Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Dean, Student Belonging & Wellbeing

Class: Management | Exempt status: Exempt | Grade: O

The Dean of Student Belonging & Wellbeing serves as the College’s leader for ensuring access, opportunity and belonging for the College’s diverse student body. The position provides College-wide strategic and operational oversight of services and programming that aim to mitigate and/or eliminate barriers to student success, including racial justice/equity programming, counseling, community resources and referral, integrated benefits access, and support for survivors of interpersonal violence. The position oversees a division that includes identity-based resource and support services centers. The incumbent partners closely with the Office for Equity and Inclusion and community-based organizations and agencies to establish networks of support for student populations. This position also works closely with Academic Affairs and other Student Affairs leaders to elevate racially and culturally inclusive and responsive instructional and student support services that positively impact equitable student success.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provides College-wide strategic and operational leadership and accountability for integrated retention programming and services designed to establish a climate of belonging and wellbeing for the College’s diverse student body.
2. Ensures culturally responsive and inclusive operations that center on historically underserved and marginalized communities; accountable for flexible service delivery modalities that support access, opportunity, belonging and equitable student outcomes.
3. In partnership with the Office for Equity and Inclusion, develops, executes and measures the impact of a College-wide student equity and success action plan that focuses on equitable access, retention and completion outcomes through mitigating and/or eliminating barriers to education for underserved and historically marginalized student populations. Conducts ongoing needs assessment and gap analysis to identify and forecast student belonging, wellbeing, and equity programming needs; directs modification of programming for continuous process and outcome improvement.
4. Creates and maintains collaborative and productive partnerships across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Office for Equity and Inclusion, administrative/systems services, and shared governance bodies in order to integrate institutional effectiveness and planning efforts and holistic student support; provides leadership for College-wide strategic initiative execution (e.g., Strategic Plan, Guided Pathways, Equity & Inclusion Plan, Advising Redesign, Pathways to Opportunity).
5. Develops and strengthens relationships with external human services agencies, community-based organizations, and K-20 education partners. Serves as a College lead administrative contact for partnerships involving access to federal benefits, community resources, mental health services, affordable housing, food security, counseling/social service program internship opportunities, and other related support and services.
6. Exercises leadership in achieving optimal organizational efficiency and effectiveness, including initiatives to improve work processes and enhance systems and staff performance.
7. Assumes institutional authority for grants, contracts and technology portfolio that directly supports a climate of belonging and wellbeing for a diverse student body, including accessible College programming, mental health services, educational social services, community resource and referral agreements, interpersonal violence survivor support, and access to federal/state/local benefits and resources (e.g., VOCA grant, counseling case management system, SingleStop platform).
8. Leads development and implementation of policies, administrative procedures and practices in collaboration with other College leaders; ensures institutional compliance with federal/state/College regulations, policies, and guidance related to accessible education (ADA/Section 504), civil rights protections, mental health counseling, diversity/equity mandates, and culturally responsive practices.
9. Develops, oversees, analyzes, and makes large, multi-department budget decisions in alignment with the College’s strategic plan, values and priorities. Forecasts the funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies. Approves expenditures and implements budgetary adjustments as appropriate.
10. Supervises management, academic professionals, classified staff, technical/support, and/or student staff. Evaluates and provides guidance and support regarding professional development plans and goals for assigned areas of responsibility in accordance with good management practices, district policies, and collective bargaining agreements. Hires, evaluates, trains, disciplines and recommends dismissal of staff as necessary.
11. Supports, implements and promotes advancement of the district’s equity goals and assists in the hiring of a staff that reflects the diversity of the district. Participates in and supports activities that enhance equity-minded recruiting, hiring, and employee retention practices.
12. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Environment

Work environment includes frequent disruptions and changes in priorities. Work is generally performed in an office environment with frequent interruptions and irregularities in the work schedule. Working hours may vary and occasional evening or weekend work is required. Frequent travel to other locations is required. No special coordination beyond that used for normal mobility and handling of everyday objects and materials is needed to perform the job satisfactorily.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s Degree and eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience related to the area of assignment, providing program/project management or program/project coordination. Four (4) years of higher education management/supervisory experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Strategic leadership and management;
• Program development, budgeting, and management;
• Policy and procedure development and administration;
• Applicable local, state and federal laws, codes, rules, and regulations;
• Public administration and Higher Education principles and practices;
• Conflict mediation;
• Health, safety and emergency preparation, business and operational continuity, and response.

Skills in:

• Directing and providing strategic leadership to staff;
• Planning, implementing, improving, and evaluating programs, policies, procedures, operational needs, and fiscal constraints;
• Evaluating research to identify potential solutions, resolve problems, and provide information;
• Utilizing data and assessment outcomes for communication and to make continuous improvements for programs and services;
• Managing change and sensitive topics;
• Speaking in public;
• Managing multiple priorities simultaneously.

Ability to:

• Drive systemic change for racial and social equity and justice;
• Communicate and execute a vision for student-centered (flexible, multimodal) delivery of instruction and services through oral and written mediums;
• Manage healthy conflict to resolve issues in alignment with College mission and goals;
• Counsel, direct, and facilitate professional development of employees while motivating them toward goal achievement;
• Apply independent judgment to interpretation and application of rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

New: 11/2020

Portland Community College is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other protected class.