Job Opportunities > Residence Life Area Coordinator - McMaster University
Position: Residence Life Area Coordinator
Deadline: May 16, 2022
Job Description / Duties
Reporting to the Manager, Residence Life, this live-in position is responsible for leading the development of a safe and welcoming community in residence and supervising and administrating all residence life programs and activities in an assigned area housing 500 - 750 students. The Residence Life Area Coordinator(s) are members of a fourteen-member Residence Life Management Team who oversee all day-to-day as well as annual functions for residence students, student staff and volunteers. The Residence Life Area Coordinator(s) under the guidance of the Manager, Residence Life administer the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities and work closely with colleagues from the Student Support and Case Management Office in the administration and implementation of the code within residence. This position also works collaboratively with all other operational units within Housing & Conference Services in the areas of student staff selection, participation in consultation committees, room assignments, facility-related matters and will liaise with McMaster Security Services and other campus student service units, as required. The Residence Life Area Coordinator provides leadership in promoting an atmosphere that supports academic achievement and fosters responsible decision-making.
Accountabilities:
1. Supervision:
a. Directly supervises 14-23 student staff (Community Advisors). Conducts regular formal and informal performance evaluations and recommends disciplinary action/dismissal of student leaders to the Residence Life Management Team.
b. Assists in the recruitment, selection and training of 136 student staff.
c. Facilitates the creation of and manages a student staff coverage schedule for their assigned area.
d. Facilitates team building, individual and team goal setting through regular, individual and team meetings with student staff.
e. Provides guidance and direction to student staff regarding implementation of Welcome Week programming and the residence life curriculum and educational priorities.
f. Works cooperatively with the Residence Life Management Team to develop and deliver effective pre and in-service training programs for student staff.
2. Advising/Counseling:
a. Assists residents and student leaders to develop appropriate community behavioural standards within the parameters of the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities.
b. Ensure residents and student leaders are aware and understand the impact of university standards and policies related to their success in the residence system and at McMaster: Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities, Alcohol Policy, Risk Management Policy, etc.
c. Exercises considerable judgement in choosing/taking appropriate role to deal effectively with personal or residence issues through mediation, alternate dispute resolution, conflict resolution, disciplinary action, referral to campus student services, emergency medical care, etc.
3. Community Development:
a. Works to ensure the development and delivery of educational programs, including Welcome Week Orientation activities and the Residence Curriculum by student staff and leaders.
b. Serves as a resource and provides support/guidance to members of the First Year Council through regular meetings, reports and participation in event planning.
c. Ensures that student staff and council members work collaboratively to promote community development, collegiality and involvement opportunities.
d. Works collaboratively with other Residence Life Area Coordinators to evaluate programming initiatives and make recommendations for building positive communities.
e. Reviews and authorizes Risk Management/Event Planning Forms, and oversees alcohol policy adherence for their assigned area.
f. Participates in a 24-hour/7 day per week on-call schedule, which assists students in crisis and provides for follow-up, as required.
g. Contributes to departmental and university committees mandated to improve student success at McMaster.
4. Administration:
a. Assesses needs, develops realistic budget forecasts and directs funding priority projects under the supervision of the Manager, Residence Life.
b. Monitors hall program budgets and manages administrative procedures for staff.
c. Collects and maintains accurate and confidential records of student profiles, move-in/ move-out lists, room assignments, withdrawals, disciplinary action, etc.
d. Acts as the primary contact in their assigned area for Residence Facilities Team by assisting with regular hall inspections, receiving and reviewing all damage reports with team and student leaders, and monitoring general state of hall(s)/level of damages.
5. Student Conduct:
a. Works cooperatively with the Student Conduct and Case Management Office to develop and maintain appropriate community behavioural standards, and provide fair and consistent due process to students within the parameters of the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities.
b. Assumes appropriate judicial role in accordance with the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities.
c. Collects and maintains accurate records, and ensures confidentiality of all discipline-related matters in their assigned area: investigation notes, Incident Reports, probation contracts, etc.
6. Other related duties, as required.
Qualifications / Required Skills
Education: Educational experience requires a minimum of a university undergraduate degree.
Experience: Demonstrated supervisory skills in a residence environment for a minimum of two years.
Working knowledge and/or experience building team within a large and diverse community of students, student staff and professional staff.
Knowledge/Skills: Communication skills (listening, written and verbal), to effect positive student-staff relations, facilitation and negotiating skills, and presentation skills.
Interpersonal skills to effectively supervise student staff, provide necessary coaching and training, develop teamwork, provide constructive feedback, set clear expectations, monitor performance and recognize accomplishments.
Excellent judgement and decision-making skills to allow the assessment of needs, available resources and capabilities to resolve problems.
Additional Information
The University is committed to providing and maintaining healthy and safe working and learning environments for all workers, students, volunteers and visitors. Effective October 18, 2021, all McMaster community members, including employees, accessing a McMaster campus or facility in person are required to be fully vaccinated or to have received an exemption from the University for a valid human rights ground. This is a term and condition of employment. As defined by the provincial government, people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series. Vaccines approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization will be recognized. The University will continue to follow the guidance of public health organizations to define fully vaccinated.
Effective September 7 through to October 18, those employees who are not fully vaccinated will participate in rapid testing twice per week, pending assessment of a human rights exemption or being fully vaccinated. Processes for confidentially disclosing vaccination status, completing testing, and review of human rights exemptions have been developed and you will be advised further upon hire.
The vaccination requirement has been adopted as part of the University’s efforts to keep our community safe, and based on the evidence which is demonstrating that vaccination is one of the most significant measures that can be taken to protect student, staff, faculty and community members. Further information is available at the following link: https://covid19.mcmaster.ca/campus-health-safety/#tab-content-vaccination. More information on the University’s Health and Safety framework is available online at https://hr.mcmaster.ca/resources/covid19/.
Questions regarding the above requirements or any accommodation requests through the recruitment process can be directed to your human resources contact.
Employment Equity Statement
McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.
The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.
The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.
As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.
Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact:
Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or
Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or
School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679
to communicate accommodation needs.
Vaccination Policy Statement
The University is committed to providing and maintaining healthy and safe working and learning environments for all employees, students, volunteers and visitors. In accordance with the University’s Vaccination Policy-COVID-19 Requirements for Employees and Students (the “Vaccination Policy”), effective October 18, 2021 all McMaster community members, including employees, accessing a McMaster campus or facility in person are required to be fully vaccinated or to have received an exemption from the University for a valid human rights ground. This is a term and condition of employment. The University will continue to follow the guidance of public health organizations to define fully vaccinated status.
Further information is available at the following link: https://covid19.mcmaster.ca/vaccination-mandate/. More information on the University’s Health and Safety framework is available online at https://hr.mcmaster.ca/resources/covid19/.
Salary: $59874.00 - $83461.00 (annual)
Contact Information
hcshr@mcmaster.ca
Employer Profile
Housing and Conference Services (HCS) directly supports the University’s goal of advancing human and societal wellbeing and McMaster’s overriding vision of ‘educating for capability’. We provide a distinctive living and learning experience for students focused on key educational priorities including community development, personal growth and wellness, academic excellence, and inclusion.
HCS concurrently drives a positive McMaster experience for guests, alumni, staff, faculty and student by providing accommodation and event coordination, which meet the highest standards of service excellence. HCS is a proud and significant ancillary contributor to the financial health of the University and the core academic and research mission of McMaster.
HCS is poised to expand our capacity by 66% over the next 5 years. Moving from 4000 to 6500 bed spaces across 15 buildings. This expansion will diversify the housing operation dramatically, from a traditional focus on the housing needs of first year undergraduate students, to the introduction of upper year, graduate, and family housing, in addition to a constantly diversifying internal and external client base.
The annual budget for HCS is currently (pre-expansion) approximately $31 million and we employ 125 full-time and 250 part-time staff. HCS reports directly to both the divisions of Student Affairs and Administration.