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Job Description / Duties

Positions Available:
Our Don Team at King’s is made up of Junior Dons and Dons. The basic qualifications for each position are outlined below.

Don (Part-Time)
A young professional or graduate student. If completed their undergraduate program at King’s, preferably someone who has at least one academic year between graduation and the start date of this position (August 2022).

Junior Don (Part-Time)
A current, upper-year King’s student, or a recent graduate within the previous year.

The position descriptions and responsibilities are the same for both positions and are outlined below. The difference is Junior Dons will typically be responsible for smaller-sized communities.

General Description:

Dons are community leaders and role models who provide mentorship and support to the King’s residence community. Dons report to the Assistant Dean of Residence Life and work closely with the Programming & Engagement Coordinator who is also a member of the Don Team. Together, they make up the Residence Life team. The Residence Life team works together to achieve the overall mission and vision of Residence Life at King’s.

The Don position requires a high degree of creativity, passion, reliability, on-campus presence, dedication, and flexibility. Dons are an integral component of residence life at King’s and are largely responsible for delivering a friendly, safe, inclusive, and supportive residence experience. Dons are expected to motivate their students to get involved in campus life and help foster an environment where students can build relationships with one another.

Key Responsibilities:

Support & Mentorship:
Support approximately twenty to thirty-five (20-35) students who live with them on their floor or Bay.
Mentor the community by providing guidance, feedback, and support for a broad range of student experiences.
Direct students to appropriate resources for personal and academic support.
Provide regular engagement and support to their community through various means.
Support students who are feeling unwell, including those self-isolating with Covid-19, by helping with meal delivery and providing check-ins as needed.

Community Building & Programming:
Organize both social and educational programming to welcome students into the King’s community the promote belonging.
Foster friendship and relationship building by helping students integrate their intellectual life with community life through residence programming.
Cultivate a sense of belonging for students of diverse cultures, worldviews, and experiences.
Develop and deliver programming that reflects their community’s own intellectual, social, artistic, and athletic interests while also responding to their students’ emerging needs.

Education:
Educate their community on the general guidelines and standards of living, as set by the King’s College Code of Conduct and Residence Guidelines.
Inform students of the various supports and resources available to them at King’s.
Support and advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within the residence community.

On-Call Coverage:
Participate evenly in a rotational on-call schedule that provides evening and overnight support to the residence community (approximately four (4) days a month).
Provide peer support and emergency/crisis response as needed.
Deliver meals to a collection point (appropriate PPE will be provided as necessary).

Administrative:
Complete administrative tasks like incident reports, programming proposals, surveys, and more as needed.
Support the operations of Residence Life & Housing in the lead-up to Don Team training,move-in, orientation, and the opening of residence.
Act as a liaison between residence students and Residence Life, Housing & Facilities Management.
Perform other administrative duties as assigned to support Residence Life throughout the duration of the contract.

Qualifications / Required Skills

Dons will typically be graduate students or young professionals, and junior dons will be mature, upper-year students or recent graduates of an undergraduate program.

Additional experience and skills needed to thrive in this position include:

Peer Support
Interpersonal Skills
Motivational Skills
Commitment to Community Development
Event Planning & Facilitation
Open-Mindedness
Flexible Communication Skills
Problem Solving & Resourcefulness Skills
Honesty & Integrity
Eagerness to Learn

Experience and skills in Mental Health Support, Anti-Oppression, Equity Building, and Sexual Violence Prevention Training is considered an asset.

Dons must possess the ability to provide a satisfactory Canadian Police Information Check (CPIC) and Vulnerable Sector Check. Dons will also be required to be trained in Emergency First Aid & Heart Saver “A” CPR. Emergency First Aid Training will be provided during training in August 2022.

Employment Equity Statement:

The University of King’s College is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. We encourage and welcome applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons with a disability, racialized persons, including persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, persons who are neurodivergent, folks from rural communities (especially rural Atlantic Canada), and all candidates who would contribute to the diversification of our community.

Our goal is to have a diverse Don Team that represents the lived experiences and worldviews of our student population. If you are a member of one of these groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

Additional Information

Duration of Assignment:

The appointment will formally commence on August 15, 2022. The Don training program is scheduled for August 18-26, 2022, and August 29-31 (subject to change with notice). Dons are expected to be fully moved-in to their accommodations prior to the training start date. Dons are required to pay a $300 damage deposit before receiving their keys and moving into their rooms/suites.

Remuneration:

Remuneration for the Don position is comprised of taxable benefits and stipends worth an approximate total of $12,500 per academic year.

TAXABLE BENEFITS:
The remuneration is accommodation in a suite of rooms for the duration of the contract. This is a taxable benefit valued at approximately $8,000.

Dons are also expected to take meals in Prince Hall (dining hall) regularly. Dons have the option of choosing either a 14 meal per week or a ten meal per week meal plan. This is a taxable benefit, valued at approximately $3,200 to $3,500.

Dons can upgrade their meal plan and can pay the difference between the 14-meal plan and their chosen meal plan at their own expense.

STIPEND

Dons also receive a $500 stipend per term ($1000 total) as remuneration for on-call shifts

Application Process
Interested candidates can apply for this opportunity by completing our online application form. The application deadline for this position is April 4 at 11:59 p.m.

Find the link to our online application by visiting our webiste:
https://ukings.ca/campus-community/employment/residence-dons-2/

Salary: Approximately $12,500 in taxable benefits & stipends

Contact Information

Ashley Nixon (they/them), Assistant Dean of Residence Life
Ashley.Nixon@ukings.ca

Employer Profile

Residence Life at King’s:

Residence Life creates an inclusive and vibrant community where students grow and develop to flourish in and out of the classroom. Through our residence community, students have a sense of belonging where they learn to live with, learn from, and take care of others, as well as themselves.