Dean - Student Support Services

The Dean, Student Support Services serves as a senior leader in the Student Affairs Division and provides strategic, operational, and administrative leadership for a comprehensive portfolio of student support programs and services, with a strong focus on student success, safety, engagement, accountability, and inclusion. The position will supervise leaders, establish strategy, manage complex and high-risk student matters, integrate multiple student-support functions, develop organizational capacity, and build partnerships across the college and community.

Reporting to the Vice President of Student Affairs, the Dean provides leadership and oversight for a broad, multi-department Student Affairs portfolio to include Disability Services, Student Conduct, Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), Career Services, Student Life and Leadership, Testing Services, and the CARE Team. The Dean ensures these areas operate collaboratively, effectively, and in alignment with institutional priorities and the evolving needs of students.

The Dean is the key institutional leader for student conduct, behavioral intervention/threat assessment, crisis response, non-instructional student complaints, and support for students experiencing complex or significant challenges. The position regularly reviews and resolves student conduct matters, coordinates interventions involving students of concern, leads behavioral intervention and threat assessment processes, facilitates crisis intervention efforts, coordinates support for students with complex needs, and works across the college and with community partners to promote a safe, supportive, equitable, and student-centered learning environment.

The Dean also provides leadership and coordination for assigned responsibilities related to campus safety and compliance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) - including coordination of required student-facing communications, reporting processes, documentation, and collaboration with Public Safety, senior administrators, and other institutional partners. The Dean supports accurate, timely, and consistent institutional reporting and helps ensure that student support, conduct, crisis response, and safety-related processes appropriately intersect with Clery reporting requirements.

As a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team, the Dean plays a key role in ensuring compliance, promoting a supportive campus culture, and creating opportunities for students to thrive. The Dean will serve as a strategic architect and change leader to guide efforts and ensure students are supported through credential completion and transfer. This role supports the college's long-term enrollment stability and Higher Learning Commission (HLC) expectations for evidence-based decision-making, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement.

The Dean is expected to balance two complementary responsibilities: supporting students in overcoming barriers to success while maintaining appropriate standards of conduct, accountability, safety, and institutional responsibility.

Additional Information

About the Role

Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Dean of Student Support Services is a senior leader who will provide college-wide strategic leadership and manage all functions for the college's Student Code of Conduct and Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), and simultaneously lead student support, basic needs, access, engagement and accountability, career development, student life & leadership, and disability and testing services as interconnected elements of the student experience.

Key responsibilities:

Student Conduct, Accountability, and Clery Coordination

o Lead, coordinate, and manage the colleges student conduct processes and conflict resolution services, as well as promote an educational, equitable, timely, and consistent approach to student accountability.

o Review conduct referrals; investigate and adjudicate cases as appropriate; conduct meetings with students; determine appropriate interventions, sanctions, and educational outcomes; maintain appropriate documentation; monitor case resolution; and collaborate with appropriate college and district officials.

o Provide leadership and coordination for assigned institutional responsibilities related to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), particularly as those responsibilities intersect with student conduct, behavioral intervention, crisis response, student complaints, student support, and campus safety.

o Coordinate with Public Safety, Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), designated Clery officials, senior administrators, and other institutional partners to support the identification, documentation, review, and appropriate reporting of information potentially subject to Clery reporting requirements.

o Support processes to ensure that applicable reports and disclosures are handled in a timely, accurate, consistent, and appropriately confidential manner and that relevant student affairs personnel understand their responsibilities for recognizing and appropriately referring information that may have Clery implications.

o Participate in and support the colleges preparation, development, review, implementation, and evaluation of required Clery-related policies, procedures, protocols, communications, training, audits, reviews, compliance activities, and operating practices within the scope of the position.

Behavioral Intervention, Threat Assessment & Crisis Response

o Lead, coordinate, and manage the colleges behavioral intervention and threat assessment functions, including the coordination and evaluation of concerns involving students whose behavior may indicate significant distress, disruption, risk, or potential harm.

o Work collaboratively with counseling professionals, Public Safety, Disability Services, faculty, administrators, legal counsel, community agencies, and other partners to develop coordinated responses to complex situations.

o Ensure that significant incidents and student safety concerns are appropriately documented, escalated, communicated, and referred to the appropriate institutional officials, including when circumstances may trigger Clery-related reporting, notification, or documentation requirements.

o Support timely coordination of emergency notifications, timely warnings, and other safety-related communications when assigned or when circumstances require coordination with the colleges designated Clery and emergency management officials.

Comprehensive Student Support

o Provide leadership for systems that identify and respond to students experiencing significant barriers or complex circumstances.

o Facilitate cross-functional case coordination and appropriate referrals to college and community resources while maintaining appropriate confidentiality, documentation, and follow-through.

o Execute and scale initiatives aligned with district-wide, institutional, and student support goals.

Departmental Leadership

o Provide strategic direction, administrative oversight, and leadership for a comprehensive portfolio of student support programs and services, ensuring that each area contributes to student access, success, engagement, well-being, persistence, and completion:

Career Services - career exploration and readiness, employment preparation, career programming, internships/employer engagement as assigned, and career-related student support.

Disability Services - access, accommodations, disability-related student support, and institutional compliance responsibilities.

Testing Services - accessible, secure, effective, and student-centered testing operations supporting placement, instructional, certification, and other college testing needs.

Student Life and Leadership - student engagement, leadership development, clubs and organizations, campus involvement, co-curricular programming, and opportunities that strengthen students connection and sense of belonging to the college.

Basic Needs Programming - Provide leadership and strategic direction for programs and services designed to address non-academic barriers that may affect students ability to enroll, persist, and succeed. Oversee and coordinate efforts related to food insecurity, housing instability, transportation challenges, emergency assistance, access to community and public resources, and other basic-needs supports. Develop collaborative partnerships across the college and with community agencies to strengthen referral pathways, reduce barriers to accessing assistance, and connect students with timely and appropriate resources.

Non-Instructional Student Complaints

o Provide oversight and resolution of non-instructional complaints and concerns involving college services, processes, employees, or student experiences within the scope of established college and district procedures.

Critical Student Matters

o Coordinate the colleges administrative response involving deceased students, including appropriate institutional notification, internal coordination, record-related processes, and communication with relevant college and district offices while ensuring matters are handled with sensitivity, professionalism, and respect.

Policy, Procedure & Compliance

o Develop, review, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, protocols, and operating practices related to assigned areas. Ensures practices remain aligned with college and district requirements and applicable federal and state regulations.

o Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, district, and institutional requirements affecting student conduct, student support, campus safety, behavioral intervention, crisis response, accessibility, privacy, and Clery compliance.

Budget & Resource Management

o Develop, recommend, administer, and monitor budgets for departments within the Deans portfolio. Establish funding priorities, evaluate resource needs, and ensure responsible stewardship of institutional and public resources.

Assessment & Continuous Improvement

o Use service utilization, student outcome, conduct, complaint, engagement, safety, Clery-related, and other relevant data to evaluate programs, identify trends, assess effectiveness, and recommend improvements.

o Establish clear metrics, accountability structures, and assessment cycles to ensure continuous improvement and sustained impact.

o Develop assessment plans and dashboards to monitor outcomes and communicate progress to campus stakeholders and senior leadership.

o Translate data and outcomes into executive-level and accreditation-ready reporting.

Deep understanding of case-management models and data-informed decision-making.

Lead cross-functional collaboration and partner with academic deans, faculty, student services, institutional research, enrollment management, and executive leadership to embed student support-focused practices into programs and practices.

Develop, mentor, and supervise high-performing leadership positions.

Lead through change, align diverse stakeholders, and establish a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Represent the college in system-wide, state, and national student support and success initiatives.

Engage in other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Student Affairs, supporting initiatives that advance the mission of the office and the division.

Why This Role Matters

Students ability to succeed in college is influenced by much more than what occurs in the classroom. Students may encounter disability-related barriers, personal crises, behavioral concerns, career uncertainty, interpersonal conflicts, financial or social challenges, or circumstances requiring coordinated institutional intervention.

The Dean of Student Support Services provides the leadership infrastructure that helps the college respond to these needs consistently, compassionately, appropriately, and effectively.

This position matters because it:

Provides senior leadership for student conduct and behavioral intervention processes requiring sound judgment, due process, appropriate documentation, and timely resolution.

Creates an institutional bridge between student access, engagement, belonging, student support, safety, accountability, and retention.

Ensures students experiencing complex circumstances are connected to appropriate resources rather than navigating multiple college systems independently.

Provides strategic leadership for departments that address critical dimensions of the student experience beyond the classroom.

Helps ensure that institutional policies and practices balance student rights, individual circumstances, community expectations, safety, and accountability.

Creates greater consistency in how non-instructional student concerns and complaints are addressed.

Strengthens collaboration among Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, College Operations, Public Safety, district resources, and community agencies.

Uses assessment and data to identify service gaps, improve student outcomes, and inform resource allocation.

At its core, this position ensures that students have both the support necessary to succeed and clear, equitable structures for accountability, safety, access, and engagement.

Essential Functions

All Student Affairs positions require consistent, full on-site attendance and engagement as an essential job function in order to provide in-person student affairs services, including but not limited to: student advising, support services, case management, programming, student walk-in services, daily operational support and collaboration, etc.-which precludes remote or hybrid work options for any Student Affairs role regardless of position classification.

60% Strategic Leadership, Departmental Oversight, & Organizational Management

Supervise leaders, establish strategy, integrate multiple departments, set expectations, develop employees, and ensure the portfolio advances institutional priorities.

Provide senior-level leadership and strategic direction for the Student Support Services portfolio and ensure assigned departments and programs operate collaboratively, effectively, and in alignment with college and Student Affairs priorities.

Provide leadership, supervision, and operational oversight for Career Services, Disability Services, Testing Services, Student Life and Leadership, and Basic Needs Programming.

Establish a cohesive vision and strategic direction for the Student Support Services portfolio that advances student access, engagement, success, safety, inclusion, persistence, and completion.

Supervise, develop, coach, and evaluate department leaders and assigned personnel as high-performing teams while establishing clear expectations for performance, collaboration, accountability, and student-centered service.

o Establish departmental goals, performance expectations, service standards, and measurable outcomes aligned with institutional priorities and student success goals. Monitor, evaluate, and conduct regular employee performance evaluations.

o Create a unit that thinks creatively and executes with precision and speed for the purpose of creating a climate of belonging and care for all students.

o Lead through change, align diverse stakeholders, and establish a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Promote collaboration and integration among departments within the portfolio to create a more coordinated student experience.

Lead organizational and operational improvements for student support services, including staffing models, workflows, policies, and governance structures that strengthen service delivery, remove unnecessary barriers, and improve the student experience.

o Coordinate technology tracking systems, data collection, and analysis.

Identify, pilot, scale, and institutionalize initiatives and evidence-based practices to improve student sense of belonging, safety, engagement, safety, accountability, and inclusion.

Provide responsible stewardship of financial, human, technological, and community resources supporting the Student Support Services portfolio.

o Develop, administer, monitor, and provide strategic oversight for departmental budgets within the assigned portfolio.

o Develop and present budget proposals based upon departmental needs, institutional priorities, student demand, service data, and anticipated outcomes.

o Make strategic recommendations regarding staffing, technology, programs, facilities, contracts, and other resources.

o Identify opportunities to secure, leverage, or coordinate institutional, district, grant, governmental, philanthropic, and community resources.

o Ensure responsible stewardship of institutional and public resources while aligning investments with measurable student and organizational outcomes.

Promote accessible, equitable, inclusive, and student-centered services across assigned departments and programs.

Ensure appropriate training, professional development, succession planning, and leadership development for employees within the assigned portfolio.

Demonstrate self-awareness, self-control, motivation, empathy, social skills and group work skills.

Identify/address problem areas before they escalate into crises. Solve problems courageously and creatively, plan effectively and carry out those plans. Manage ambiguity and align the unit and college values with performance.

Demonstrate a strong work ethic and sense of ambition. Make good use of resources.

25% Program/Operation Implementation - Student Conduct, Behavioral Intervention, Crisis Response, Student Support & Clery-Related Operations

Administer and provide senior-level oversight of student conduct processes, including complex, sensitive, and high-level student cases.

Ensure student conduct processes support appropriate due process, consistency, documentation, education, accountability, and timely resolution.

Review, investigate, adjudicate, and/or provide consultation regarding student conduct matters as appropriate.

Lead and/or provide senior leadership for behavioral intervention, students-of-concern, and threat assessment activities.

Coordinate multidisciplinary responses involving students demonstrating concerning, disruptive, threatening, or high-risk behaviors.

Exercise sound judgment regarding intervention, escalation, referral, emergency response, and institutional action.

Participate in and provide leadership during student crises and other significant incidents affecting individual students or the broader college community.

Collaborate with Public Safety, counseling professionals, Disability Services, faculty, administrators, district resources, legal counsel, and external agencies when appropriate.

Develop, review, and improve protocols related to student conduct, behavioral intervention, threat assessment, crisis response, and student safety.

Provide strategic leadership for coordinated systems of support for students experiencing complex circumstances or non-academic barriers that may affect their ability to enroll, persist, engage, and complete their educational goals.

o Coordinate institutional support for students with complex needs through effective case consultation, referral, intervention, cross-departmental collaboration, and appropriate follow-through.

o Provide strategic leadership for Basic Needs Programming and student resource support, including efforts addressing food insecurity, housing instability, transportation challenges, emergency financial needs, access to public benefits, and other barriers affecting student success.

o Strengthen coordinated systems for connecting students with appropriate college, district, governmental, nonprofit, and community resources.

o Develop and maintain partnerships and referral networks with community agencies, social service organizations, governmental resources, and other external partners.

o Identify emerging student needs and recommend programs, partnerships, interventions, or resources to address identified gaps.

Oversee processes for non-instructional student complaints and facilitate appropriate, equitable, consistent, and timely resolution.

Develop, interpret, review, and implement policies, procedures, protocols, and administrative practices related to assigned areas.

Ensure appropriate documentation, confidentiality, records management, and adherence to applicable college and district requirements.

Analyze quantitative and qualitative data-including service utilization, student conduct, complaints, basic-needs referrals, student engagement, accessibility, and other relevant indicators-to identify trends and evaluate effectiveness.

Coordinate administrative notifications and college processes involving deceased students with sensitivity, professionalism, confidentiality, and appropriate collaboration with college and district offices.

Coordinate with Public Safety, designated Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), senior administrators, and other institutional partners regarding incidents or information that may have Clery reporting or disclosure implications.

Support timely identification, documentation, review, referral, and reporting of information that may be subject to Clery requirements within the scope of assigned responsibilities.

Develop, review, and improve protocols related to student conduct, behavioral intervention, threat assessment, crisis response, student safety, and Clery-related responsibilities.

Use data and assessment findings to identify service gaps, recommend improvements, inform decisions, and demonstrate the impact of Student Support Services.

10% Compliance

Ensure compliance, and follow, understand, and adhere to federal, state, District Office, and institutional regulations/laws/policies.

Ensure departmental practices remain responsive to changing regulatory requirements, professional standards, institutional expectations, and student needs.

Utilize relevant, appropriate, and approved systems to communicate and monitor student interaction and progress.

Monitor the compliance and reporting standards and remain abreast of district, state, and federal regulations.

Maintain confidentiality, including accurate and confidential records and as required by accreditation agencies, school policies, and administrative regulations.

Prepare accurate reports and documentation as required and requested.

Track and monitor federal grants; prepare and monitor department budgets and other related budgets and operations.

Ensure students equal access to MCC's curricular and co-curricular activities. Support students and counsel them to better understand their MCC experience.

5% Other

Monitor changing regulatory requirements and ensure departmental practices remain responsive to applicable legal, accreditation, professional, and institutional expectations.

Maintain accurate and complete records and documentation required by applicable laws, accreditation agencies, college policies, and administrative regulations.

Prepare accurate reports and documentation as required and requested.

Perform other duties and senior leadership responsibilities as assigned by the Vice President of Student Affairs.

Support the Vice President of Student Affairs and Student Affairs leadership team in advancing divisional and college priorities.

Ability to act in the absence of the Vice President, Student Affairs.

Provide leadership or representation for emerging institutional priorities, special projects, committees, or initiatives consistent with the scope and level of the position.

Responsible for other reasonable related duties as assigned commensurate to the grade level of the position.

Remain current regarding emerging practices, research, trends, and regulatory requirements affecting the Deans assigned areas.