Graduate Assistant for Residential Community Standards

The graduate assistant for residential community standards provides leadership to and management of student conduct matters within Housing and Residential Services. The graduate assistant will also provide support for implementation of community standards on all residential floors and crisis response programs. The graduate assistant has dual reporting requirements to both a housing complex coordinator and the director of student conduct or designee. This live-in position will share on-call duty rotation for the Grant and Stevenson complexes. The position involves a level of accessibility and accountability to both students and staff. The graduate assistant will process and adjudicate student conduct cases through the Maxient Conduct Manager system. The graduate assistant will also work closely with complex coordinators, full-time and graduate hall directors who provide supervision and support the community advisors in the residence halls, student conduct office and the Department of Police and Public Safety. All residential communities support and contribute to the academic mission of the institution.

Duties and Responsibilities

Advising

  • Counsels, advises and refers residents on personal and academic matters.
  • Serve as a student conduct administrator by adjudicating low-level violations of university and Housing and Residential Services policies.
  • Establishes and maintains regularly scheduled office hours (10-15 hours/week).

Leadership

  • Creates intentional efforts to interact with students and provides opportunities for student growth and development by leading activities that incorporate the residential curriculum such as positive decision making.
  • Supports the mission, policies and procedures of the department and university.
  • Prepares, with assistance and supervision, presentations for Housing and Residential Life staff on topics related to student conduct.
  • Prepares weekly and monthly assessment reports for Student Conduct and Housing and Residential Services.
  • Promotes and develops an inclusive and academically supportive community by leading activities such as initiatives surrounding the bias incident response protocol and restorative justice initiatives.
  • Maintains confidentiality in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

Collaboration

  • Actively participates as a member of the Grant/Stevenson complex area team, along with additional graduate residence hall directors, residence hall directors, complex coordinators, office support staff, community safety officers, living-learning community coordinators and facilities staff.
  • Seeks opportunities to work collaboratively with departmental, divisional and campus partners through committees, liaison relationships and other interactions.
  • Collaborates with other staff within the complex and across Housing and Residential Services to ensure consistency and sharing of best practices.

Crisis Management

  • Responds to crisis and emergency situations and communicates necessary information appropriately.
  • Participates in area on-call duty rotation including weeknights, weekends and break periods when our university may be closed.
  • Serves as a campus security authority and assists with the process of reporting crimes to maintain accurate and timely crime statistics and to increase the overall safety of the campus.

Programming Development/Planning

Assists staff in assessing student needs and providing strategies related to the residential curriculum regarding student conduct and community standards.

Flexibility

May require after-hours commitments and rescheduling of appointments with students.

Interpersonal Relations

Requires an ability to build trust and a rapport with students, parents and other interested parties in potentially difficult situations.

Ability to Multi-task/Organizational Skills

Given the small number of staff in the office, may need to complete multiple projects simultaneously.

Proficient in Oral Communication to Individuals and Groups

Must present information to a conduct board or to an audience who does not necessarily understand the intricacies of the student conduct process.

Written Communication

Written information is routinely distributed about conduct matters at various levels of our institution.

Critical Thinking

Thinking critically is imperative when it comes to investigations and adjudication.

Assertiveness/Confrontation

Ability to confront students and assist in bringing about resolution to conduct related incidents.

Position Requirements

  • Admitted to NIU graduate school and enrolled in a graduate course of study.
  • Preference will be given to graduate students pursuing a degree in counseling, adult and higher education, but those pursuing degrees in a closely related field or discipline at NIU will also be considered.
  • Successful background check clearance.
  • No student conduct violations either at Northern Illinois University or any previously attended institutions.

Qualifications

  • Experience working with students of diverse educational, racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
  • Previous residence life experience or group living experience.
  • Previous student conduct experience.

Compensation

10-month, 20-hour-per-week position

  • Start Date: Mid-July.
  • Salary: $1,500 per month.
  • Housing in residence hall: furnished one-bedroom/one-bathroom apartment with local phone, cable services and high-speed internet.
  • Meal plan when Campus Dining Services is in operation.
  • Other benefits: Tuition waiver, professional development funds and reserved parking at a reduced rate (taxable benefit and domestic partnership benefits available). Summer employment may also be available.

Contact Information

Search Committee Chair
Housing and Residential Services
Neptune East 145
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115

residence_life@niu.edu
Office: 815-753-1526
Fax: 815-753-9226

Contact Us

Housing and Residential Services
Neptune East 101
housing@niu.edu
815-753-1525

Additional Contact Info


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