Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at InsideHigherEd

Job Title: Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Location: Dalton State College
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 291379
About Us

Dalton State College delivers a transformational education experience in a community serving more than 5,000 students through its two campuses and online programs. A member of the University System of Georgia, we provide access to high-quality bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and career and teaching certificate programs that are responsive to regional and state needs.

Located about 90 minutes from Atlanta and 30 minutes from Chattanooga, Dalton State is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northwest Georgia and is surrounded by abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. We attract students from 35 countries and 26 states. Approximately half of our students are first-generation college students. Dalton State is Georgia's first federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI); through this designation, we administer a Title V and a Title III HSI STEM Grant program that benefit all students.

Our mission and values undergird our commitment to creating a sense of belonging for all students and to ensuring their success. Dalton State was ranked #1 in the nation for Student Experience in The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2024 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings and the #2 most recommended institution in the country in 2025. In addition, we are proud to have been recognized in 2024 as one of 75 "Great Colleges to Work For" by ModernThink, along with an Honor Roll distinction.

Job Summary

The Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students (AVPSA & DoS) provides highly collaborative leadership and coordination for intervention, resources, and support to all students on a broad range of issues (particularly for students whose behavior has raised a concern or need general assistance navigating the college environment), and addressing questions and concerns brought forward by students, family/guardians, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders. The AVPSA & DoS will serve as an impartial facilitator in supporting, and resolving issues pertaining to conduct, crisis, personal welfare, and some financial/academic matters. These concerns are often of a sensitive nature and may not have a formal avenue of redress through official college channels. In addition to student advocacy and support, the AVPSA & DoS is responsible for leadership and strategic planning, program oversight and development, policy development and compliance, budget and resource management, collaboration and partnership building, and assessment and continuous improvement.

A complete application must include:

1. Cover letter
2. Resume
3. List of three professional references: please include full name, job title, organization, phone number and email address, a brief description of relationship with reference. Include current and/or past employer.

Review of applications will begin on October 28, 2025. The position will remain open until filled.

Minimum Annual salary: $101,700

Benefits Include:

• Healthcare options
• Retirement options: Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) or Teachers Retirement Systems (TRS)
• Tuition assistance
• $100 Well-being rewards
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Paid parental leave
• Winter break (December holidays)
• USG Benefits

Responsibilities

Manages department operations/Supervision of Functional Areas and Staff - 35%
-Contributes a compelling vision for the DoS Office, ensuring the Office provides an array of programs and services that contribute to a caring campus culture that enhances a sense of belonging, learning and development to foster student success while also adhering to the campus Strategic Plan, i.e., Vision 2050.
-Trains, directs, supervises, evaluates, and provides constructive feedback to numerous differing functional areas (e.g., Student Engagement & Belonging, Student Conduct/Community Standards, Career & Professional Development, Case Management, Disability Access, the Counseling Center, the Ken White Student Health Center, Campus Recreation/Bandy Gymnasium, and Title IX.
the Testing Center, and the Nest).
-Directs office assessment, strategic planning, and management operations, including reporting goals, serving on the strategic planning committee, and assist with gathering, dissecting, and analyzing data for campus accreditation, the Annual Report, Federal grants and various Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) initiatives (e.g. Excelencia).

Manages department operations (continued) -
-Participates in development of policies and procedures that concern student development, student health and well-being, and student safety.
-Maintains continuous evaluation of the economic feasibility of student services to ensure appropriate use of the variety of funding streams) used to support the Dean of Students¿ programs and services.
-Conducts monthly full-staff meetings and weekly or bi-weekly staff one-on-one meetings to ensure proper communication is funneled down and as transparent as possible.
-Serves as the designated representative for state, system, and campus committees (e.g. USG committees, DSCs Emergency Management Committee, the Quality Enhancement Plan Team, Administrative Cabinet, AOD Committee, Data Governance Committee, Roadrunner Scholars, and Excelencia)
-Lead Administrator in the Student Scholarship Portal known as AwardSpring, and advertising/marketing annual student scholarships from October to January, awarding scholarships (~240 and $365k), and communicating with students to ensure the transition is seamless from notifications to awards to Scholarship Day to funds being applied appropriately through Financial Aid and the Business Office.

Oversees and chairs the Campus Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (CARE) team - 25%
-Chairs the Campus CARE Team (a multidisciplinary Team) oversees the campus¿s institutional NaBITA membership, leading weekly meetings, handling all CARE referrals (System Administrator for student conduct software), rating students appropriately on the NaBITA Rubric, and following the CARE Outreach Protocol on every referral that is submitted to the CARE Team.
-Develops and facilitates an annual CARE Team Training for all members to ensure policies and procedures are clear and being followed promptly and correctly.
-Collaborates with faculty, staff, students, and campus administrators on incoming referrals (e.g., Public Safety, Counseling, Academic Advising, Student Conduct, Disability Access, etc.) to ensure both the campus¿ safety and the students safety.
-Documents meetings, findings, resources referred, and CARE team response to student needs.
-Serves as the Designated Point of Contact (DPOC) for Embark through the Fanning Institute at UGA. Embark Georgias goal is to increase college access and retention for youth who have experienced foster care or homelessness. Also, works with the Fanning Institute on ETV (Educational and Training Vouchers) and Financial Aid with SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant) Funding for students in need.

Administers Hardship Withdrawals, Re-Entry Meetings, Roadrunner Student Emergency Funding, and Exit Interviews - 15%
-Chairs and trains the Hardship Withdrawal Committee on referrals and decision making.
-Conducts re-entry meetings with students re-entering college after a hardship to ensure resources are put into place to reduce the recidivism rate of a hardship occurring again.
-Communicates hardships of students between their faculty, financial aid, the registrar and sometimes counseling to reduce the repetition of communication when it comes to discussing the past or current trauma for a student.
-Oversees the process of Roadrunner Emergency Funding, working closely with the VPSES, Financial Aid, the Registrar, the Business Office, and the Foundation to ensure financial resources are being provided to students in need.
-Follows up with students dropping out or stopping out of Dalton State College, in hope to provide resource and either retain them or encourage them to return once they are holistically ready.
-Analyzes, discusses, and distributes data to reduce recidivism and assist in retention.

Fiscal Responsibilities - 15%
-Responsible for overseeing fiscal management and strategic planning to ensure optimum resource utilization, maintain organizational financial stability, and uphold a strong financial position. With this comes managing multiple funding revenues such as Foundation Funds, Student Activity fees, Education & General Funding, and Grant Funding.
-Works directly with SGA and Student Engagement & Belonging to approve the Student Activity Fee revenue and expenditures (~$400,000) and indirectly oversees contracts, as necessary.
-Serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) on several mini grants that assist in student programming and/or student insecurities such as food insecurities and/or housing insecurities.
-Oversees the creation and execution of detailed grant tracking and reporting systems to ensure compliance and maximize the effectiveness of funding in advancing student engagement and support services.
-Builds and sustains relationships with external organizations and stakeholders that offer grant opportunities to enhance student engagement and support.

Performs a variety of related duties. - 10%
-Serves in the line of appeal for student conduct cases and adjudicates cases. Contributes to and directly serves on the Excelencia Inner-Team.
-Manages and approves all Free Speech and Public Forum Requests
-Assists in the planning and facilitation of major campus-wide programs, including Food for Finals, Week of Welcome, Homecoming, Student Leaders¿ Retreat, Student Government Association training, National Collegiate Day of Prayer, and Alcohol & Other Drug programming.
-Oversight of the operations of the Pope Student Center, including the Game Room, the Craft Room, the Veterans¿ Resource Room, and the Nest.
-Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements
-Masters degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in student personnel administration, educational leadership, counseling, or higher education or related field, or a combination of education and related work experience required.

Required Experience
-Experience managing people and/or programs with a primary focus on both student engagement and student wellbeing.
-A minimum of five years of progressive leadership experience in higher education with demonstrated results and increasing levels of responsibility in student success or a related area.
-Strong collaborative leadership style and a strategic and creative approach to issues.

Preferred Qualifications

Additional Preferred Qualifications
-Doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in student personnel administration, educational leadership, counseling, or higher education preferred.
-Experience at the Director level or higher is desirable.
-At least ten years of related experience.
-Experience with Banner 9
-Experience with CRMs, preferably Slate
-NaBITA, ATIXA, and Maxient Trained.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

ABILITIES
-Ability to work effectively with others.
-General understanding of grant objectives, responsibilities, and management

KNOWLEDGE
-Knowledge of Dalton State College and University System of Georgia policies, procedures, practices, requirements, and reporting structures.
-Knowledge of accreditation policies, procedures, practices, requirements, and reporting structures.
-Knowledge of related federal policies, procedures, regulations, and laws.
-Knowledge of best practices in the field of student services.
-Knowledge of student development theory.
-Knowledge of budget development and management principles.
-Knowledge of computers and job-related software programs.
-Knowledge of program assessment and management principles.
-Knowledgeable of the HIPAA, CDD Guidelines, ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, Student Code of Conduct, Title IX, VAWA, and the Jeanne Clery Act.
-Knowledgeable of HSI definition as defined in Title V of the Higher Education Act and the requirements of the Seal of Excelencia

SKILLS
-Skill in the delegation of responsibility and authority.
-Skill in collaborating with multiple constituents.
-Skill in the operation of computers and job-related software programs.
-Skill in decision making and problem solving.
-Skill in interpersonal relations and in dealing with the public.
-Skill in oral and written communication.

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Conditions of Employment

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with Dalton State College, as determined by Dalton State College in its sole discretion, confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. Applicants may be subject to a pre-employment drug test. Offers are made expressly subject to the applicable federal and state laws, to the statutes, rules and regulations of this institution and to the Bylaws and Policies of the Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Georgia (USG), which are available for your inspection upon request.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of Dalton State College (DSC). As a member of the University System of Georgia, we follow the Board of Regents' policy, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual's age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status ("protected status"). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any DSC program or activity because of the individual's protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual's protected status, except that preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.

All employment processes and decisions, including but not limited to hiring, promotion, and tenure, shall be free of ideological tests, affirmations, and oaths, including diversity statements. The basis and determining factor for all such decisions should be that the individual possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the role, and is believed to have the ability to successfully perform the essential functions, responsibilities, and duties associated with the position for which the individual is being considered. At the core of any such decision is ensuring the institution's ability to achieve its mission and strategic priorities in support of student success.

Dalton State College is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For questions or more detailed information regarding this policy, please contact Dalton State College's Office of Human Resources at 706-272-2034. Individuals requiring disability related accommodations for participation in any event or to obtain print materials in an alternative format, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 706-272-2034.

Other Information

This is a supervisory position.
This position has financial responsibilities.
This role is considered a position of trust.
This position may travel 1% - 24% of the time

Background Check

• Position of Trust + Credit