Assistant Director of Student Belonging and Cultural Inclusion

The Assistant Director of Student Belonging plays a pivotal role in advancing the university's mission to foster an environment of belonging to support students. This role focuses on recruitment, retention, and the success of students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring their sense of community and belonging at Colorado Mesa University. The position coordinates with and supports student life activities and collaborates with multiple departments to ensure the success of student groups from varying backgrounds.

This role provides Leadership, Management, and Accountability (LMA) for student inclusion initiatives and serves as the advisor to the Cultural Inclusion Council, supporting all of the various student Alliances and Associations. This component of the position accounts for roughly a quarter of the time.

Additionally, the role involves programming for cultural celebrations and fostering a sense of belonging on campus in conjunction with community organizations and partners as necessary and applicable. Including also outreaches to departments, clubs, teams, and individual students as necessary to provide the best opportunity for all students to feel welcome and belong to our campus.  This component of the position accounts for roughly three quarters of the time.
• Team Oversight: Manages student leaders in various cultural organizations.
• Decision-Making: Strategic decision-making responsibilities include planning programs, improving belonging initiatives, and managing resources to achieve goals related to belonging and engagement.
• Financial Management: Responsible for budget oversight related to student belonging events, programs, and Cultural Inclusion Council.

 SECTION III – OUR DESIRES FOR RIGHT FIT

For the success of our mission and our teams, we desire to have individuals who are a “Right Fit” in our seats. We define “Right Fit” as those who embrace our culture, demonstrate our values, understand the seat and what is required. We seek individuals wanting this seat, desire to be a part of a bigger vision and have the capacity to be a successful member of our CMU team.

CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS
• Knowledge and Skills: Strong background in student affairs, academic advising, and belonging and engagement practices. Knowledge of program management, budget oversight, and conflict resolution.
• Emotional Intelligence and Cultural Communication: The candidate must demonstrate the ability to empathize with students from diverse backgrounds, be self-aware, and facilitate effective communication between students, staff, and faculty.
• Heart Capacity: The ideal candidate will possess humility and courage in handling delicate cultural discussions while fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for all students.
• Effort and Hours: Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends for events and programs.
• Capacity for Leadership: The candidate must be able to manage multiple student-led initiatives and foster an environment of collaboration and growth.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE FOR RIGHT FIT
• Experience: Minimum of three years of experience in student services, particularly in supporting underrepresented student populations.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred in a relevant field such as student affairs, counseling, or diversity/inclusion studies.
• Desired Expertise: Experience in academic advising, program management, conflict resolution, and multicultural programming.

 Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

DISCLAIMER - This position description is only a summary of the typical functions of this seat, and not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and areas of accountability. 

DIRECT INQUIRIES CONTACT: Trey Downey, tedowney@coloradomesa.edu

HOW TO APPLY: Applicants will be asked to complete an online application by creating a profile and then providing personal and demographic information. In addition, please be prepared to upload a:
• Cover letter
• Resume
• Include the name, phone number, email address and relationship of at least three professional references who can attest to your ability to perform the job you are applying for. Professional references should include at least one current or former supervisor.  Professional reference may also include current or former employers, colleagues or other professionals who have first-hand knowledge and can recommend you for employment.
• Copy of transcripts for all degrees completed (if your transcripts include a social security number or birthdate, please redact that information before uploading the document. Official transcripts will be required upon hire)

ABOUT COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY

A comprehensive university in Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa University provides exceptional educational opportunities on a state-of-the-art campus. As western Colorado’s largest university, CMU serves students on its main campus in Grand Junction, its satellite campus in Montrose, its technical college, CMU Tech, and via online offerings. 

Colorado Mesa University serves as the primary intellectual and cultural center of western Colorado and promotes the exchange of ideas that are of regional, national, and international importance. Founded in 1925, it is a dynamic university enrolling 10,000 students at the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels.

At the heart of the CMU experience is an integrative and experiential approach to higher education that encourages students to think differently and empowers them to challenge assumptions. CMU brings students together with expert scholars and thinkers from different disciplines to make connections between ideas and gain the skills to solve the unstructured, complex problems they will encounter in life. Our focus is on providing quality academic programs, built on a strong liberal arts core that supports students' interests and regional employment needs, as well as technical programs that respond to vocational workforce demands.

The Grand Valley is home to some of the best outdoor recreation in the state of Colorado and you will not have to fight traffic and crowds to enjoy it. CMU is surrounded by the Grand Mesa, Book Cliffs, and the Colorado National Monument. We have world-class mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, rafting, and a mountain resort that’s less than 45 minutes from campus for skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. Living and working in Grand Junction, you will be able to explore one of Colorado’s best kept secrets.

Colorado Mesa University is particularly interested in candidates who have experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and who have a demonstrated commitment to improving the levels of access and success for underrepresented students within higher education.

Colorado Mesa University is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial and/or motor vehicle history. Applicant must be able to verify U.S. employment eligibility. Colorado Mesa University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a culturally diverse faculty, staff and student body. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request an accommodation, please contact the CMU Human Resources Office by phone or email. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and the type of accommodation needed.

Salary : $49,500