Assistant Director for Student Belonging and Equity in Worcester, Massachusetts at Clark University

Clark University

Location: Worcester, MA Category: Staff and Administrators Job Type: Full-time - Exempt Posted On: Tue Jun 23 2026 Job Description:

Position Summary

The Assistant Director for Student Belonging and Equity develops and leads inclusive, intersectional, and student-centered educational, cultural, and community-building programs that foster belonging, joy, connection, and success for students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities, including, first-generation college students, BIPOC students, students in the LGBTQIA+ community, and students navigating identity exploration and community connection. Grounded in equity, cultural responsiveness, and asset-based practice, this role supports students in building community, exploring identity, developing leadership capacity, and navigating the college experience in affirming and empowering ways. The Assistant Director collaborates across campus departments to enhance the student experience and support the advancement of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) goals. Reporting to the Associate Director for Community Engagement and Equity, the assistant director provides student support, advises student organizations, coordinates identity-centered campus initiatives, and serves as an advocate, educator, helping students navigate and access essential campus resources.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Programming & Identity Development (35%)

• Create engaging cultural, educational, leadership, and community-building experiences that foster connection, celebration, identity exploration, and student belonging.
• Coordinate a cohesive and consistent series of engagement initiatives and opportunities that support, enhance, educate, or uplift historically underrepresented communities including first-generation college students, BIPOC students, students in the LGBTQIA+ community, and students navigating identity exploration and community connection.
• Facilitate workshops, trainings, and dialogues that center and explore the intersection of social identities while developing student growth and wellbeing.
• Advise and support identity-centered student organizations and leadership initiatives including, but not limited to, the Identity Leadership Retreat (ILR) and the MOSAIC Collective.
• Collaborate with campus partners to create intersectional and inclusive programming opportunities and serve on or lead campus committees, working groups, and strategic planning efforts related to student success and belonging.
• Cultivate opportunities for students from diverse lived experiences to strengthen leadership skills, celebrate identity, build meaningful community, and navigate institutional spaces through approaches that center cultural wealth, resilience, joy, and asset-based mentorship.

ACE Summer Institute & Community Coordination (20%)

• Lead the planning, implementation, and assessment of the ACE Summer Institute, an early arrival program and transition program open to all students and designed to center and enhance the success, sense of belonging, and retention of first-generation college students and BIPOC students.
• Develop an engaging, inclusive and culturally responsive curriculum focused on college transition, confidence-building, leadership development, academic success, identity exploration, and community-building.
• Recruit, train, and supervise student leaders (ACE mentors) that support the ACE Summer Institute experience.
• Collaborate with campus partners including, but not limited to, Academic Engagement and Transitions, the Care team, Career Connections, Student Employment, Residential Life and Housing, Counseling and Personal Growth, and Student Accessibility Services to ensure a holistic student transition experience.
• Manage program logistics including scheduling, communications, budgeting, assessment, and event coordination.
• Use assessment data and student feedback to continuously improve the ACE Summer Institute and measure its impact on student success, belonging, and persistence.

Student Support & Advocacy (15%)

• Serve as a member of the Care team, providing holistic support, crisis response, and referrals for students navigating personal, academic, and social challenges.
• Serve as a trusted resource, advocate, and partner for students from historically underrepresented communities, centering care, affirmation, empowerment, and student voice.
• Assist students in connecting with campus resources including, but not limited to, counseling, academic advising, faculty, career connections, well-being, financial aid, student employment, residential life and housing, and student involvement opportunities.
• Maintain awareness of student needs, trends, and concerns impacting historically underrepresented student populations, infusing said needs, trends, and concerns into larger DEIB goals and outcomes.

Assessment and Impact (10%)

• Design and implement assessment and evaluation strategies to measure the effectiveness, reach, and impact of identity programming supported and/or coordinated through the office
• Establish clear, measurable learning outcomes focused on changes in student understanding of identity, self-concept, and community, as well as their ability to engage effectively across diverse identities.
• Collaborate with campus partners to identify trends, gaps, and emerging student needs, and adjust programs, outreach strategies, and policies and procedures accordingly.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of student worker programming and outreach efforts, including training outcomes and student engagement metrics and impact.
• Assist in ensuring requirements to maintain First Gen Network status are met, including, but not limited to, the creation of annual goals and completion of the annual First Gen Network report.
• Assist in creating an annual ACE donor report highlighting program impact, showcasing engagement data, impact, and key student outcomes including retention and graduation rates.

Supervision and Leadership (10%)

• Provide direct supervision, feedback, training, and direction to student employees.
• Support the hiring, supervision, feedback, training, and direction to student staff (graduate assistants, student workers, student leaders, etc.) in the implementation of programs, initiatives, and execution of assigned/affiliated tasks.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and student-centered team culture grounded in learning, mentorship, creativity, accountability, and professional development.

Student Success, Community Engagement, and Inclusion (10%)

• Actively support and lead university-wide efforts to promote student retention, belonging and identity development.
• Center equity, inclusion and student voice while critically working to ensure student engagement, belonging, wellbeing, retention, and success.
• Play a key role in campus traditions and high-level university initiatives and experiences, such as opening weekend, undergraduate onboarding, orientation, commencement, family weekend, traditional events, etc.
• Promote efficiency and courtesy throughout the University community, ensuring consistency with Student Success' mission and values.
• Develop assessment plans and key performance indicators and metrics to demonstrate success.
• Remain cognizant of the University's mission and identity, the constant promotion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and the importance of student voices.
• Communicate effectively with supervisor concerning pertinent departmental and University matters.
• Serve as an active and responsible committee member for divisional and university-wide committees and communicate relevant information as appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned that are in the best interest of the Division of Student Success.

Job Requirements:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, social work, education, or related field.
• Minimum of 1-2 years of professional experience in student affairs, multicultural affairs, LGBTQ+ services, first-generation student support, or related areas.
• Knowledge of student development theory and the ability to translate theory into meaningful co-curricular learning, leadership development, and community-building experiences in college environments.
• Understanding of systemic inequities in higher education and how institutional structures impact student identity, access, and success.
• Ability to apply theory-to-practice approaches in program development, advising, and student support within identity-based spaces.
• Knowledge of culturally responsive and trauma-informed practices that support holistic student development and well-being.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, facilitation, and collaboration skills, with the ability to build authentic relationships across diverse communities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in higher education administration, counseling, social work, or related field.
• Familiarity with critical theories in higher education (e.g., critical race theory, feminist theory, queer theory, and critical pedagogy) and their relevance to identity-centered practice.
• Experience advising student organizations and supervising student staff.
• Experience with assessment, program evaluation, and budget management.
• Training in identity development, restorative practices, trauma-informed care, or social justice education.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Primarily on-site with evening and weekend responsibilities related to university and student events and programs.

Additional Information:

Expected Hiring Range: $44,800 to $60,250

Pay Transparency Disclosure:
The compensation for this position will be determined based on factors that include available budget, internal equity, and the selected candidate's qualifications, experience, education, and other job-related credentials. This range represents Clark University's good-faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting consistent with Clark's compensation philosophy and internal alignment.

At Clark University we believe that diversity of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to a more innovative and productive work environment. We welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to join our team and contribute their unique ideas to help us achieve our goals.

Clark University offers a generous benefit package for full and, if applicable, part-time employees that include; paid time off, generous retirement plan, group health and dental insurance, life insurance, and tuition, along with use of many campus amenities. For a complete list of benefits for eligible employees visit here.

To review the Clark University Police Department Annual Security and Fire Safety Report visit here.