The Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs for Resilience, Wellbeing & Life Skills reports to the Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs, the Assistant Dean develops and implements proactive programs and initiatives that empower students to build life skills, confidence, and resilience necessary to thrive at Suffolk University and beyond.
The Assistant Dean will develop, and lead initiatives focused on holistic wellbeing and personal development, including mental and emotional wellbeing, healthy relationships, stress management, self-care, resilience, financial wellbeing, communication, decision-making, self-advocacy, time management, conflict resolution, and navigating transitions and setbacks. The position works collaboratively across the division and University to integrate wellness and life skills into the student experience.
The Assistant Dean also provides support to the Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs on complex student matters and collaborates with CARE, Community Standards, and other campus partners when students require additional support or intervention. Additionally, this role may supervise graduate fellows and student workers.
Essential Responsibilities:Resilience, Wellbeing & Life Skills
- Provide strategic leadership for undergraduate resilience, wellbeing, and life skills initiatives.
- Develop and implement engaging, accessible, and developmentally appropriate programs, workshops, campaigns, and resources that promote holistic student wellbeing.
- Develop and/or partner with campus partners on initiatives focused on areas including:
- Mental and emotional wellbeing
- Resilience and navigating setbacks
- Stress management and self-care
- Healthy relationships and boundaries
- Communication and conflict resolution
- Time management and organization
- Goal setting and decision-making
- Financial wellbeing and practical life skills
- Self-advocacy and help-seeking
- Healthy habits, sleep, and physical wellbeing
- Transition, independence, and personal growth
- Create opportunities for students to develop and practice skills that support personal, academic, and lifelong success.
- Promote a culture, especially with First Year and Residential students that normalizes help-seeking and encourages students to take an active role in their own wellbeing.
- Incorporate student development, positive psychology, resilience, strengths-based, and health promotion principles into programming.
Student Development & Campus Partnerships
- Collaborate with Counseling, Residence Life and Housing, Orientation, Student Leadership & Involvement, Athletics, Disability Services, Academic Affairs, Law/Graduate Student Affairs, and other campus partners to integrate wellbeing and life skills throughout the student experience.
- Develop programming that meets students at different stages of their educational experience, from transition to college through preparation for life after graduation and beyond.
- Partner with students and student leaders to identify emerging needs and develop relevant wellness and life skills initiatives.
- Facilitate workshops, presentations, trainings, and conversations for students, faculty, and staff.
- Serve as a visible and accessible resource for undergraduate students and a thought partner to campus colleagues on issues related to student wellbeing and development.
Assessment & Innovation
- Establish goals, learning outcomes, and assessment strategies for wellness and life skills initiatives.
- Use student feedback, institutional data, and emerging research to identify needs and evaluate program effectiveness.
- Identify emerging trends affecting student wellbeing and develop proactive, innovative, and sustainable responses.
- Continuously evaluate and refine programs to ensure they are inclusive, culturally responsive, accessible, and relevant to Suffolk's diverse student population.
Student Support
- Serve as a senior resource for students navigating significant personal, academic, behavioral, or wellbeing challenges.
- Provide strengths-based guidance and help students identify strategies, resources, and next steps for navigating challenges.
- Collaborate with the CARE Team and appropriate campus partners to coordinate support for students experiencing complex concerns.
- Assist the Dean with crisis response and other complex student matters as needed.
- Serve as backup to the Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs in supporting the Director on Call afterhours.
Community Standards
- Support educational and developmental approaches to student conduct, including opportunities for reflection, accountability, restorative practices, and skill development.
- Serve as a conduct administrator, hearing officer, investigator, appeals officer, or other designated role as needed.
Leadership & Divisional Responsibilities
- Serve as a member of the Student Affairs leadership team.
- Assist with divisional strategic initiatives, planning, policy development, and institutional priorities.
- Participate in University committees and initiatives related to student wellbeing, success, and development.
- Support major University programs and events, including Orientation, Welcome Week, Suffolk Weekend, and other student-centered initiatives.
- Maintain current knowledge of best practices in college student wellbeing, health promotion, resilience, student development, and higher education.
- Support the University's commitment to equity, inclusion, belonging, and culturally responsive student support.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications- Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, social work, public health, psychology, education, or a related field.
- Progressively responsible experience in higher education, student affairs, health promotion, wellness, student development, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience developing and implementing wellness, wellbeing, resilience, life skills, or student development programs.
- Strong understanding of the developmental needs of college students and emerging adults.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships across an institution.
- Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills.
- Commitment to holistic student wellbeing, student success, and inclusive student development.
- Availability to work occasional weekend/off-business hours in an effort to engage the community and/or respond to student crisis.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience developing comprehensive college student wellness or resilience initiatives.
- Experience with health promotion, wellbeing education, peer education, or life skills programming.
- Experience using assessment and data to inform program development.
- Experience supporting students through complex or challenging circumstances.
- Experience with strengths-based, restorative, or developmental approaches to student support.
- Knowledge of current research and best practices related to college student wellbeing, resilience, and emerging adulthood.
The salary range for this role is $78,750 - $131,250.
Salary TransparencySuffolk University provides salary ranges as a good faith estimate of what it reasonably expects to pay for a role at the time the position is posted. The actual salary offered to the selected candidate will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to, the position's scope and responsibilities, the candidate's experience, education, training, and applicable legal requirements. The listed pay range reflects base salary only and does not include additional benefits or compensation.
