Associate Dean of Students for Student Life (Administrator II)

San Diego State University is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and student-centered Associate Dean of Students for Student Life to oversee four key student engagement centers and help shape a vibrant, inclusive, and engaging campus experience. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence university-wide student engagement, leadership development, and organizational accountability while contributing to SDSU's commitment to student success and well-being.

Reporting to the Dean of Students, the Associate Dean provides strategic direction and oversight for the Center for Student Organizations & Activities, Esports Engagement Center, Glazer Center for Leadership & Service, and Pierce Greek Life Center. In this role, you'll guide a team of student affairs professionals, oversee budgets and resources, and advance signature campus programs such as Aztec Nights, the SDSU Leadership Summit, One SDSU Community, and student involvement initiatives. You'll also oversee Recognized Student Organization conduct processes, support regulatory compliance and risk management efforts, and collaborate with campus partners to navigate complex student issues and emergencies.

As a member of the Office of the Dean of Students' leadership team, you'll help shape policies, strengthen campus partnerships, and support strategic initiatives that enhance the student experience. This position is ideal for a student affairs professional who values collaborative decision-making, thoughtful policy interpretation, and balancing student development with organizational accountability.

• →Provide strategic oversight for four student engagement centers, including staff supervision, financial management, and program development.
• →Oversee Recognized Student Organization conduct processes, including investigations, case management, and educational accountability.
• →Coordinate campus-wide programs and initiatives that promote student involvement, leadership development, and community building.
• →Guide compliance and risk management efforts, including hazing prevention education, reporting requirements, and student organization policies.
• →Collaborate with campus partners on complex student concerns, crisis response, and campus-wide initiatives, including participation in the Administrator-on-Duty rotation and SDSU’s expressive activity response team.

• This is a full-time, at-will role, offering comprehensive benefits. 
• Position is designated exempt under FLSA and is not eligible for overtime compensation. 
• Standard SDSU work hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but may vary based on operational needs.
• This position requires routine evening and weekend work. 
• This position is approved for partial telecommuting with onsite work in San Diego.

The Office of the Dean of Students at San Diego State University supports and enhances the student experience by creating inclusive communities of care and developing student leaders. The office oversees a broad portfolio of student engagement, leadership, transition, support, and co-curricular programs, including, but not limited to, the Center for Student Organizations and Activities, Esports Engagement Center, Glazer Center for Leadership & Service, Pierce Greek Life Center, CARES, Center for Commuter Life, SDSU Connects, Orientation, Transition, and Family Engagement, SDSU Ambassadors, Aztec Nights, Conflict Management Action Team, and the Mentor and Success Coaching Collective.

Through these programs and services, the office helps students navigate their transition to SDSU, build meaningful connections, engage in leadership and campus life, access support resources, and develop the skills needed to become successful scholars, citizens, and leaders. It also provides crisis support, coordinated care, family engagement, and student-centered resources that promote belonging, well-being, and retention.

For more information regarding the Office of the Dean of Students, click here.

A Master’s degree in Counseling, College Student Personnel Administration, Higher Education, or related field is required.  

A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in student affairs, student support, and crisis management is essential. This includes, but is not limited to, on-call crisis response, case management, policy development and enforcement, fraternity and sorority life, student development, student activities, student success initiatives, diversity and inclusion, and leadership programs in a university setting.

• Extensive knowledge of student development principles, student affairs administration, and student engagement practices in higher education.
• Experience providing strategic leadership and operational oversight of multiple student services programs, departments, and initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring, and evaluating professional staff while managing budgets, resources, and organizational priorities.
• Experience overseeing student organizations, fraternity and sorority life, leadership development, and campus-wide student engagement programs.
• Knowledge of student conduct processes, risk management, university policies, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Experience managing student crises, emergency response, conflict resolution, and sensitive situations with sound judgment and care.
• Effective communication, collaboration, and strategic planning skills, with experience building partnerships across diverse campus and community stakeholders.
• Availability to participate in an on-call emergency response rotation and work evenings and weekends as needed.

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At SDSU, our diversity gives us power and benefits every single member of our community.  Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, SDSU provides equal opportunity for all in education and employment.  We encourage all members of our community to purposefully learn from one another through open and respectful dialogue and responsible engagement. We strongly preserve the right to free expression and encourage difficult conversations that help lead to improved individual and community learning and cohesion.

Principles of Community

At San Diego State University, we are a community of diverse individuals who have and represent many perspectives, beliefs, and identities. This diversity lends our community strength, and we commit to creating and sustaining an inclusive and intellectually vibrant environment that benefits all members of our university. 

SDSU’s Principles of Community is an aspirational statement that is intended to evolve over time. The statement reflects the ideals we are encouraged to uphold in our interactions with one another. 

All university programs and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, San Diego State University (SDSU) provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. SDSU complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices. 

SDSU is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At SDSU, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.