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Position Specification

University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA

Director of Residential Education

Institutional Background

The University of Southern California (USC or SC) is a private not-for-profit and nonsectarian research university founded in 1880 with its main campus in the city area of Los Angeles, California. As California’s oldest private research university,

USC has educated a large number of the region’s business leaders and professionals. In recent decades, the university has also leveraged its location in Los Angeles to establish relationships with research and cultural institutions throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim. An engine for economic activity, USC contributes approximately $5 billion annually to the economy of the Los Angeles county area. As of 2014, the

university had produced the fourth largest number of billionaire alumni out of all undergraduate institutions in the world. In 2011, USC was named among the Top 10 Dream Colleges in the nation. It holds an array of trademarks and wordmarks to the term “USC.” For the 2014-2015 academic year, there were 19,000 students enrolled in four-year undergraduate programs. USC is also home to 23,000 graduate and professional students in a number of different programs, including business, law, social work, and medicine. The university has a “very high” level of research activity and received $646 million in sponsored research from 2014 to 2015. USC counts six Nobel Laureates, eight Rhodes Scholars, three MacArthur Fellows, 181 Fulbright Scholars, one Turing Award winner, 78 Academy Award winners, 119 Emmy Award winners, three winners of the National Medal of Arts, one winner of the National Humanities Medal, three winners of the National Medal of Science, and two winners of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation among its alumni and faculty. Additionally, of its current faculty, 15 are members of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 are members of the Institute of Medicine, 34 are members of the National Academy of Engineering, 92 are members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and 32 are members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1969, it joined the Association of American Universities. USC sponsors a variety of intercollegiate sports and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Members of the sports teams, the Trojans, have won 100 NCAA team championships, ranking them third in the nation, and 378 NCAA individual championships, ranking them second in the nation. Trojan athletes have won 287 medals at the Olympic games (135 golds, 87 silvers and 65 bronzes), more than any other university in the United States. If USC were a country, it would rank 12th in most Olympic gold medals.

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Los Angeles, California

With approximately 3.8 million residents, Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States. Los Angeles is also the seat of L.A. County, one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the United States, while the entire Los Angeles area has been recognized as the most diverse of the nation’s largest cities. Nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a global city, with strengths in business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine, and research. The city is home to renowned institutions that cover a broad range of professional, cultural, and entertainment fields and is one of the most substantial economic engines in the United States. There is no better location in the world for an art and design college. L.A. has been described as America’s Artist Super City, because more artists live and work there than in any other metropolitan area in the nation. It has also been called America’s Creative Capital, because the creative industries there, including the arts, design, and entertainment, are a powerful economic driver, accounting for 1 in 7 jobs in the region and making an outsize economic impact. The Role and Mission of the University

The central mission of the University of Southern California is the development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit. The principal means by which our mission is accomplished are teaching, research, artistic creation, professional practice and selected forms of public service. Our first priority as faculty and staff is the education of our students, from freshmen to postdoctorals, through an array of academic, professional, extracurricular and athletic programs of the first rank. The integration of liberal and professional learning is one of USC’s special strengths. We strive constantly for excellence in teaching knowledge and skills to our students, while at the same time helping them to acquire wisdom and insight, love of truth and beauty, moral discernment, understanding of self, and re-spect and appreciation for others. Research of the highest quality by our faculty and students is fundamental to our mission. USC is one of a very small number of premier academic institutions in which research and teaching are inextricably intertwined, and on which the nation depends for a steady stream of new knowledge, art, and technology. Our faculty are not simply teachers of the works of others, but active contributors to what is taught, thought, and practiced throughout the world. USC is pluralistic, welcoming outstanding men and women of every race, creed, and background. We are a global institution in a global center, attracting more international students over the years than any other American university. And we are private, unfettered by political control, strongly committed to academic freedom, and proud of our entrepreneurial heritage.

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An extraordinary closeness and willingness to help one another are evident among USC students, alumni, faculty, and staff; indeed, for those within its compass the Trojan Family is a genuinely supportive community. Alumni, trustees, volunteers, and friends of USC are essential to this family tradition, providing generous financial support, participating in university governance, and assisting students at every turn. In our surrounding neighborhoods and around the globe, USC provides public leadership and public service in such diverse fields as health care, economic development, social welfare, scientific research, public policy, and the arts. We also serve the public interest by being the largest private employer in the city of Los Angeles, as well as the city’s largest export industry in the private sector. USC has played a major role in the development of Southern California for more than a century, and plays an increasingly important role in the development of the nation and the world. We expect to continue to play these roles for many centuries to come. Thus our planning, commitments and fiscal policies are directed toward building quality and excellence in the long term.

The Code of Ethics At the University of Southern California, ethical behavior is predicated on two main pillars: a commitment to discharging our obligations to others in a fair and honest manner, and a commitment to respecting the rights and dignity of all persons. As faculty, staff, students, and trustees, we each bear responsibility not only for the ethics of our own behavior, but also for building USC’s stature as an ethical institution. We recognize that the fundamental relationships upon which our university is based are those between individual students and individual professors; thus, such relationships are especially sacred and deserve special care that they not be prostituted or exploited for base motives or personal gain. When we make promises as an institution, or as individuals who are authorized to speak on behalf of USC, we keep those promises, including especially the promises expressed and implied in our Role and Mission Statement. We try to do what is right even if no one is watching us or compelling us to do the right thing. We promptly and openly identify and disclose conflicts of interest on the part of faculty, staff, students, trustees, and the institution as a whole, and we take appropriate steps to either eliminate such conflicts or ensure that they do not compromise the integrity of the individuals involved or that of the university. We nurture an environment of mutual respect and tolerance. As members of the USC community, we treat everyone with respect and dignity, even when the values, beliefs, behavior, or background of a person or group is repugnant to us. This last is one of the bedrocks of ethical behavior at USC and the

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basis of civil discourse within our academic community. Because we are responsible not only for ourselves but also for others, we speak out against hatred and bigotry whenever and wherever we find them. We do not harass, mistreat, belittle, harm, or take unfair advantage of anyone. We do not tolerate plagiarism, lying, deliberate misrepresentation, theft, scientific fraud, cheating, invidious discrimination, or ill use of our fellow human beings—whether such persons be volunteer subjects of scientific research, peers, patients, superiors, subordinates, students, professors, trustees, parents, alumni, donors, or members of the public.

We do not misappropriate the university’s resources, or resources belonging to others yet are entrusted to our care, nor do we permit any such misappropriation to go unchallenged. We are careful to distinguish between legal behavior on the one hand and ethical behavior on the other, knowing that, while the two overlap in many areas, they are at bottom quite distinct from each other. While we follow legal requirements, we must never lose sight of ethical considerations. Because of the special bonds that bind us together as members of the Trojan Family, we have a familial duty as well as a fiduciary duty to one another. Our faculty and staff are attentive to the well-being of students and others who are entrusted to our care or who are especially vulnerable, including patients, volunteer subjects of research, and the children in our daycare and community outreach programs. By respecting the rights and dignity of others, and by striving for fairness and honesty in our dealings with others, we create an ethical university of which we can all be proud, and which will serve as a bright beacon for all peoples in our day and in the centuries to come.

USC Strategic Vision: Matching Deeds to Ambitions As the influence of the Pacific Rim rises, demographic trends, unprecedented health, social and economic challenges, revolutions in communication and technology, growing diversity, evolving concepts of democracy, and changing ideas surrounding creativity and individual expression are transforming the global landscape. Nowhere is this clearer than in cities, where grand challenges and globalization intersect, where the problems of our day are made visible, and where efforts to find solutions arise. And in no city is this more the case than Los Angeles, which has emerged as the creative capital of the Pacific Rim and the world’s primary gateway between East and West. Today’s great universities are called to address global challenges, spark creativity, invent and innovate, connect peoples, and help improve the quality of life.

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USC is uniquely positioned to answer this call: the right university at the right time. Our breadth, size, diversity, location, international character, and global reach have positioned USC as the intellectual, creative, and cultural wellspring for the Pacific Rim and emerging societies of Asia and Latin America. The next leg of our journey charts three paths.

1. Transforming Education for a Rapidly Changing World: We must create a transformative faculty whose scholarship crosses disciplinary boundaries and whose energy sparks intellectual creativity across our campuses. New modes of learning and societal needs require that we reinvent undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral education. Changing demographics and public demands require we provide greater access to, and accountability in, higher education. 2. Creating Scholarship with Consequence: We must increase our commitment to translational research, creative

work and practice in order to address grand challenges, notably in health care, life sciences and engineering, but also in the arts, humanities, professions, and social sciences. Collaboration among scientists, clinicians, artists, teachers, humanists, researchers, and other professionals should be a defining feature of research universities. 3. Connecting the Individual to the World: We must promote global and local engagement to foster mutual understanding and encourage citizenship in a global context. As the world grows more interconnected, so does the need for self-reflection and critical thought, appreciation of diversity, aesthetic sensibility, civility, reconciliation, and empathy across all spheres of life. The quest to understand others begins with self-knowledge and adherence to the value of human wholeness. These objectives are grand and must be, for universities hold too much cultural authority and promise to strive for less. Their pursuit will require the commitment of the whole Trojan Family. This strategic vision is a call to action, a call to think boldly and to enact the transformations envisioned here. It is a call to faculty, who must be the engines of creativity and ingenuity. It is a call to every school, every department, every institute and every program to transform in ways that will create a university emulated by others. It is a call to all members of the Trojan Family to suggest steps both large and small that will allow the University of Southern California to match its deeds to its ambitions. This strategic vision will be the touchstone by which we measure progress as a leading voice in academia for the 21st century.

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Leadership C. L. Max Nikias, President

C. L. Max Nikias is the 11th president of the University of Southern California. He holds the Robert C. Packard President’s Chair and the Malcolm R. Currie Chair in Technology and the Humanities, and chairs the USC Health System Board. In addition, he currently chairs the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. He has been at USC since 1991, as a professor, director of national research centers, dean, provost, and now president. He holds faculty appointments in both electrical engineering and the classics, and teaches special freshman seminars on the timeless wisdom of the Greek classics. During his tenure as president, USC is emerging as a global research university with an undisputed academically-elite status, due to a number of strategic initiatives that include recruiting a cadre of transformative, world-class faculty and accelerating the expansion of the university’s academic medical enterprise; broadening USC’s international presence; dramatically improving the breadth and quality of its outstanding student body; improving the university’s infrastructure, including the development of the USC Village; and aggressively advancing the largest fundraising campaign in the history of higher education.

Dr. Nikias writes and speaks frequently about a range of nationally significant topics, including the value of—and access to—higher education; the current state and future of online education; the continued importance of the arts and humanities; and the role of elite research universities, particularly as economic drivers. Dr. Nikias is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a charter fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), an associate member of the Academy of Athens, and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Among numerous other honors, he has received the IEEE Simon Ramo Medal, the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, the State University of New York at Buffalo’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and honorary doctorates from his alma mater, the National Technical University of Athens; Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion; and the University of Cyprus. As president, Dr. Nikias announced a $6 billion fundraising campaign, which—at the time of its launch—was the largest in the history of higher education. His first five years in office were highlighted by transformative gifts that allowed USC to raise $4.5 billion. Four of these gifts exceeded $100 million, 27 exceeded $25 million, and 60 percent of the total money raised came from non-alumni of the university. In recognition of the campaign’s success, The Chronicle of Higher Education has called Dr. Nikias a “prodigious fundraiser.” Dr. Nikias brought the nation’s largest literary festival, The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, to USC. Additionally, under his leadership, the university is advancing a major capital construction program that already includes Wallis Annenberg Hall, the Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, Dauterive Hall, Fertitta Hall, the Kaufman International Dance Center, the McKay Center, Uytengsu Aquatics Center, the Engemann Student Health Center, a new Cinematic Arts building, and the University Club at Stoops, as well as the Soto Building and Norris Consultation Center on the Health Sciences Campus, and beautification projects for both of USC’s campuses. In addition, construction has continued apace on the USC Village, a 1.3-million-square-foot center of student residential colleges that is entirely reimagining the university’s landscape.

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In recognition of his efforts to renew USC’s athletics heritage, The New York Times selected Dr. Nikias as one of a small number of national figures “who make sports’ little corner of the world a better place.” Dr. Nikias is recognized internationally for his pioneering research on digital signal processing, digital media systems, and biomedicine. The U.S. Department of Defense has adopted a number of his innovations and patents in sonar, radar, and communication systems. He has authored more than 275 journal articles and conference papers, three textbooks, and eight patents, and has mentored more than 30 Ph.D. and postdoctoral scholars. Three of his publications received prestigious best papers awards. Dr. Nikias received a diploma from the National Technical University of Athens, also known as National Metsovion Polytechnic, the oldest and most prestigious higher education institution of Greece, and later earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. His wife, Niki C. Nikias, received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Athens University of Economics and Business in Greece and a master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in finance from the State University of New York at Buffalo. The USC Alumni Association named Dr. and Mrs. Nikias honorary alumni of USC. They have two daughters, both of whom are graduates of USC. Colleges and Departments

• USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences • USC Leventhal School of Accounting • USC School of Architecture • USC Roski School of Art and

Design • USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre

Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation

• USC Marshall School of Business

• USC School of Cinematic Arts • USC Annenberg School for

Communication and Journalism • USC Glorya Kaufman School of

Dance • Herman Ostrow School of

Dentistry of USC • USC School of Dramatic Arts • USC Rossier School of

Education • USC Viterbi School of Engineering • USC Davis School of Gerontology • USC Gould School of Law • Keck School of Medicine of USC • USC Thornton School of Music • USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy • USC School of Pharmacy • Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy • USC Sol Price School of Public Policy • USC School of Social Work

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The Student Body (2014-15 academic year) Undergraduates 19,000 Graduate and professional 24,000 Total 43,000 Student Demographics (Fall 2014)

• Asians 18% • Black/African-American 5% • Hispanic 12% • White/Caucasian 33% • International 23% • Other 9%

Freshman Class (Fall 2014) Applicants 51,920 Admits 9,358 Matriculants 3,098 Average GPA 3.73 Middle 50 percent SAT range 1960-2190 National Merit Scholars 230 First-generation college students 14% Degrees Awarded (June 2013) Bachelor’s degrees 4,737 Advanced degrees 8,315 2014 (Fall 2008 freshman class) 91% 2013 (Fall 2007 freshman class) 91% 2012 (Fall 2006 freshman class) 90% Faculty and Staff (2014-15) Faculty (full-time) 3,945 Staff (50 percent time or more) 13,216 Student workers 7,880 Total 25,041 Living Alumni 365,000 Undergraduate Tuition and Mandatory Fees $49,464 Endowment (as of June 30, 2014) $4.6 billion University Budget (2014-15 fiscal year) $3.9 billion Sponsored Research (2014-15 fiscal year) $687 million

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Overview of Residential Education Mission The Office for Residential Education fosters the holistic development of members within the USC residential community. We are committed to providing purposefully inclusive communities that create opportunities for personal and academic success in collaboration with members of the Trojan Family. Vision Our residential communities cultivate and enrich students by integrating learning, engagement, and development. We contribute to students’ academic success by offering student-centered programs, services, and environments that foster student involvement, responsibility, and leadership. Core Values • Community - We value community by developing inclusive living-learning environments that

cultivate personal and academic growth and interpersonal relationships. • Inclusion - We value the individual differences of members within our community by creating

opportunities for members to embrace and understand the complex backgrounds, ideas, experiences, and lifestyles of others.

• Integrity - We value integrity by instilling a sense of trust and moral character within the USC

community. • Scholarship - We value the pursuit of knowledge inside and outside the classroom by encouraging free

inquiry and innovation. • Social Responsibility - We value one’s responsibility to the common good and shared values of the

Trojan Family and challenge students to be mentally conscious and actively working toward creating equality, access, and opportunities for others.

• Wellness - We value our students’ wellness by encouraging the adoption of behaviors that promote

the recognition of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs necessary to lead balanced and productive lives.

Inclusion Statement

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The Office for Residential Education is committed to creating an inclusive residential community that values the diversity of all its members. We embrace all members of our community and aspire to develop an appreciation for ability, age, citizenship status, creed, cultural background, ethnicity, family model, gender identity and expression, health status, national origin, political ideology, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, spiritual affinity, size, socioeconomic class, and veteran status. The Office for Residential Education is committed to providing a purposefully inclusive community where all members and visitors are free from harassment, verbal or written abuse, threats, ridicule, intimidation, cyber-bullying, or violence because of their identity. We will not accept fear, ignorance, apathy, indifference, religious bias, anger, alcohol or substance abuse as an excuse, reason, or rationale for such behavior. We encourage all members within our community to make informed personal choices, hold each other accountable, and actively challenge any injustices. The Office for Residential Education, in collaboration with other campus resources, fosters the holistic development of the USC residential community. We challenge all members of the Trojan Family to move beyond tolerance and engage in creating and maintaining an inclusive community for all. Residential Colleges and Communities USC’s housing is divided into five communities: North, South, East, West, and Parkside. While each community is unique, all provide residents with access to world-renowned live-in faculty, programming targeted specifically to resident needs and interests as well as the support and mentorship of undergraduate, graduate and professional staff members. North Residential Colleges New Residential College, North Residential College, and the University Residential College at Birnkrant The North Residential Colleges community mainly houses first-year residents and is known for its academic and social environment. Routinely receiving first, second, and third in resident satisfaction surveys, the North Residential Colleges have three residential faculty members and houses the university’s trustee and presidential scholars. Traditional programs in the North Area include the Ed Wood Film Festival, a celebration where residents are given a theme and a prop and have 24 hours to make a five-minute film, and Mardi Gras, a huge party for the whole university featuring food, shows, and dancing. In addition, residential faculty in the North Area host weekly dinners for their residents. The North Area is home to the Cinema Floors and the Honors Residential College. The Residential College at Birnkrant is an exclusively first-year resident building for trustee and presidential scholars. Birnkrant residents enjoy an early move-in as well as a retreat. South Residential Colleges Marks Tower, Pardee Tower, Marks Hall, and Trojan Hall The South Residential Colleges include three traditional first-year residential communities and is close to USC’s main libraries as well as important campus service departments such as USCard, transportation, the registrar, and housing. A signature of this residential area is its close-knit community; many describe South as being a true “family.” Traditional programs in the South Area include Halloween Scream, a spooky fun party with a DJ, booths for activities such as pumpkin decorating and fortune-telling, and a donation collection for local shelters; College Access Day, a multifaceted look at the college application process and college life for local high school students; and the Fall Involvement Fair, where campus leaders, employers, and peers with similar interests to the community discuss their passions, job openings, and future projects.

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Special interest floors in the South Area include the Great Outdoors (GO) Floor, which provides programming for students interested in hiking, surfing, and other outdoor adventures; the Business Floor, which exists to invest in the academic, social, and professional development of students interested in careers in the business world. East Area Annenberg House, Severance Street Apartments, Manor, Troyland, Hillview, Stardust, Max Kade, Bel-Air, Terrace, Fairmont, Cardinal ’N Gold, Seven Gables, Regal Trojan, Regent, Helena, Twin Palms, Pacific, Founders, Senator, University Regent, Troy Hall, Sunset, Windsor, Vista, Sierra, Seaver, Centennial, La Sorbonne, and Troy East The largest residential area, the East Area includes a unique mix of upper-division students, grad students, families, international students, athletes, transfers, and Spring Admits. There are six residential faculty members in the East Area who reside in the Annenberg, Sierra, Founders, Honors House, Occupational Therapy, and Chemistry Ph.D. communities. Traditional programs in East Area include the Graduate Professional Student Awareness Week (GPSAW), which has been officially recognized by the City of Los Angeles; the Troy Diversity Dance and Art Show; the East Area Block Party; and an annual Thanksgiving Dinner celebration. The East Area boasts five special interest floors: the Occupational Therapy Floor in Centennial, the Chemistry Grad Program at Hillview, and the Law Community at Terrace. West Residential Colleges and Apartments Century, Cardinal Gardens, Fluor Tower, and Webb Tower The West Residential Colleges and Apartments is home to almost 1,800 residents and houses a mix of first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior students. Fluor Residential College is a first-year community and is suite-style, with four suites per floor and eight residents per suite. Webb Residential College is a high-rise apartment community. Since fall 2012, Fluor and Webb house two live-in faculty masters and have become two of USC’s newest residential colleges. Century and Cardinal Gardens are both large off-campus apartment communities. West Area’s largest traditional program is Diversity Month, where residents participate in a month-long series of programs and events that encourage them to explore both their differences and commonalities. Like the four other areas, the West Area has two dedicated residential faculty members who help bring resources and support to the area’s residents. Special interest floors in West include the Rainbow Floor in Century, which is an inclusive community for members of the LGBT community and their supportive allies; the Latino Floor in Fluor Tower, where freshmen Latino students are empowered to become prominent campus leaders; and Somerville Place in Fluor Tower, named after John and Vada Somerville, Somerville Place aims to foster an understanding of and respect for Black culture, while cultivating a sense of family and community. Parkside Residential Colleges Parkside Arts and Humanities Residential College, Parkside International Residential College, and Parkside Apartments Parkside Residential Colleges are an integral part of USC, serving as a center for cultural, artistic, and internationally oriented academic and social events on campus. While the primary mission of the area is to house undergraduates, Parkside also has a mix of upper-division undergraduate and graduate students. Although the majority of the community are students from the U.S., the presence of a significant population of international students creates much more of a global experience. Seven residential faculty members call Parkside home, working with residential education staff to develop programming for

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residents that maximizes their college experience and provides support to the development of programs with an international theme. Traditional programs at Parkside include weekly dinners hosted by Parkside’s faculty masters; Parkside Provides, an ongoing series of philanthropic programs; Reel World events, which celebrate the film, food, and culture of featured countries; the International House of Coffee, a weekly morning break featuring gourmet coffees and discussions on international events; Meet the Music Floor, concerts celebrating the talents of Music Floor residents; and Arts in the Park, a series of interactive programs and events that allow residents to express themselves artistically. In addition, all residents in Parkside are eligible for the Parkside Piano Program, which provides free weekly piano lessons to students of all experience levels. Parkside hosts multiple special interest floors, including the SChalom and Muslim floors in Parkside Apartments; the Art and Architecture Floor and Creative and Performing Arts Floor in Parkside Arts and Humanities, as well as the International Residential College and the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Floor, which provides resources and opportunities throughout the school year, including lectures and panels, by renowned science and engineering professionals. While programming at Parkside is generally open to all residents, students housed in Parkside’s special interest floors enjoy support and programming geared specifically to their interests, as well as connections to prominent USC faculty and staff mentors. History of the Position Romando Nash served as the director of residential education from 2013 to 2015. During his tenure, Mr. Nash worked diligently to not only support student success and quality residential programs, but also to bring increased organizational structure and better management systems to the department. Mr. Nash left USC in 2015 to accept an associate vice president for student services position at San Jose State University. The current interim director, Christina Davis, came to USC in July 2013 after serving as the director for residential life programs at MIT. Under her leadership the residential education program has continued to thrive as Ms. Davis has increased efforts to support staff in their changing roles, emphasized outreach to campus colleagues, amplified student success programs, and has provided strong administrative leadership to the department.

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Director of Residential Education – Responsibilities of the Position The director of residential education reports to the assistant vice provost for student affairs for engagement and is a key leader in the Division of Student Affairs and at USC. Residential education has been named as one of six strategic priorities within the division, and the director will have the opportunity to reshape a high-profile and progressive residential college program and will be instrumental in developing and implementing a comprehensive and innovative plan for the residential experience. The department provides programs and services that support over 7,500 diverse undergraduate and graduate students and families living in 31 residence halls and apartments. The residential education staff provide a broad range of student development functions to create safe, supportive, and inclusive communities that foster students’ academic success, personal growth, leadership development, and social responsibility. The director is responsible for strategic planning, administrative management of the department, and programmatic oversight for efforts such as academic success, student leadership, community development, crisis intervention, critical incident response, student conduct, and establishing standards and best practice guidelines for the unit. A strong understanding of, and commitment to, diversity, equity, and social justice is essential. The director oversees 18 professional staff, 9 graduate assistants, and more than 150 resident assistants, with an annual operating budget of $6 million. The director works collaboratively with the 22 faculty members living in residence to add intellectual rigor to the residential experience, and maintains positive relationships with campus partners, including University Housing and Dining, Admissions, Facilities and Maintenance, Office of Equity and Diversity, and the Department of Public Safety. This is an exciting time to join USC as by 2017 the new USC Village will be added to the residential education portfolio—a $600 million project that includes six residence halls, 2,500 additional beds, over 100,000 square feet of retail space, and 45,000 square feet of recreation space. Characteristics of the Successful Candidate Minimum qualifications:

• a master’s degree in higher education administration or related field; • five years’ progressively responsible experience in college or university residential life/housing

including experience supervising full-time staff. The successful candidate will also demonstrate:

• leadership skills to work in a collaborative environment with multiple stakeholders; • broad knowledge of residential life/housing operations including student and community

development, leadership development, academic and social programming, crisis management, and student conduct;

• experience with strategic planning, project development, budget preparation, and facilities management;

• experience with employee hiring, training, and supervision; • an understanding of the principles of diversity with the ability to enhance equity and build

inclusive communities. Preferred qualifications:

• experience leading the creation of new and innovative programs and services; • experience building consensus and influencing decision making; • experience working with residential colleges or other living-learning programs; • and the ability to set priorities and manage resources within the context of a changing

organization. Additionally, the following characteristics and attributes were identified by various stakeholders at USC when considering the position of director of residential education:

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• desire and ability to think strategically and grow the program, with the ability to help lead a cultural shift within the university as related to current student needs and resource allocation;

• excellent written communication skills and interpersonal skills to facilitate meetings, prepare and deliver presentations, explain complex ideas to diverse audiences;

• excellent analytical skills with the ability to define objectives and innovatively identify alternatives and solutions;

• strong customer-service orientation and the ability to maintain a high level of responsiveness in working with constituents and other university departments;

• a good systems thinker in understanding the day-to-day management of a residential life program;

• high emotional intelligence and the ability to adapt stylistically to a wide variety of stakeholder groups;

• an engaging and relational style balanced with an approach that is operationally strong; • a decision maker who solicits feedback and new perspectives from across the campus community,

and provides context and rationale for decisions; • effective team builder who can empower staff to handle problems and create solutions, and can

provide staff with information and the resources to be successful; • allows for staff autonomy; • has strong professional networks and is involved with organizations/associations to keep pace

with trends and best practices; • is student-focused, genuinely cares about students, intentionally looks for ways to involve

students in decision making, attends student events as appropriate, and maintains a style and office that is open and approachable;

• solid skills of quantitative and qualitative assessment, with the ability to use data/assessment outcomes to shape program goals and the direction of the department;

• manages ambiguity well, and can flex/change/adapt in an environment that is often fluid. Likely Opportunities, Priorities, and Challenges of the Position In transitioning to the University of Southern California, the director of residential education will encounter the following opportunities, priorities, and challenges, as shared by key university stakeholders:

• Numerous stakeholders shared that it will be important to review the organizational structure through the lens of a “best practices” residential education unit. A top priority will be an increased focus on a residential college and other living-learning opportunities, as well an increased emphasis on shaping a comprehensive programming model/structure. More generally, the new director will have the opportunity to “grow the program” and manage organizational change, and it is expected that the director will develop mid- and long-term strategic plans. USC has a task force that has been working on a “Residential Experience Plan” and it will be up to the new director and staff to lead efforts to manage the desired changes.

• There are major funding initiatives currently in process, with naming opportunities for the Honors College and other residential colleges. With this influx of an anticipated $75 million in revenue, 50 percent of the funds will be used to set up an endowment that will support robust residential colleges and, more generally, educational, developmental, and social programming. Because residential education is a strategic divisional and institutional priority, there will be support from the presidential and vice presidential levels to create cutting-edge experiences for residential students. The new director and professional staff will be encouraged to think creatively about what might be included in residential colleges. It is anticipated that, in addition to faculty in residence, there will be counselors in residence, health center staff in residence, etc.

• The USC Village, a $600 million housing and retail center covering 15 acres and adding 2,500 residential beds, will be coming on line in 2017. The director will spend significant time finalizing

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plans—staffing patterns, faculty development, programming, etc.—to bring the facility on line. This project will be a hallmark of the campus and a wonderful opportunity to think critically and creatively about how to support the students that will reside in The Village.

• Because USC housing and residence life is a bifurcated system, the director—while primarily overseeing residential education—will need to have a good generalist sense of facility issues and needs, and be able to articulate that to counterparts in the housing office.

• The senior management team within residential education is a dedicated, relational, and

collaborative group. Staff are very engaged with one another and supportive of one another’s efforts. The staff are service-oriented and the new director will find a group that promotes openness, responsibility, and a forward-thinking approach to work—and they clearly stated that they are looking forward to the new director providing focus and direction as they advance the program. While the current interim director is recognized as doing a tremendous job at keeping the program moving forward, the staff are anxious for the new director to arrive and begin to look more longitudinally at “next steps and best practices” for the organization. The director will need to have the ability to turn ideas into action in the pursuit of providing outstanding experiences for residential students.

• Residential education partners with numerous offices and service providers on campus, and the new director will need to take appropriate time to develop strong relationships with various individual stakeholders and USC offices during the on-boarding period.

• Diversity, inclusion, and social justice are very important at USC. In part this stems from departmental and institutional values, and in part from the recognition that the university has a diverse student body. The director will continue to set a progressive tone related to staff selection and training, student support, and program offerings that embrace, advance, and celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice at USC.

• A challenge will be looking at the roles and responsibilities of professional staff and graduate student staff. Historically, in-hall staff were primarily at the graduate student level working less than full time. But with the addition of more full time staff, graduate students have seen significant “job creep” to their 20-hour per week jobs.

• Students, not atypically, will complain that they “don’t have anything to do.” It is hoped that the director will review programming models and emphasize vibrant, engaging, and fun ways to engage residential students.

• Because of the size and complexity of USC, it is easy for the director (and staff) to become absorbed by day-to-day responsibilities—and there needs to be a dedicated effort to cross-campus collaborations. The new director will need to be committed to outreach, relationship and trust-building, good communication, and transparency. Numerous campus stakeholders expressed interest in helping the new director make a good transition to campus during the on-boarding period. This will be particularly important as the director will be the person explaining new models to an array of USC stakeholders.

Additional opportunities/priorities/challenges:

• USC houses a very large number of graduate students, and residential education needs to be more deliberate at developing programs focused on the needs of graduate students.

• Emphasize professional development of staff and involvement in regional and national associations.

• USC has put in a bid to host PACURH in 2016, so ongoing support for that conference will be an area of focus.

• Unfortunately, alcohol transports are trending up (as many as 10 per week), so an increased focused on making responsible choices around alcohol use is warranted.

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• Continue to emphasize better collaboration with campus partners on programming and training. • With a new director coming on board, there is an assumption that he/she will critically evaluate

numerous processes and procedures. • Several stakeholder groups noted that the director will need to be a content expert, with the

ability to train up, laterally, and down. • Residential education is primed for infusion of new ideas to take the department to the next level,

and the new director will find support at multiple levels of the organization.

Benefits Overview

• Medical • Dental • Vision • Long-Term Care • Retirement Plans • Flexible Spending Accounts • Life Insurance • Education Benefits

For more information visit the USC Benefits website: http://benefits.usc.edu/ Application and Nomination Applications, including a position-specific cover letter and resume, may be submitted online at http://www.spelmanandjohnson.com. Nominations for this position may be emailed to Peter Rosenberg at pwr@sjgsearch.com.

Spelman Johnson Director of Residential Education - University of Southern California

Peter Rosenberg, Senior Associate

Visit the University of Southern California website at www.usc.edu

The University of Southern California values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment.

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Spelman Johnson has prepared this document based on personal interviews and information copied,

compiled, or quoted in part from source documents obtained from our client institution, and as such, the contents of this document are believed to be reliable. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the original source documents and factual situations govern, and the

material presented here should be relied upon for informational purposes only.