Department
 

Civic Engagement Student Civic Engagement Initiatives

About the Department
 

At the University of Chicago, civic engagement is an institution-wide commitment that encompasses our contributions to the enrichment of human life through research and education, our work to increase economic opportunities on the South Side, and our support for the open exchange of ideas with our broader community. Our relationship and engagement with the City of Chicago was of critical importance at the time of our founding and continues to guide the University’s contributions to the city and the South Side today. The University approaches civic engagement in a comprehensive and deliberate way: we approach civic engagement as a University-wide commitment that furthers our core mission of research and education and reflects our core values; we build meaningful, mutually-beneficial partnerships that increase civic participation, expand educational access, and create economic and social opportunity; we apply an interdisciplinary approach that brings our best thinking across multiple domains to advance innovative initiatives that enrich human life in our city; we solve real world problems with rigor by supporting our faculty, students, staff, and alumni to engage with the community and the world around them as they address the most pressing urban challenges and build evidence-based solutions; and we measure and communicate our impact, sharing what we are doing and learning as we partner with others to contribute to the public good.

Job Summary
 

The Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) is seeking a talented and experienced student life and community engagement professional to serve as Associate Director, Student Civic Programs and Leadership. This role develops, implements, and evaluates civic education and engagement programming for undergraduate and graduate students, while empowering student success in community engagement through advising and relationship building. As a key part of the team’s efforts to foster a culture of service and community engagement on campus, the Associate Director develops and administers programs, and supports and engages students, community partners, and campus colleagues to ensure students can have meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with off-campus stakeholders as part of their time as UChicago students.

Responsibilities

Manage program curriculum, rework existing initiatives, and contribute to new initiative design. Support efforts to develop new student civic engagement programs within OCE, including designing and implementing pilot programs.

Coordinate and manage end-to-end program operations for cohort programs and workshop series taking place during the academic year, orientation, pre-orientation, breaks, and summer quarter. Support and lead student recruitment and intake processes, manage program budgets and spending, administer surveys, and prepare summaries, reports, and presentations on program effectiveness.

Hire, supervise, coach, and mentor graduate and undergraduate student staff, and liaise with OCE and University operations staff to manage onboarding and troubleshoot issues.

Facilitate workshops and other programs for diverse student and staff audiences in various academic, professional, and extra/co-curricular contexts.

Leads the team to develop and implement shared program operations structures and systems that can be used across student-facing programs.

Provide additional support, including staffing, content development, and operations management for large-scale program events during Orientation, Alumni Weekend, and other university student life rituals and ceremonies.

Market student civic engagement opportunities throughout the year. Participate in resource fairs, share opportunities with key colleagues, and submit events to campus newsletters.

Support and lead occasional programming and events on weeknights and weekend mornings/afternoons as required.

Support the development of students as civic leaders through advising and relationship building with individual students and student organizations. Encourage critical learning, dialogue, and reflection.

Liaise with and advise student leaders from recognized student organizations, Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Council, and others from campus student life offices, to provide guidance and project support to student-led community engagement initiatives. Offer programming advice and assistance, partnership support, help navigating risk management policies, fiscal management accountability, connection to campus and community resources, etc.

Advise students on institutional and off-campus pathways to engagement.

Play a lead role in OCE efforts to gather and implement student feedback to inform on- and off-campus efforts.

Contribute to campus-wide leadership development conversations and put forward outstanding student leaders for recognition through awards, scholarships, and media profiles.

Work with UCSC and OCE colleagues to organize community partners to engage with program-involved students as speakers, volunteer supervisors and mentors, and coordinate site visits and service projects.

Participate in and lead conversations with partner stakeholders to ensure alignment between community goals and student pathways / outcomes in University programming.

Liaise with partners and UCSC and OCE colleagues to ensure smooth relationships between sites and student volunteers, and help troubleshoot when misunderstanding, tensions, and conduct or safety issues arise.

Maintain data and records on community engagement activities, support new partner intake, and contribute to impact assessment reporting processes.

Plays a key role in the team’s work fostering a culture of service and engagement across campus.

Work closely with staff and faculty from other offices and units of the University, including the Center for Leadership and Involvement, the Center for Identity + Inclusion, the College Center for Research and Fellowships, Career Advancement, the Institute of Politics, and others. Facilitate trainings, and collaborate on student-community engagement programs and events, and connect interested students to civic education resources.

Support planning and execution of campus-wide community service and engagement events, including large-scale service days.

Attend fairs, panels, meetings, and presentations as a representative of UCSC and OCE to promote opportunities and advise on best practices for community engagement practice.

Review and give feedback on decks, proposals, memos, and reports. Prepares memos and reports regarding portfolio-specific programming.

Support best practices research on trends in higher education and civic engagement and support other benchmarking and evaluation tracking processes.

Participate in and contribute to evaluation and strategic planning processes.

Uses moderate/solid understanding and experience to administer the delivery of services to program participants and/or beneficiaries.

Sets and communicates program priorities and performance standards and assesses operations using these criteria. Plans and conducts quality assurance reviews and recommends changes as appropriate.

Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

Progressive experience working in higher education, community engagement, education / youth development, and/or non-profits.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to work well across multiple programs as well as with outside administrative peers, university, and community partners.

Experience working with community organizations in Chicago, and knowledge about the history of South Side communities.

Demonstrated experience in project and program planning and execution.

Familiarity with students and experience in highly selective, top-tier institutions.

Preferred Competencies

Commitment to the Office of Civic Engagement’s mission. 

Ability to effectively manage projects, including scoping work, setting timelines, implementing and executing work plans, meeting deadlines, and overseeing the overall execution of programming.

Ability to mentor, advise, and supervise undergraduate and graduate students with demonstrated knowledge of student development.

Demonstrated effectiveness in addressing issues of diversity and multiculturalism and in building community among different groups in university and community settings.

Ability to be nimble, adaptable, and flexible to office needs in a highly responsive environment. Ability to work under pressure and take on new assignments.

Ability to represent OCE team in key internal and external meetings, including community meetings and convenings, as assigned.

Ability to work effectively across the University – including with students, faculty, and staff – and with the broader community, including community and civic organizations towards creating meaningful and sustainable partnerships.

Ability to maintain confidentiality, and use good judgement to troubleshoot and solve problems.

Ability to build relationships between OCE and various external agencies, organizations, and institutions with whom the Office may collaborate.

Energy, creativity, and enthusiasm.

Working Conditions

Occasional local and national travel.

Significant evening/weekend work at specific times during the program year.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal history check.

Application Documents

Resume (required)

Cover Letter (required)

References (3) (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Administration & Management

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.