General Statement of Duties: The Director will provide visionary leadership for the student’s Center for Diversity and Inclusiveness, whose mission is to cultivate a safe space and a sense of belonging for the Fitchburg State University community through education and partnerships while respecting all cultures, perspectives and experiences. The Director’s work will help support the attraction, recruitment, retention, academic and professional development of underrepresented student populations including, but not limited to, BIPOC students, first generation students, and LGBTQIA+ students. The Director will lead the collaborative effort to provide a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment committed to the success of all of our students and a shared sense of belonging. This position will create programming, educational opportunities, and services that address diversity initiatives and topics affecting the student body and will cultivate, support, and work in close partnership with colleagues across student facing offices.
Will work to enhance the student experience as it relates to matters of identity-based support & development, leadership development, education and co-curricular engagement and infuse diversity, equity and inclusion principles into co-curricular and student life experiences. Will collaborate with other university staff, faculty, and offices to develop and implement programs that promote students' development of intercultural competence, organize programs that promote the social, cultural, and educational development of students and that increases students' capacity for critical thought around issues of diversity and inclusion, as well as their ability to engage across difference and create inclusive spaces in their immediate environment.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Create an environment on campus that supports critical dialogue and learning equity-focused topics such as the various forms of biases that impede the creation of a truly inclusive community, social justice, micro aggressions, and anti-oppression.
Advise and advocate for underrepresented students and/or students who are marginalized due to sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, age, gender identity and expression, ability, sexual orientation, marital status, etc.
Produce and collaborate with key constituents across campus on the development of programs, workshops, and training such as but not limited to:
Student-focused and campus-wide programs that promote social justice and awareness, including diversity and belonging.
Ongoing opportunities for training and professional development for student leaders to build a more inclusive campus community.
Bringing minority-based student groups together in meaningful ways.
Envision, develop and implement University-sponsored programs that celebrate diversity, such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Native American Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, and LGBTQ History Month.
Develop and implement assessment tools to evaluate key programmatic initiatives and other markers of success.
Provide internal and external tracking, analysis and reporting of diversity data.
Advise individual students on issues related to students' identity and cultural background, helping to address challenges and biases that might inhibit student development and their ability to participate equally and fully in the university community.
Meet individually and in groups with students on matters related to diversity, equity and belonging.
Collaborate to ensure that university-wide programs use a diversity, equity, and belonging lens, such as new student orientation.
Assist with efforts to dismantle systemic oppression such as but not limited to:
Assist departments in their review of policies, procedures, and protocols with a diversity, equity, and belonging lens to reduce unintentional bias.
Increase diverse student funding by supporting University Advancement, Admissions other related efforts for internal scholarship generation.
Serve on committees and working groups focused on diversity, equity and inclusion as requested, such as but not limited to Leading for Change and/or the Student Affairs Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Committee. Conduct climate and other related surveys. Support related initiatives.
Responsible for the departmental budget process, requisitions, JP Morgan card, etc.
Complete other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
A Master’s degree in higher education/student affairs; diversity, equity and inclusion; or related field is required; Doctorate preferred.
Six to ten years of direct or related experience including but not limited to working in higher education, student leadership, or related field; prior experience working in diversity or multicultural affairs and supporting students from marginalized communities.
Knowledge of tenets of diversity, equity, and inclusion work and social justice education and the ability to appropriately and effectively understand and adapt to cultural difference within a group environment.
Prior experience envisioning, developing, and providing student or employee programming, support and resources focused on identities, diversity, equity and inclusion/belonging with the goal of creating an environment that allows for inclusion and effective intercultural engagement.
Ability to lead and to collaborate, to plan strategically, and to interact effectively with a diverse range of individuals and groups.
Excellent communication (oral and written) skills required, ability to effectively engage and present to a wide variety of constituents, both internally and externally.
The ability to work evening and weekends as needed for effective program administration.
Ability to perform above duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
Must be able to satisfactorily pass a check conducted by the Criminal History Systems Board (CORI) as well as a completed background check satisfactory to the university.
About Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg State University, located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, is a public institution dedicated to integrating high-quality professional programs with strong liberal arts and sciences studies. Founded in 1894, the university now has more than 30 undergraduate programs and 22 master's degree programs, and 7,000 full and part-time students.
