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Job Description / Duties

Dalhousie University is seeking an Assistant Vice-Provost, Campus Living and Student Well-being (AVP). As a senior member of the Student Affairs’ leadership team, this is an opportunity to have impact by providing strategic leadership on the development and implementation of institutional policies, programs, services and resources related to living and learning communities in housing, student wellness, conduct, conflict resolution, and crisis/incident management. The incumbent will be committed to deeply embedding anti-oppression and trauma-informed practice principles in their work.  


Reporting to the Vice-Provost Student Affairs, the AVP will offer strategic leadership and serve as a subject matter expert related to campus living and learning communities, student wellness, and student conduct initiatives within the division and for the institution broadly. The AVP will provide leadership to the Student Health and Wellness, Residence Life, and Student Conduct units. With strong expertise in restorative justice approaches, and socially just approaches to managing conflict and conduct, the AVP will be intentional in addressing responsive and relevant programs to meet the living and wellness needs of historically excluded/underrepresented and underserved student populations. The AVP will work closely and collaboratively with other members of the Student Affairs’ senior leadership team, with administrative and academic leads across the university, and with faculty, staff, and students to accomplish holistic and intersectional campus living and student well-being initiatives. 
 

Other key responsibilities include: 

Establish rich campus living and learning communities in residences that foster community, a sense of place, and identity among students living in residence 

Provide strategic leadership and coaching to the student conduct team, and oversight of the administration of the Code of Student Conduct, integrating restorative justice and student learning and development focused practices in efforts to resolve conflict and manage conduct on campus 

Champion whole of institution campus community and student well-being strategies and build strong relationships and actively partner with key institutional partners 

Lead coordinated and effective responses to serious student crisis situations, campus incidents, and elevated student conduct issues, with a focus on restorative justice, anti-oppressive and trauma-informed de-escalation strategies that promote accountability, learning and repair individual and community harm 

Foster accessible, responsive and inclusive campus living, and residence life, and student health and wellness programs through universal programming benefitting all students, in addition to targeted, proportionate resources designed to enhance access to campus living and responsively promote well-being among historically excluded/underrepresented and underserved student populations 

The ideal candidate is a strategic leader with the proven ability to develop a clear vision; initiate, implement and manage change; and engage people at all levels. An active collaborator who builds strong relationships to achieve measurable goals and targets, they are able to work productively with others to initiate and contribute to creative problem solving and conflict resolution. The ideal candidate exercises sound judgement and decision-making and employs a learner-focused and student-focused approach in all that they do.  

 
Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. In keeping with the university’s Employment Equity Policy, qualified self-identified candidates from equity-deserving groups will be given preference through the selection process. The university strongly encourages applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. For more information, please visit www.dal.ca/hiringfordiversity. 

Qualifications / Required Skills

Required Qualifications 

graduate level education in a field related to health and human behaviour, student affairs, or education alongside progressive leadership experience in residence life, student health and wellness, and student conduct/crisis management (or a relevant combination thereof) 

demonstrated experience dealing with crisis and conflict management and handling sensitive issues while maintaining confidentiality 

experienced people leader who can manage performance and results and foster development through coaching, support, and capacity building approaches 

proven leadership competence in equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility and strong intercultural and social justice competency as well as expertise in anti-oppressive and trauma-informed practices 

strong written and oral communication skills  

exceptional organizational and time management skills  

 

Additional Information

Assets 

deep appreciation for and understanding of experiences with oppression, marginalization, and systemic barriers to inclusion as a result of any combination of the below:  

identifying as a member of an equity-deserving group  

holding lived experience as a former youth-in-care 

experiencing developmental vulnerability associated with adverse childhood experiences 

lived experience as an asylum-seeker, refugee, and/or other person who has been forcibly displaced due to persecution, violence, conflict, human rights violations; political instability, weak governance, and/or state repression; natural hazards, disasters and/or human-made environmental crises 

experience in developing outcomes-based assessment plans, establishing performance indicators, and facilitating strategic and operational reporting  

experience leading within a unionized environment 

knowledge of relevant university policies and procedures as well as applicable legislation 

experience working, living, and leading within a campus living environment or other setting requiring strong community building, conduct, and crisis management 

demonstrated knowledge of dealing with legal and human rights challenges in a post-secondary environment 

knowledge of and ability to apply current practices in student development theory when developing and modifying policies and practices 

Job Competencies 

Thinking and Acting Strategically  

Change & Innovation 

Respect & Inclusion 

Relationship Building 

Resource and Process Management 

Accountability for Performance and Results 

Contact Information

To express interest in this opportunity, please submit your application through https://dal.peopleadmin.ca/postings/12246 by January 24, 2023. 
 

For more information and to review the candidate brief, please contact Emma Spence Wach, Executive Recruitment Advisor or Laura Godsoe, Director of Executive Recruitment and Employment Equity at exec.search@dal.ca.  

Employer Profile

Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.