across the university.
- Supports Emory, Campus Life, and the other Belonging & Community Justice areas via committee work, projects, and initiatives that serve the campus broadly, such as:
- Dean of Students portfolio retreats
- Strategic planning committees
- Assessment committees
- Pre-Orientation and Orientation planning meetings
- Large-scale community and university-wide programs
- Other duties as assigned by supervisor or their delegate.
Communication & Marketing
- Leads social media content creation and implementation that is in alignment with Emory First, BCJ, Campus Life, and Emory University guidelines.
- Coordinate Emory First marketing items (i.e., swag).
- Markets and promotes the Emory First, BCJ, and their programming to all students to increase participation.
Fiscal and Center Operations
- Provides timely/pertinent budgetary information to supervisor as necessary throughout the year.
- Processes university fiscal paperwork promptly and accurately.
- Routinely assesses the necessity of various expenditures, including but not limited to programming activities, student recognition, and professional development/training.
- Meets deadlines for all requests for reports, data, publications, and budgets.
- Ensures the responsible planning and expenditure of fiscal resources in a manner consistent with good fiduciary responsibility.
- Assists the Associate Director in the management of the Emory First space and reservation tabling process.
- Oversees the cleanliness and organization of the Center & BCJ as a whole, ensuring that all areas are tidy, well-maintained, and adhere to health and safety standards.
- Regularly assesses inventory levels, places orders for necessary supplies, and ensures timely restocking to support daily operations.
- Regularly inspects the facilities to identify any maintenance, safety, or operational issues, ensuring that the environment is safe and functional.
- Supports the Director with fundraising efforts in Emory First.
- Performs other related duties as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- A master's degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, or a related field, and one year of professional experience (or two years in a graduate assistantship) with campus-wide programming and supporting first-generation college students, OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Demonstrated experience in supervising and/or developing student staff.
- Demonstrated experience in event management and/or student program planning.
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse student environment.
- Demonstrated understanding and experience with complex issues around identity and equity; intercultural communication and competence; and cultural humility.
- Experience educating and training students on topics of diversity, inclusion, and difference.
- Knowledge of student development theory and understanding current issues, best practices, and higher education trends related the challenges facing students and staff from historically underrepresented communities such as people with disabilities, people of color, queer, transgender, gender diverse, first-generation, low-income, international, immigrant, undocumented, tribal, and indigenous communities.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Two years of professional experience with campus-wide programming and supporting first-generation college
students - Experience advising student organizations
- Leadership experience in program and curriculum development, diversity programming/education
- Demonstrated experience with providing high-impact and culturally engaging educational programs
- Desire to participate in alumni engagement, fundraising and/or donor relation
ADDITIONAL JOB DETAILS:
- Ability to respond to crisis situations according to organizational protocol, including evening and weekend
work as required - Strong critical and analytical thinking skills
- Demonstrated competency problem-solving, organizing, and managing multiple projects and monitoring
progress toward articulated goals. - Exceptional oral and written communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
PREFERRED APPLICATION DEADLINE:
NOTE: Position tasks are generally required to be performed in-person at an Emory University location. Remote work from home day options may be granted at department discretion. Emory reserves the right to change remote work status with notice to employee.