The Assistant Vice President for Student Experience serves as a pivotal leader in fostering a thriving, inclusive campus community at Emerson College. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs, the AVP for Student Experience oversees key areas including but not limited to Student Engagement and Leadership, Intercultural Student Affairs, Center for Spiritual Life, Student Transition and Family Programs, and Emersion: Foundations for Success, that enhance the co-curricular student experience and ensures alignment between institutional values and student-centered initiatives.

As a cornerstone of student engagement, AVP for Student Experience is deeply committed to developing innovative programs, cultivating a sense of belonging, and championing community, culture, and belonging. This position necessitates adaptability, flexibility, and a dedication to enhancing the student experience in a dynamic and evolving environment. The AVP for Student Experience works collaboratively across the institution to ensure alignment between academic and co-curricular initiatives, promoting student success and belonging. The AVP role requires a visible, engaged presence on campus, providing strategic leadership, active collaboration, and meaningful support for students and staff.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

Leadership and Supervision

• Provide leadership and direction to ensure alignment of departmental objectives with divisional and institutional priorities.

• Develop and implement comprehensive professional development plans for directors and their teams to enhance skills, promote growth, and cultivate innovation.

• Facilitate regular retreats, workshops, and team-building exercises to strengthen collaboration and shared purpose.

• Incorporate inclusive practices to promote student success as it relates to the work done within assigned areas.

Student Experience

• Develop, implement, and assess co-curricular programs that enhance the student experience and promote personal growth and development, complementing the academic curricula.

• Support the planning and execution of new student orientation, ensuring a seamless transition to Emerson College for incoming students.

• Attend and participate in student-led events, leadership programs, and campus traditions to build relationships and enhance the visibility of the Division of Student Affairs.

• Actively seek and respond to feedback from students to improve programs, services, and overall campus life

• Strengthen the role of student organizations as leadership incubators by enhancing training, funding structures, and recognition programs to support student leaders in developing impactful and sustainable initiatives.

• Expand opportunities for students to shape campus culture by facilitating meaningful engagement with governance structures, advisory boards, and leadership development programs.

• Lead cross-departmental initiatives to ensure seamless integration of student engagement, leadership development, identity-based programming, and student transitions.

• Establish mechanisms for continuous student feedback, ensuring co-curricular programs, services, and policies evolve in response to student needs, emerging trends, and campus climate considerations.

• Support crisis response and institutional resilience planning, ensuring divisional readiness for addressing student concerns, campus climate issues, and broader societal challenges.

Community, Culture, and Belonging

• Model and lead advocate for inclusive leadership practices, ensuring accessibility, and belonging are embedded into department initiatives and decision-making.

• Coordinate with the Division of Community, Culture, and Belonging and other campus partners, providing and promoting opportunities for the ongoing development of cultural competence among divisional staff.

• Ensure campus-wide collaboration on holistic student support, working with mental health services, student organizations and academic affairs to provide a comprehensive approach to well-being.

• Partner with campus stakeholders to identify and develop ways to address systemic inequities and create opportunities for student voices to inform institutional progress.

Spiritual and Holistic Support

• Develop and support initiatives that foster interfaith dialogue and understanding, creating spaces where students from diverse backgrounds can engage in meaningful conversations and build connections.

• Guide the development and implementation of programs and resources that address the holistic needs of students, faculty, and staff.

StudentTransition and Family Engagement

• Guide staff in developing and assessing orientation, first-year experience, transfer student support, and other transition programs to foster student success and belonging.

• Enhance communication and engagement with families to foster a strong sense of connection, support, and partnership throughout a student’s Emerson experience.

• Strengthen collaboration between Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Enrollment Management by establishing structured communication channels, co-developing transition programs, and aligning outreach efforts to create a seamless student experience. This includes regular strategy meetings, supporting recruitment, yield, and retention efforts, joint orientation initiatives, and coordinated family engagement efforts, while also ensuring data-sharing across divisions to track student transition trends and implement evidence-based improvements.

Collaboration and Campus Integration

• Lead efforts to integrate and improve co-curricular learning with the academic mission by serving on institutional committees, fostering partnerships with faculty, academic departments, and campus offices to ensure student engagement initiatives complement classroom learning.

• Develop and oversee special initiatives that enhance campus culture and climate, such as targeted support programs, projects, or retention-focused interventions.

• Lead Student Affairs collaboration on institutional efforts that support the full student lifecycle, from recruitment and admission through orientation, the first-year experience, continued engagement, persistence, and commencement, ensuring that student-facing programs and transitions are coordinated, intentional, and aligned with institutional priorities.

• Serve as the Student Affairs lead for commencement and graduation-related planning, coordinating divisional participation, student and family -facing logistics, student support needs, and cross-campus collaboration to ensure a meaningful, organized, and student-centered celebration of graduates.

• Serve as a senior institutional representative at key student-facing events and initiatives, ensuring a visible leadership presence that reinforces institutional priorities and strengthens student connections to the college.

• Serve as a strategic partner and collaborator between the Boston campus, Emerson Los Angeles, Kasteel Well, and Emerson’s global partners by enhancing communication, aligning student support services, creating joint programming, and improving transitions between locations to ensure a cohesive student experience.

Assessment and Strategic Planning

• Play a central role in assessing and shaping divisional strategic planning efforts, contributing to long-term visioning, goal-setting, and the alignment of student affairs initiatives with Emerson’s broader institutional mission.

• Prepare and present reports on student engagement and program effectiveness, providing insights and recommendations to senior leadership to enhance student success initiatives.

Special Projects and Initiatives:

• Lead high-impact divisional and institutional initiatives that enhance student engagement, belonging, and success, ensuring alignment with Emerson’s mission and strategic priorities.

• Develop and implement innovative programs that address emerging student needs, enhance campus culture, and strengthen the co-curricular experience.

• Serve as a senior leader on key institutional committees, task forces, and working groups, representing Student Affairs and advocating for student-centered policies and practices.

• Drive cross-campus collaboration on special initiatives, partnering with academic affairs, enrollment management, alumni relations, and external stakeholders to create meaningful opportunities for students.

QUALIFICATIONS – Qualifications are deemed required or preferred and represent what is needed to effectively perform job.

• Master’s degree in higher education administration, student affairs, or a related field required

• Minimum 10-12 years of progressive leadership experience in Student Affairs or a related area required

• Experience designing and implementing co-curricular programs, including orientation and student leadership development required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES – May be representative, but not all-inclusive, of those knowledge, skills, and abilities commonly associated with the job. 

• Demonstrated success in supervising professional staff and leading diverse teams.

• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Familiarity with transition programming, family engagement, and campus-wide event planning.

• Knowledge of best practices in intercultural and spiritual life programming.

• Proven ability to lead and inspire teams in achieving shared goals.

• Strong project management and organizational skills.

• In-depth knowledge of student development theory and co-curricular programming best practices.

• Ability to create dynamic and inclusive student experiences that promote learning and growth.

• Strong ability to build relationships across diverse communities.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to think strategically and align initiatives with institutional goals.

• Proficiency in using assessment data to inform decisions and improve programs.

• Deep understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and their application in student affairs.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES – Activities commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Requires ability to lift and move objects that are light

• Requires ability to move materials occasionally

• Be available as an essential campus resource during evenings, weekends, or emergencies, providing leadership and guidance to students and staff during crises

WORK ENVIRONMENT – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

• Usual Office Conditions

Disclaimer: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.  Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws.  Certain job duties described herein may be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

Compensation: $151,650.00 - $193,400.00 annually, commensurate with experience.Grade of Position: 23-15E

Employment Category: Regular

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Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36.25

Division of Student Affairs

In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week. 

Emerson Employment Categories influence work schedules, benefits eligibility, and time off policies. Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits, such as life and disability coverage and commuter offerings, are available.

Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.