Student Life Director

Zaytuna College is America’s first accredited Muslim liberal arts college that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. A central goal of the College is to reintegrate the once vital and influential voice of Muslim thought and erudition back into the ongoing conversation of great ideas, which is informed largely by shifting Western values, and to do so within the context of our new, globalized society and in the manner articulated by the College’s mission statement: “To educate and prepare morally committed professionals, intellectuals, and spiritual leaders, who are grounded in the Islamic scholarly tradition and conversant with the cultural currents and critical ideas shaping modern society.”

The Position

The primary responsibility of the Director of Student Life is to develop a holistic tarbiyyah curriculum that aims to cultivate the virtues in the practical sphere. This includes developing a campus-life environment that embodies the futuwwa tradition, also known in the Greek tradition as paideia, where students understand the true meaning of adab as it relates to one’s personhood. The Office of Student Life oversees the objectives and activities related to the tarbiyyah curriculum and programming, co-curricular undergraduate degree requirements, residential life, counseling services, health and wellness resources, cohort development, student policies, and special programming throughout the year from their initial orientation to their final days on campus. The student life experience consists of co-curricular and extra-curricular programming. The Director maintains primary oversight for the co-curricular undergraduate degree requirements for experiential learning, which consists of service learning and three sunnah sports. Extra-curricular campus-led and student-led initiatives held in the name of the College or on campus all operate under the leadership and mentoring of the director. Given that the student life experience is both in and out of the classroom, the office is involved directly and indirectly in several areas of the college. The Director is a member of multiple college committees and works closely with faculty advisors to add perspective and help students navigate their personal challenges and individual needs. The Director also chairs the Student Affairs Committee and ensures that key decisions concerning student life receive sufficient input from its members. Overall, the position is centered on the student’s experience and their ability to succeed according to the vision set forth by leadership and the standards further defined by the Academics Department.

Reporting Relationship

The position reports directly to the Vice President and indirectly reports to the two deans who govern the Academics Department.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position supervises the Assistant Director of Student Life and all other contracted positions and guest speakers that are coordinated by the Office of Student Life. The Student Life Coordinator reports to the Assistant Director, and multiple student resident assistants are also hired and supervised by the office.

Essential Functions

Programming

1. Designs and implements, under the direction of the Office of the President, a Tarbiyyah Curriculum that focuses on the development and cultivation of virtues and ethics. The curriculum design includes all student-related programming and campus-life related activities (outside the classroom) that facilitate the practical application of the learned virtues and ethics in the classroom.
2. Develops student programming to support overall health and wellbeing and practical skills to enhance the students’ academic success, while emphasizing and reinforcing the cohort model of education.
3. Oversees the functioning of all student-led initiatives, such as the Student Shura Council, Student Event Committee, and various student clubs.
4. Supervises the Assistant Director of Student Life and oversees the Residential Life Program in its activities and operations, including planning, hiring and training of resident assistants, problem resolution, documentation, and liaising with the Facilities Team.
5. Manages all aspects of the undergraduate co-curricular graduation requirements for experiential learning, which consists of service learning and three sunnah sports, including budgeting, scheduling, co-curriculum design, student assessment, and program assessment.
6. Collaborates with the faculty and other offices to offer programs that encourage devotional practices and support spiritual development, such as managing the college-wide khutbah schedule.
7. Leads the development and execution of all required functions of summer and fall student orientations.

Governance & Administration

1. Leads and represents the Office of Student Life in its day-to-day operations, ensuring the safety and well-being of the students as well as consistency of practice and maintenance of optimum service levels.
2. Chairs the Student Affairs Committee and participates in other committees to foster shared governance in critical decisions that impact students. Provides leadership, analysis, and advice on policies and procedures regarding the student body, individual students, student needs, institutional risk management, and regulatory compliance.
3. Coordinates regular assessments of the office, including co-curricular learning outcome measures, assessment design, data collection, benchmark research, analysis, and reporting on the effectiveness of the student programs and services, with the support of the Office of Effectiveness & Planning.
4. Maintains a continuous pulse on the collective needs of the student body to identify opportunities to create or improve institutional support services, where needed.
5. Works with faculty advisors to coordinate referrals for student counseling and maintains utmost sensitivity to student issues and concerns.
6. Addresses complaints and violations related to student conduct and leads investigations as required.
7. Participates as a member of various committees, as assigned.
8. Ensures the office’s budget, including all student-led initiatives, is prepared, executed, and monitored with adherence to institutional objectives, policies, and procedures.

Qualifications

Experience in designing and developing programs and activities with clear outcomes

Managerial abilities (e.g., planning, budgeting, hiring, personnel management, and evaluation)

Problem-solving and mediating abilities (e.g., clearly defining problems, collecting data, establishing facts, drawing valid conclusions)

Strong time management and organization skills for an environment with multiple competing priorities

Ability to develop and implement policies through the lens of higher education

Ability to lead a diverse population of students and staff in developing and implementing plans that further the mission of the College and programs

Ability to collaborate with multiple departments of different disciplines

Sensitivity to matters of confidentiality

Effective oral and written communication skills (e.g., presenting information to groups of managers, staff, students and the general public; preparing and presenting detailed or executive summary reports)

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and agility to learn other technology as needed.

Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position at 40 hours per week, on average, and may require some evening and weekend work.

Travel

This position requires some travel to represent the College at occasional events and co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields

At least five years of work experience in one or more areas of student affairs

At least seven years of managerial experience of multiple staff with multiple areas of focus

Preferred Education and Experience

Master’s degree in Islamic Studies and/or a minimum of 3-5 years of traditional Islamic Studies with licenses to teach the foundational disciplines

Experience in mentoring students and young adults, particularly with offering spiritual guidance through an Islamic lens

Experience in developing and implementing service-learning programs

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

Legally authorized to work in the United States

Successful completion of a background check

Other Duties

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities are subject to change, preferably with adequate notice.

Zaytuna College is an equal opportunity employer