Executive Director of Residential Life

Salem Academy and College invites applications for the Executive Director of Residential Life position. The Executive Director of Residential Life will work across the institution providing direction for both Salem Academy and Salem College.

About Salem Academy and College:

Salem Academy and College is the oldest continuously operating educational institution for girls and women in the country. Since 1772, the institution has engaged in transformational change to innovate women’s education. Founded with the mission of making education accessible to all, Salem has a rich 252-year-old history and a long-standing track record of educating students who are prepared to make a bold impact locally, nationally and globally through liberal arts education. Our graduates are committed to making the world a better, healthier and more equitable place. Salem College is the nation’s only liberal arts college exclusively dedicated to developing the next generation of health leaders.

Salem College has more than 40 full-time faculty and over 150 staff members who support approximately 500 students including full-time undergraduates, part-time students and graduate students. In 2023, Salem received a second $5M anonymous philanthropic gift equaling its largest in history focused on enabling our health leadership transformation.

Recognized by the U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly, and the New York Times Magazine as a top liberal arts college in the nation, Salem College continues to lead among liberal arts colleges in social mobility and economic diversity. In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked Salem College #2 among all national liberal arts colleges in America as a top performer for social mobility. Salem performed as one of the best liberal arts colleges with the highest percentage of Pell-eligible students graduating in four years. Out of 286 colleges in the country, the New York Times Magazine ranked Salem College as #2 for economic diversity – enrolling more economically disadvantaged students than its peers. This ranking is a reflection of Salem’s commitment to making education accessible and affordable for all students. In another 2023 national ranking, Washington Monthly ranked Salem College as #4 in the nation for Pell-eligible graduation rate, #8 in the country for earning performance, #14 best bang for your buck college in the southeast, and #24 best liberal arts college in the U.S.

Salem College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a vibrant college town known as the “City of Arts and Innovation”. Winston-Salem is a lively academic community, home to six institutions of higher education and more than 26,000 students. Winston Salem has a collaborative and engaged academic community with strong private and public schools, excellent healthcare systems, and affordable housing. The Winston-Salem area also offers a rich variety of cultural opportunities and has a vibrant art and restaurant scene. Within a few hours of campus are mountains for skiing, camping, or hiking; rivers for whitewater rafting; and the beautiful ports and beaches of North and South Carolina.

Position Summary:

The Executive Director of Residential Life (ED) is integral to the Salem Academy and College Residential Life and Student Affairs teams. The ED is responsible for both entities’ leadership and development of the residential life program. This role is vital to the emotional life and academic support of students and oversees one residence hall for Academy students and five for College students, with an overall capacity of 300 beds. This position is also responsible for supervising staff, setting the programmatic vision, managing the budget, and collaborating with the Physical Plant on building maintenance. This is a full-time, 12-month, live-in position to begin summer 2024. The position reports directly to the College’s Dean of Students with a dotted line reporting relationship to the Academy’s Head of School. Thus, the ED is responsible for overseeing all functions related to residential life and housing at Salem Academy, a boarding and day high school, and Salem College, a residential undergraduate community.”

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead, develop and sustain a comprehensive residential life program aligned with the institution’s mission and achieves the school’s strategic plan and vision.
• Work closely with Academy and College leadership to ensure students are successfully integrated into residential, academic, and student life programming.
• Supervise and oversee the work performed by Academy and College staff including Area Coordinators (ACs), Resident Assistants (RAs), student workers, and other titles.
• Manage the staff recruitment processes, in-service training, and performance evaluations.
• Conduct staff performance evaluations.
• Work with Academy and College staff to develop programs that provide information on students’ growth and development, community-building, and leadership.
• Develop the on-call schedule; work hours will include a combination of weekdays, weekends, and some evenings and on-call responsibilities on a rotational basis.
• Ensure that all College commuter students are part of a “house” and supported by assigned RAs.
• Coordinate with the Physical Plant staff on residence hall cleanliness, repair status, and related matters.
• Work closely with the Director of Public Safety to ensure staff and students receive campus emergency response training.
• Oversee Residence Life’s social media communications to foster student engagement in the campus community.
• Infuse the Residence Life program with critical cross-cultural initiatives that increase the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to realize and sustain a diverse and inclusive community. Do so in collaboration with other offices on campus responsible for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts.

Student Affairs Collaboration:

• Attend and participate in regular meetings of Academy and College staff.
• Assist with Academy and College initiatives and programs such as, but not limited to, Orientation, Family Weekend, Admissions events, parent panels, convocations, and end-of-year activities, especially Commencements.
• Complete incident reports for policy violations and work with the respective Dean of Students on conduct violations.
• Serve on Academy and College task forces or committees as needed.
• Oversee the College’s Campus Care Hub which operates as a food and supply pantry.

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the residence halls' administrative, managerial, personnel, safety, and facilities functions.
• Develop, communicate, and enforce residential life policies and procedures in alignment with Salem Academy and College’s mission and values.
• Manage response to students of concern and response to student emergencies and crises.
• Oversee the arrival and departure processes for residential students.
• Maintain regular communication with stakeholders regarding residential life updates, events, and initiatives.
• Manage the Residence Life budget.
• Manage housing assignments, including the housing selection processes, room change processes, and other related matters.
• Manage the professional residence life offices for both the Academy and College, ensuring the hours of operation meet student needs.
• Prepare end-of-year billing information.
• Review duty reports and address concerns.

Required Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience in undergraduate and/or independent school housing.
• Minimum 5 years of successfully progressive professional experience, including supervising staff.
• Strong communicator with outstanding interpersonal abilities to cultivate effective relationships with various internal and external constituents, including administration, faculty, staff, parents, and students.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively through professional correspondence and formal presentations.
• Ability to design, create, and facilitate impactful student programming that promotes a sense of community and belonging among students.
• Ability to effectively multi-task and produce accurate professional work products under demanding timelines.
• Proven track record of establishing cooperative, effective working relationships across the institution.
• Proven ability to display discretion in dealing with sensitive and confidential issues, using sound judgment, and problem-solving.
• Must be comfortable working in a small organization and performing a wide variety of functions.
• A Valid Driver’s License is required.
• Other duties may be assigned based on Academy and College needs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in Student Affairs or a related field.
• Experience working with high school students and first-year college students.
• An appreciation for diversity and other cultures, global awareness, and highly motivated to lead by example.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the responsibilities of the position, the employee is required to sit for varying lengths of time; occasionally stand, walk, and kneel and regularly ascend/descend stairs; use hands and fingers to handle or feel and manipulate keys on a keyboard; perform extended periods of work at a computer workstation, view a computer monitor; perceive sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and receive detailed information through oral communication; express and exchange ideas by means of spoken word; and work in an office setting.

Application Process:

To apply, please send a letter of interest addressing your qualifications for the position along with a resume and contact information for three professional references to both jennifer.borrero@salem.edu and hr@salem.edu. The letter of interest may be addressed to the “Executive Director of Residential Life Search Committee.” The review of applications will begin immediately and will be ongoing until the position is filled.

Salem College is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law.