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Job Description / Duties

I. Community Building, Management, and Support:
The RLC is a developmental mentor for residence students and student leaders (SCAs, CA’s and House Council) living in their specific residence. This means that they are the first step in a model of student care that provides wrap-around support for all students through collaboration with and referral to university supports and services. RLCs are expected to get to know the students living in their buildings. In doing so they will build early, positive relationships that create the foundation for student orientation and that will support students’ ongoing transition to university. They are also responsible for overseeing the development, organization, and implementation of programs and activities led by student leaders. The RLC is responsible for connecting with all students in meaningful ways and for fostering community connections that support student well-being. The RLC will:
• Build a positive and supportive work culture for the Residence Life Staff team.
• Know, demonstrate and consistently communicate Residence Community Living Standards among their residents to promote a welcoming, inclusive environment while ensuring community safety for all residents.
• Maintain regular visibility, availability, and approachability within their assigned residence to anticipate and respond to student needs and issues.
• Use early alert/needs assessment data to proactively assess and address student needs in concordance with Residence Outreach Standards (under development)
• Provide residents with information and assistance for personal, academic, or related concerns and make appropriate referrals. Provide ongoing monitoring and support.
• Regularly share information above and below your role to provide support and effectively manage the residence community. This is especially important when the health and/or safety of an individual or the community may be at risk.
• Intervene to address conflict, critical incidents or behavioural challenges within the community. Intervene as appropriate to restore the community or address needs. Take proactive measures that promote a culture of accountability to mitigate future behavioral issues
• Communicate important residence and/or campus-wide updates to students and your team of student leaders in a, consistent and timely manner.
• Mentor and offer advice to your team of student leaders to support their skill development.
• Coach your team of student leaders to develop strong interpersonal and communication skills such as supporting or modelling constructive conversations with students (or each other) regarding community management and development.

II. Residence Leadership & Student Development
The RLC is responsible for the overall student development in residence. This is done in part by providing developmental mentorship for staff and students but also through student leadership and engagement opportunities in residence. This commonly looks like events and activities run by the residence team as well as the building’s House Council. The RLC will:
• Provide high level guidance, feedback, and mentorship to their residence building’s House Council.
• Encourage students to engage and participate in residence programs and events, particularly with the residence curriculum.
• Work with the Residence Staff and House Council to continually create innovative opportunities for student engagement and leadership.


III. Community Safety and Emergency On-Call
The RLC is expected to work within the residences to uphold safety as per the Residence Community Living Standards and the StFX Code of Conduct. To do this effectively, the RLC will build a foundation of positive relationships early in their students’ interactions with StFX. This means connecting with students' pre-arrival and especially during the first month, allowing them to get to know their students well, to address issues early in the year and to respond to a range of diverse student needs. Participating in a 24/7 emergency on-call rotation is one of the RLC’s responsibilities, working with the Residence Life Staff teams on in-nights to promote safety on busy nights (ex. Two Years Eve, Homecoming, Orientation Week, House Hockey Cups). Overall, the RLC On-Call provides after-hours support for Residence Staff and responds to emergency situations. The RLC will:
• Participate in a 24/7 emergency on-call rotation divided equally between the RLC team.
• Throughout the first term, especially the first 8 weeks, be present and engaged within the building, focusing on creating connections with students and mentoring Residence Life Staff in appropriate response protocols.
• Inform the Manager, Residences of any situations in residence that are difficult to manage, expose risk to the residence community &/or University or where incidents have the possibility to escalate.
• Never consume or be under the influence of alcohol or other substances during your scheduled on-call shift.
• Address and document incidents of potential violations of residence or university policies, including the StFX Community Code of Conduct, Residence Contract, Residence Community Living Standards, the Sexual Violence Response Policy, ;etc.
• Complete all documentation and reports in a timely manner.
• RLCs rotate on-call participation over the December holidays. Scheduling and participation in holiday duty to be decided upon with the team and the Manager, Residences Life.

IV. Training, Team and Administrative Duties
At StFX we view training as a significant opportunity to not only build the skills of our staff but to set a positive energy and tone for the full residence community, founded upon a positive team culture. The RLC is expected to be a champion for strong team development and to provide leadership during all training times, which include specific training before and during the academic year, as well as professional development that may occur during weekly team meetings.
• Foster a high-performance team with a culture of consistency, communication, and support by encouraging collaboration, idea sharing, team building, and a positive work environment in the residence. Monitors adherence to Residence Outreach, Program and Community Standards and performance of residence staff and volunteers (e.g. House Council) in accordance with those standards.
• Aids in the development and delivery of fall training followed by a booster at the end of September and early January.
• Schedules and facilities weekly Residence Life Staff team meeting. Views weekly team meetings as an opportunity for information dissemination and staff development.
• Facilitate regular 1:1 meetings with their SCAs scheduled weekly;
• Facilitate regular 1:1 meetings with members of their CA team scheduled monthly;
• Connect with Residence staff on any issues, concerns or events impacting team dynamics and complete the appropriate follow-up and documentation.
• Assist with the organization, preparation and delivery of programs and services related to Residence Move-In/Move-Out/ Residence Orientation;
• Maintain a consistent presence during all designated Residence Move-In/Move-Out Residence Orientation days as scheduled by University Housing; and,
• Complete administrative tasks including e-mail response, end of night reports, occurrence reports, Student Interaction Reports, Facilities Management (FM) requests, weekly log reviews, and resident of concern documentation in a detailed and timely manner as directed by the Manager, Residences.

Qualifications / Required Skills

• Have a minimum bachelor’s degree with at least 2 years of residence living experience or related community living experience.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a high degree of approachability and empathy.
• Excellent intercultural communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work positively in diverse communities.
• Understanding the importance of community engagement and accountability.
• Have valid certification in Emergency First Aid Training with CPR/AED Level C or higher for the duration of the contract.
• Mental Health First Aid training and experiencing addressing mental health crisis’ considered an asset.
• Must obtain an up-to-date criminal record check.
• Demonstrated leadership, mentorship and coaching skills.
• Excellent communication and good judgement under pressure.

Additional Information

This position is in salary Band C ($44,831 – 54,762) and includes subsidization of a furnished residential suite that provides a private kitchen, bath, 1 bedroom, living space, access to free laundry and parking. Part of what makes this role exciting is the vibrancy of living on campus. You will not only be part of your building’s community, but also that of the University and of Antigonish. Antigonish County is an outdoor haven where others come to vacation; and StFX is centrally located to enjoy activities in every season.
Other benefits include:
• Meal Plan which includes 5 meals a week to be used during the academic year plus $2000 in Declining Cash Balance that can be used all year long. RLCs are encouraged to eat in the meal hall as a way to remain connected with students.
• Due to the live in nature of the role pets will be considered on a case-by-case basis and approved by the Manager, Residences.
• Free parking on campus (A $300 value)
• StFX Athletics pass granting the RLCs access to ticketed sporting events.
• Subsidized membership to all StFX Athletics and Recreation facilities including the Saputo Centre pool and the state-of-the-art Keating Centre.

Salary: Band C ($44,831-54,762)

Contact Information

Please reach out to our HR Department (email listed below) for a more in-depth job description and further details on benefits.

Deadline for applications is May 15, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. To express interest in this role, please direct your application in confidence to:

Human Resources
St. Francis Xavier University
Email: careers@stfx.ca

Employer Profile

St. Francis Xavier University is a top-ranking Canadian university seeking multiple Residence Life Coordinators to join our team. The Residence Life Coordinator (RLC) is an integral part of Residence Life at St. Francis Xavier University, where you will enjoy living in a vibrant community on Nova Scotia’s beautiful East Coast. StFX is known for a highly engaged student experience. Through proactive and developmental mentorship, the RLC is ideally positioned to create a positive impact on this significant transitional period in students’ lives. With over half of the undergraduate student population living in residence, wholistic student development and engagement are key features of the StFX residence experience.