Senior Associate Dean of Students and Executive Director of the Office of Community Standards
Stanford University · Stanford, California, United States · onsite
The Senior Associate Dean of Students and Executive Director of the Office of Community Standards (“Senior Associate Dean”) splays a significant role in sustaining and strengthening Stanford’s commitment to academic integrity and community standards through the stewardship of Stanford’s Student Conduct Charter, the Fundamental Standard and the Honor Code. The Senior Associate Dean is a key leader in Stanford’s division of the Vice Provost for Student Affairs (VPSA), serving as a thought partner to colleagues across campus while contributing to a culture of care and accountability for students, through meaningful interactions and interventions with students that foster learning and student development.
DUTIES:
- Provides strategy, vision and direction for the operations, organization and outreach efforts of the Office of Community Standards (OCS). Collaborates with VPSA leadership, faculty leaders, and campus partners to implement this vision and strategy. Leads long-range planning for OCS, including responsibility for programs and budget, forecasting and planning.
- Manages OCS employees, processes, and projects to implement the strategic goals of the unit. Directs efforts of managers, develops those in leadership positions and in the leadership pipeline, makes hiring decisions, provides coaching and mentoring, manages performance, determines staffing needs, develops and ensures succession planning within area of responsibility.
- Exercises a high degree of judgment in overseeing the university’s student conduct system. The role involves making complex, high-impact decisions regarding investigations and adjudications of alleged violations of the Honor Code and the Fundamental Standard for undergraduate and graduate students.
- Engages in thoughtful and strategic consultation with faculty leaders around key areas such as interpretation of the Student Conduct Charter, development of policy and procedure bylaws, and community education.
- Develops, analyzes, measures effectiveness and oversees programs and tools for delivery of OCS services and processes, including those pertaining to group conduct matters involving Greek organizations, athletic teams, and student organizations.
- Exercises discretion in managing exceptions to established conduct procedures when unique or complex cases arise; for instance, when procedures may need to adjust to ensure fairness or accommodate student circumstances (such as health or particular confidentiality considerations). The Director reviews grievances and appeals related to the conduct process, determines appropriate responses, and ensures that resolutions align with both university policy and procedures.
- Advises senior leadership on concerns, policies and processes and collaborates with senior leadership on strategic planning for policy and program development and implementation. Advises the Vice Provost for Student Affairs and senior university leaders on trends in student conduct cases, patterns of academic dishonesty, and issues affecting the Honor Code and Fundamental Standard. Recommends policy revisions to ensure that the university’s conduct processes remain fair, transparent, and aligned with federal and state regulations.
- Partners with senior leadership on communications strategies for high-profile or sensitive conduct matters that have institutional impact.
- Collaborates with the Board on Conduct Affairs by meeting with, assisting, and advising the BCA chair and members.
- Provides training to and support for students, faculty, and staff who serve in various voluntary service roles with OCS, including conduct panelists, conduct counselors, and other affiliated positions.
- Represents OCS at senior level meetings, conferences, and to both internal and external constituents. Serves as the primary spokesperson for student and group conduct issues.
- Manages key relationships, and works collaboratively with external and internal partners including, but not limited to, the Office of General Counsel, the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation, the Office of Accessible Education, student government (ASSU), the academic schools, and other administrative units on campus.
Core Duties:
- Direct efforts of managers; develop those in leadership positions
and in the leadership pipeline, make hiring decisions, provide coaching
and mentoring, manage performance, determine staffing needs, develop and
ensure succession planning within area of responsibility.
- Identify, clarify, and resolve complex, highly visible issues
with university-wide scope and strategic impact and substantial
significance which may span multiple areas, using advanced technical and
professional knowledge requiring broad discretion and judgment and
in-depth knowledge of university policies, governance and
priorities.
- Provide strategic direction for and manage a school or a major
function within an academic area, school, or student and campus life,
including responsibility for programs, budget, facilities, and
staff.
- Provide counsel and collaborate with senior leadership, in
long-range planning, policy development, for a school or major
program.
- Work independently to make decisions regarding projects,
programs, and initiatives, with limited or no review by senior
management: commit university resources with limited or no review by
senior officers.
- Manage exceptions to university, program, or unit policies and
procedures; determine appropriate response to settle
grievances.
- Participate in setting the direction of a school’s internal
academic and administrative policy development for programs and
administrative operations. Negotiate and influence on matters of
university-wide impact.
- Serve as senior advisor to dean on programmatic and policy
development. Recommend new internal policies, guidelines and
procedures.
- Manage, interpret, implement and ensure compliance with legal,
financial, university, academic and administrative policies and external
regulations within an organization or program.
- Direct complex, high-visibility process redesign and innovation
projects; Champion major initiatives, develop and drive implementation
of project initiatives.
- Lead, identify and develop priorities for university or
school/department-wide student services initiatives, and outreach
programs.
- Represent school/department programs and initiatives at senior
level meetings, conferences, and to both internal and external
constituents.
- Partner with key individuals from across the university to
determine new and ongoing business and technology initiatives.
Minimum Education and
Experience:
Bachelor’s degree and ten years of relevant experience, or
combination of education and relevant experience. Experience in higher
education setting strongly preferred.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- User knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
- Advanced communication skills to clearly and effectively
communicate information to internal and external audiences, client
groups, and all levels of management.
- Strong analytical skills to review and analyze complex financial
information.
- Strong leadership and strategic management skills.
- Experience managing people.
- Understanding of underlying technological needs and
requirements.
- Ability to establish credibility and effective working
relationships across organization.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively.
- Demonstrated experience with significant and complex
budgetary/financial management.