Assistant Director Student Governance and Clubs

Central Washington University is recruiting a Assistant Director Student Governance and Clubs to join our Student Involvement team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a salary, depending on experience, from $49,833 - $59,800 annually plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.

Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~10,000 students.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for the seventh time in eight years, CWU is a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

The Role:

The Assistant Director for Student Government and Registered Student Organizations Student Clubs is a key member of the Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement (SLICE) team, responsible for fostering a vibrant and inclusive campus community by supporting student leaders, clubs, and organizations. This position provides strategic leadership, mentorship, risk management and guidance to ensure students thrive in co-curricular activities while maintaining compliance with university policies and procedures. The Assistant Director is second in command and provides support to the Director of SLICE. The Assistant Director acts as the advisor to the ASCWU Student Government, supporting student leaders in developing leadership skills, navigating university processes, mitigating risk and promoting civil discourse during demonstrations, protests, and other forms of activism, ensuring student rights are upheld while maintaining a safe, respectful campus environment. The Assistant Director is also the primary facilitator for clubs and organizations, overseeing registration through an online platform, providing consultation for members and advisors, and designing professional development opportunities. This position works collaboratively with teams in Student Engagement and Success, academic departments, and administrative offices while maintaining regular interaction with students, advisors, external agencies, and the public. The Assistant Director plays a critical role in cultivating a sense of belonging, fostering student leadership, and ensuring a supportive environment for involvement. All employees are expected to support CWU's commitment to diversity and to bring and support inclusion into the university environment.

ASCWU Duties

Leadership Development and Mentoring:
- Coach and mentor student government officers, fostering skills in communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, and decision-making.
- Facilitate leadership retreats, workshops, and one-on-ones to support personal and professional growth, enhancing individual and team performance.
- Promote student ownership of roles and responsibilities, balancing guidance with opportunities for independent learning.
- Stay informed of national best practices in student governance, organization management, and leadership development.

Governance, Compliance, and Policy:
- Guide officers in meeting management, including agenda creation, parliamentary procedure, and effective facilitation.
- Support the development and revision of governing documents (constitutions, bylaws, policies) to align with institutional goals.
- Serve as a resource for institutional policies, procedures, and relevant state laws, ensuring student government activities remain compliant.
- Advocate for student government priorities with university administrators and other stakeholders.

Event Planning and Administrative Support:
- Assist with organizing student-led events and initiatives to ensure alignment with institutional values and effective execution.
- Help students navigate complex administrative processes (e.g., contract negotiation, purchasing, travel planning), offering guidance and support.

Conflict Resolution and Support:
- Facilitate constructive discussions to resolve disputes within student government or with external stakeholders.
- Provide neutral support during challenging situations so student leaders feel heard, while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

Financial Oversight:
- Provide training and consultation on budget planning, fund allocation, and tracking expenditures; provide guidance on responsible resource management to support initiatives.

Transition Management and Knowledge Transfer:
- Maintain continuity and historical context for student government, ensuring lessons learned are passed on; prepare outgoing officers for leadership transitions, including training and onboarding new members.

Club & Organization Administration
- Advisor Support and Training: Provide tools, training, and resources to student organization advisors, including policy updates, informational meetings, and newsletters. Lead annual student organization and advisor training, including transitions and CWU-mandated requirements.
- Student Organization Management: Oversee the registration, renewal, and archives of student organizations through the management platform. Advise clubs on issues like community building, policy compliance, risk management, and crisis intervention.
- Program and Event Coordination: Organize quarterly Involvement Fairs and support signature events like Homecoming, Family Weekend, and Student Appreciation. Promote collaboration and programming to enhance student involvement and intercultural competence.
- Fiscal Oversight: Provide professional fiscal guidance and manage RSO club funding. Recruit, train, and advise RSO Funds Council representatives. Oversee purchases and travel for student organizations, ensuring compliance with university policies.
- Travel and Risk Management: Coordinate travel logistics (e.g., transportation, meals, safety briefings) and act as the primary point of contact for traveling organizations, including during emergencies. Ensure adherence to insurance policies and risk mitigation procedures.
- Contract Support: Assist clubs with contracted services, such as performers and speakers, ensuring compliance with university policies.
- Professional Development and Diversity: Engage in professional development, ensure programming addresses diversity and inclusion, and facilitate student learning related to identity and intercultural competence.
- Budget Management: Prepare and present department programming budgets in coordination with SURC Accounting Funds Manager.

Club Advisor Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary support to RSO Leadership Council.
- Clearly define performance expectations, ensure accountability, and provide ongoing informal advising, coaching, and mentoring for club officers and advisors.
- Promote professional development opportunities.
- Develop and foster supportive working relationships, motivation and engagement.
- Provide behavioral intervention to students and advisors including counseling, mediation, problem solving, policy incidents and referrals of individuals or groups of students regarding personal concerns, academic needs, or policies.
- Adjust leadership style as needed to achieve results.
- Interpret and counsel students and advisors on university policy and determine educational advice and/or responsibilities for policy that best meet student and advisor needs, and contractual obligations to the University.

Supervisor and Administrative Leadership Duties
- Supervise professional and/or graduate and student staff.
- In the Director's absence, manage day-to-day operations, serve as department spokesperson, and make key administrative decisions in line with departmental and institutional priorities.
- Address immediate or critical issues, escalating matters when necessary, and ensuring that continuity and service quality are maintained.
- Represent the department at meetings, conferences, and committees, advocating for student government and club interests.
- Establish key performance indicators to gauge the success of student government and club initiatives; coordinate surveys, focus groups, and other data collection methods; and prepare reports highlighting engagement outcomes and budget utilization for senior leadership.
- Proactively recruit and hire new employees, ensuring they have the necessary resources and clear guidance from day one.
- Performance Management: define expectations, oversee daily work, conduct evaluations, provide coaching, and take corrective action in a timely manner.
- Promote professional growth through mentorship, training, and recognition; foster a supportive, motivated environment through effective communication and relationship-building.
- Value diverse perspectives, creativity, and teamwork; adapt leadership style to achieve results and cultivate a culture of respect and collaboration.

- Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Public Administration or related field.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in student affairs or related areas, with demonstrated success advising student government or student organizations.
• Experience managing budgets, supervising professional staff or graduate assistants, and working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of student development theory, governance structures, and higher education administration.
• Experience with program management and risk management.
• Experience interpreting and communicating policies and procedures.
• Experience effectively organizing multiple work assignments, involving competing priorities to produce work products that are accurate, of high quality, and that meet deadlines.
• Computer proficiency and abilities, specifically the Microsoft Office Suite and Email.
• Demonstrated willingness and/or experience working with and mentoring students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and experiences.
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Public Administration or related field
• Previous experience and proficiencies with web-based club/organization software programs (i.e., Suitable, Engage, 25 Live Scheduling, etc.).
• Experience supporting or coordinating club/organization travel and contract services.
• Experience recruiting students for student involvement initiatives.
• Experience in event planning.
• Ability to incorporate multicultural perspectives and issues into everyday conversations.
• Life experiences that demonstrate an ability to contribute to CWU's commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Diversity: Recognizes the value of diversity and helps create environment that supports and embraces diversity.

Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. This may be the job for you!

Salary: This position has a minimum annual salary of $49,833 and maximum annual salary of $69,766. The Hiring Department's expected hiring range is $49,833 - $59,800. In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the hiring range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Schedule/Appointment: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm (1 hour lunch)

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work and/or occasional travel may be required.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.