Assistant Director: Residence Life and College Communities needed at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities

Residence operational management:

• Ensure effective management of residence life operations at the campus’s residence of UFS
• Lead the development of housing and residence affairs plans and operations and ensure executions.
• Facilitate the development of the best practices and standards for managing residences.
• Develop and ensure the implementation of residence manuals, policies, and guidelines for UFS residences.
• Ensure optimal management of residence on UFS campuses.
• Ensure that the residence operations are effectively managed.
• Develop and ensure implementation of the residence code of conduct and HRA policies for UFS.
• Ensure effective management of residence committee elections and appointments.
• Ensure that reported on-campus and off-campus residence/housing incidents are effectively responded to.
• Ensure that operational residence protocols provide support during emergencies and crises.
• Develop and ensure implementation of measures for good residence conduct and management.
• Ensure that residence resources are effectively utilized and accounted for.

Personnel management:

• Manage the Senior Assistant officer of the Office of Residence Life and Student Communities
• Manage all College Coordinators, Residence Heads, and Programme Coordinators in line with the strategic vision, mission, and values of Housing and Residence Affairs, Student Affairs, and the UFS.
• Manage the continuous professional development of all Residence Heads, College Coordinators, and Programme Coordinators
• Align professional staff development with UFS Human Resources and professionals. These training events are aligned with national and international standards for professional development.
• Lead mentor programmes for all newly appointed staff and mentor all existing staff in alignment with the UFS performance plan.
• Lead HR recruitment processes to fill vacant positions and renew contracts of Residence heads for Bloemfontein and South Campus.
• Lead all disciplinary processes related to Residence Life and Student Communities staff.
• Chair routine meetings and key strategic conversations on matters related to student communities.
• Approve staff leave and plans.

Management of Residence life and college communities:

• Develop strategies for residence life and colleges in line with the vision, mission and values of Student Affairs and Housing and Residence Affairs.
• Ensure the coordination of college leadership structures.
• Lead the annual year planning of Residence Life and Colleges and align it with Student Affairs and the institution’s broader initiatives.
• Develop an implementation plan for Residence life and colleges that include off-campus students and accredited student accommodation.
• Ensure the budget and financial management of the colleges are aligned with the vision, mission and values of Housing and Residence Affairs, Student Affairs and Housing and Residence Affairs.
• Benchmark best practices in managing off-campus student communities and design a strategic plan to manage the off-campus student communities.
• Ensure the optimal strategic plan to respond to the needs and well-being of off-campus students.
• Engage with off-campus service providers to involve them in student life programs.
• Ensure the involvement of off-campus student houses in day residences.
• Ensure the extended student development programs are extended optimally to off-campus students of the UFS.
• Student awards coordinator.

Budget and financial management:

• Manage the allocated budget per the UFS finance and procurement policies.
• Lead the annual budgeting process for Residence Life and Student Communities.
• Ensure the budget allocation accommodates Bloemfontein and South Campus.
• Lead the annual budget of all Colleges.
• Ensure the financial management of income and expenditure related to Residence Life and Student Communities.

Management of student leadership development and co-curriculum:

• Lead the programme coordinators in the student development programs.
• Ensure student development programs align with national and international standards.
• Participate in stakeholder committees developing first-year programs for better higher education transition.
• Collaborate with the Director: Student Counselling and Development for optimal student well-being programs.
• Collaborate with the Director: Student Life to align the broader institutional development programs and student support structures.
• Collaborate with other Division of Student Affairs offices to ensure student engagement, student wellness, and student experience is reached optimally.
• Oversee the Residence Committee elections.
• Lead and coordinate the sub-council elections for the following two ex-officio SRC positions: (1) chairperson for the Day/off-campus Students Council; and (2) chairperson for the Campus Residence Council.

Assessment, monitoring and evaluation:

• Link monitoring-and-evaluation data with conversational interventions to shift specific aspects within student communities.
• Implement monitoring and evaluation strategies.
• Utilize data to inform changes and for strategic reporting.

Residence community formation and student discipline:

• Lead and facilitate continuous cultural renewal conversations in student communities. These conversations address stereotypes, shared values, and the consequent re-alignment of symbols, systems, residence traditions, and behaviour.
• Collaborate with Strategic Communication and Brand Management to ensure the corporate alignment of student communities with the corporate guidelines of the UFS.
• Coordinate the training of personnel as facilitators of transformational conversations.
• Support the facilitation of disciplinary processes in the residences.
• Refer to the most serious transgressions.

Inherent requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or an advanced diploma/BTech degree/postgraduate certificate on NQF Level 7.
• Minimum of four (4) years’ managerial experience in student housing.
• Minimum of five (5) years relevant working experience in a higher education environment.
• Valid driver’s license. 

Recommendations:

• Honours degree/postgraduate diploma/professional bachelor’s degree on NQF Level 8.
• Experience within the higher-education environment.
• Administration experience.