Human Resources

Lake Forest College is seeking an Assistant/Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Gates Center for Leadership & Personal Growth to provide dynamic, visible leadership for student engagement and development initiatives at Lake Forest College. This role oversees the Gates Center (the primary student activities office), the Mohr Student Center, and Mailing Services, ensuring a vibrant campus life that supports student success through curricular and co-curricular programs.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategic Oversight

• Provide highly visible leadership for the Gates Center and Mohr Student Center.
• Direct a comprehensive range of student activities and services that foster academic, career, and personal growth.
• Manage an annual operating budget for programs and services.
• Serve on leadership team of Student Affairs.
• Serve on Early Action Student Support Team (EASST).
• Actively seek and develop collaborations with campus partners.
• Be a visible and engaged member of the Student Affairs team by routinely attending programs and events on campus, including evening and weekend programs. 

Program Development & Management

• Manage the summer transition of new students to the College, collaborating with the Office of Admissions and numerous campus partners.  
• Supervise planning and implementation of New Student Orientation for fall and spring semesters, including the Welcome Experience Committee.
• Lead signature leadership development initiatives.
• Oversee approval process for speakers for Gates Center programming.
• Conduct annual evaluations of Gates Center operations and student learning outcomes; prepare annual budget allocation requests.

Student Engagement & Advising

• Co-advise and mentor Student Government and its Executive Board.
• Serve as advisor to Omicron Delta Kappa.
• Support student organizations and community service initiatives through staff supervision and program coordination.

Staff Supervision & Development

• Supervise, train, and mentor 2 full-time staff, one part-time professional staff member, and undergraduate student employees.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive environment aligned with the mission of the Gates Center and Student Affairs.

Campus Collaboration & Committee Service

• Represent Student Affairs on campus-wide committees, including First Year Studies Committee, Student Life Committee, Senior Programs, and Commencement planning.
• Partner with Admissions, Advancement, Athletics, Office for CARE, and other campus offices on major events such as Homecoming and Family Weekend.

Policy & Resource Management

• Maintain and update the Student Organization Handbook; advise on Student Handbook policies.
• Oversee policy development and ensure accessible programming initiatives.
• Supervise Mailing Services operations (outsourced arrangement).

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate in the Student Affairs Dean On-Call rotation, providing emergency support and crisis response.
• Collaborate with community partners to create service and engagement opportunities for students.

Qualifications: 

• Master’s Degree in Higher Education, or a related field, or equivalent experience required. 
• Progressive leadership in Student Affairs required.
• Strong commitment to collaborative, student-centered leadership required. 
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering inclusive, welcoming environments for diverse campus populations required. 
• Strong organizational, project management, facilitation, programming, and communication skills required. 
• Supervisory experience including managing, developing, and mentoring full-time professional staff and student employees required.
• Experience with crisis response desired.
• Budget planning and management experience desired. 
• Ability to work evening and weekend hours required.

Salary & Benefits

Salary: $90,000 - $100,000

Benefits: www.lakeforest.edu/offices-and-departments/human-resources/employee-benefits

Application

To apply please submit a cover letter and resume via email to campuslife@lakeforest.edu

If you are interested in learning more about employment at Lake Forest College, please visit Working at Lake Forest | Lake Forest College.