Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students

Position Number: 6946771
Location: Worcester, MA
Position Type: Student Affairs and Services

Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students
College of the Holy Cross

Full Time
JREQ-000256

At Holy Cross, we are focused on creating a world-class workforce by attracting and retaining employees dedicated to fostering a culture of professionalism, pride, mutual trust, and respect-one that values appreciation and recognition, empowering each of us to flourish both individually and collectively. We seek candidates who are inspired by our mission and values, and who are eager to make a meaningful difference on our campus. Learn more about Life at Holy Cross here.

Job Description

The Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students (VP/Dean) serves as the College's chief student affairs officer and a member of the President's leadership team. A servant leader, the VP/Dean provides visionary, mission-driven leadership for the Division of Student Development and advances a comprehensive philosophy of student learning, formation, and engagement that reflects the values and traditions of Jesuit Catholic higher education in our liberal arts residential context.

Reporting directly to the President, the VP/Dean is responsible for divisional strategy, culture, resource stewardship, policies and systems, and institutional collaboration to ensure an integrated, student-centered, transformational living and learning experience. The VP/Dean serves as a key advisor to the President and leadership team colleagues on student life, campus climate, student wellbeing, and community standards, and leads the alignment of student development priorities with the College's strategic plan, goals and long-range financial framework.

Major Areas of Responsibility

Serve as a member of the President's leadership team, contributing to and aligning as a division with institutional strategy, long-range planning, financial sustainability, and cross-divisional collaboration.
Articulate and advance a holistic vision of student development consistent with the characteristics of Jesuit Catholic higher education, the College's strategic plan, goals and priorities, and mission.
Lead divisional strategic planning, assessment, policy/process development and continuous improvement. Design and implement a comprehensive, outcomes-based assessment framework that defines clear KPIs, benchmarks performance against peer and aspirational institutions, and leverages dashboards and advanced analytics to monitor progress, inform data-driven decisions, and ensure transparency and accountability for results.
Provide executive leadership and accountability for the Division, setting vision, priorities, and performance expectations consistent with institutional processes, policies and strategy.
Oversee divisional organizational design and talent strategy to maximize impact. Evaluate and align the Division's structure, staffing levels, and role clarity to student needs and strategic priorities; streamline and standardize processes; and leverage technology, shared services, and other innovations to improve effectiveness, efficiency, service quality and student outcomes without headcount growth.
In support of holistic student learning and formation both inside and outside of the classroom, partner closely with senior administrative leaders, faculty and staff outside the Division of Student Development to advance the overall student residential experience.
Lead divisional change management efforts in alignment with institutional strategic priorities and long-range financial planning.
Provide executive oversight of divisional budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation, ensuring alignment with institutional guardrails and responsible stewardship of resources.
Lead ongoing professional development for the Division of Student Development to ensure staff are prepared to meet students' changing needs, engage with and provide an inclusive environment for a diverse student body, and educate effectively in our Jesuit Catholic, liberal arts context.
Provide executive oversight of student conduct and community standards. Establish and ensure consistent development, education, and implementation of related policies and processes, and serve as an appellate officer when appropriate.
In partnership and close collaboration with other divisional leaders, ensure timely, coordinated responses to complex student matters, including conduct, accessibility, student wellbeing, threat assessment, bias, and campus climate concerns.
Serve as a visible institutional leader and spokesperson on student life matters on campus and with trustees, donors, families, alumni, and external partners as appropriate.
Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Earned master's degree in Higher Education/Student Development, Counseling, Education, Social Work, Public Administration, or a related field.
Progressively responsible leadership experience (typically 10+ years) in student affairs, including significant senior-level administrative responsibility (e.g., Dean/Associate Dean/AVP/Associate VP) and demonstrated success leading multiple functional areas.
Demonstrated ability to lead a comprehensive residential student experience, including substantial oversight of areas such as residential life and housing; student engagement and co-curricular life (clubs, organizations, leadership); student conduct and community standards; accessibility services; wellness and in-house student health and counseling/mental health services.
Proven expertise in student-related compliance, policy, and risk management in a residential environment, including strong working knowledge of Clery Act, FERPA, ADA/504, conduct due process, mandated reporting, and crisis response/threat assessment practices; demonstrated ability to partner effectively with the College's Title IX and EO office as appropriate.
Demonstrated effectiveness in campus-wide partnership, including collaborative work with Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Athletics (including support of the holistic student-athlete experience), JEBI (Justice Equity Belonging and Identity), and Mission, along with centralized divisions such as Administration and Finance, Marketing and Communications, and Advancement and other key stakeholders
Ability to engage constructively with students, families, community members, faculty, staff, and alumni and trustees.
Strong record of people leadership and organizational management, including supervision of senior leaders, team development, and leading change across complex organizations.
Evidence of sound fiscal and operational stewardship, including budget management and resource alignment in support of strategic priorities.
Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence, student belonging, and equitable practice consistent with a Jesuit, Catholic educational mission, including experience responding to and addressing bias incidents and campus climate concerns.
Ability to maintain a visible leadership presence in a 24/7 residential community in an urban setting, including periodic evening/weekend responsibilities and participation in critical incident response as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Doctorate (EdD/PhD) in a relevant field.
Prior experience as a chief student affairs/student development officer (or comparable enterprise-level leadership role), preferably in a private, residential, undergraduate-focused college.
Demonstrated success leading strategic planning, assessment, and continuous improvement, including development of KPIs and use of data/analytics to inform decisions and measure outcomes.
Significant experience in crisis and issues management, including complex conduct matters, mental health emergencies, and coordinated response to bias incidents and campus disruption.
Demonstrated experience modernizing operations through process redesign, technology enablement, and organizational design to improve service delivery and effectiveness.
Experience engaging directly with a President and Board/trustees, including preparing briefings, presenting data, advising on institutional risk and campus climate, and staffing a relevant board committee.
Experience with fundraising and donor engagement for student experience, wellbeing, residential, housing, co-curricular or other related priorities.
Experience working in a mission-driven (e.g., Jesuit/Catholic) and/or urban residential college environment.

The salary range for Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students is $245,000 - $280,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. The College is committed to providing competitive market pay for its employees.

The College also offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time staff, including:

10% College contribution to 403(b) Retirement Plan with a required 2% employee contribution (increases to 12% and 5% respectively above the Social Security Wage Base).
In addition, this position qualifies for the College of the Holy Cross 457(b) deferred compensation plan.
Note: The waiting period for the 403(b) Retirement Plan and Tuition Benefits may be waived with qualifying prior service.
Tuition & Education Benefits
Robust Health and Welfare plans
Wellness and Training opportunities
4-day condensed summer work week

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, with a consideration deadline of March 23, 2026.

Weekly Hours:
40

Annual Work Schedule:
12 Months

Application Instructions

An updated resume and cover letter are required as a part of your internal application. In your cover letter, please reflect on how your professional and personal values align with the Mission of the College of the Holy Cross to form individuals of integrity and purpose who are committed to the flourishing of all.

Additional Information
To review our generous benefits options, please review our detailed information here or check out our Benefits at a Glance.

The College also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring process in compliance with law. Please contact Human Resources for questions or to request an accommodation via email at hr@holycross.edu, or by calling 508-793-3391.

The College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning Equal Opportunity in the workplace.

To apply, visit https://holycross.wd12.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/job/Worcester-MA/Vice-President-for-Student-Development-and-Dean-of-Students_JREQ-000256

Job Details

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