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Job Summary
A Residential Life Coordinator (RLC) is an active and visible live-in professional staff member who provides 24-hour/day leadership and supervisory support for their residential community. Qualified candidates must be able to respond to emergency and crisis situations, engage students through programming, enforce policy, and build community during business hours and sometimes on evenings and weekends. Qualified candidates will make Caltech their permanent residence. RLCs report to the Director of Residential Experience and work within the Office of Student Experience (OSE) which also includes student activities, programs, and engagement, first year initiatives and the faculty in residence program.
Together with other members of OSE, RLCs implement Caltech’s residential curriculum; provide non-clinical counseling; take part in an after-hours emergency response rotation; coordinate engagement and social programming; develop and supervise para-professional staff members; serve as low-level conduct hearing administrators; and administer Housing procedures. RLCs also engage with students and communities with the goal of providing an inclusive environment and a rewarding Caltech experience. A successful RLC develops meaningful relationships, especially with students serving in leadership roles.
The Graduate Residential Life Coordinator (GRLC) is responsible for overseeing multiple housing complexes within graduate residential communities, including the Catalina Apartment Complex and off-campus lease properties. The GRLC is also responsible for hiring, training, and supervising the work of the Graduate Resident Associates (Grad RA team) and will appoint, train, and advise the Caltech Community Associates (CCAs) who develop social and educational programs for graduate students. A successful candidate for the position of GRLC will develop meaningful relationships with graduate students. They will address the co-curricular needs of the graduate student community, and will work with colleagues to support the academic, emotional and well-being of graduate students.
The GRLC will oversee all aspects of the residential experience for graduate students, including and not limited to, reserving event spaces for graduate students in the Catalina Apartment Complex, assisting with roommate conflicts and community noise issues, working in collaboration with the Caltech Accessibility Services for Students and the Housing Office in the emotional support animal (ESA) registration process, collaborating with the Housing Office during graduate housing lottery period on roommate finder resources for new and returning students, and responding to any residential-life related inquiries from graduate residents (student and family members, including partners and spouses).
Another role of the GRLC is to support graduate students transitional programming to the Institute each summer and orientation each fall. In collaboration with the Director of New Student Transition Programs and First-Year Experience, the GRLC will be involved in supporting New Graduate Student Orientation, as well as year-round transition programs for new students. In addition, the GRLC will provide supportive programs for upper year graduate students.
The GRLC will attend area programs and meals, host weekly office hours, organize social events, and support student activities. They will engage in ongoing communication within the graduate residential areas – all with the goal of providing an inclusive community and a rewarding Caltech experience to our master’s and doctoral students. The GRLC will also play an integral role in Caltech’s student and emergency work and therefore participate in ongoing trainings and professional development around these important issues.
RLCs play a key role in helping Student Affairs identify the co-curricular needs of the undergraduate and graduate student community and collaborate with other offers to engage students. And all members of the OSE are expected to collaborate with the Graduate Studies Office, the Housing office, The Care Team, Student Wellness Services, Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity, Caltech Y, Title IX and Equity, and other campus partners to support students’ academic and psychosocial success.
This is an Essential Reporting position. In the event of an emergency on campus, an employee designated as essential reporting has essential job skills that are needed for response and recovery and is expected to report to Campus as soon as possible.
Essential Job Duties
- Live in campus housing and serve as the primary resource for graduate students’ residential experience, including and not limited to, attending various student functions, evening events, new student graduate orientation, commencement.
- Hold weekly office or open house hours and make every effort to get to know—and have a meaningful connection to — their own area residents, as well as other students in Caltech property owned housing.
- Serve as the staff advisor for the Caltech Community Associates program and other graduate student leadership on various matters and develop tailored educational programs for graduate students.
- Supervise the Resident Associates (RAs) in their area, all of whom are Caltech Graduate Students. This includes leading bi-weekly area discussions; attending weekly Residential Life meetings; hiring and supporting area staff; managing the area budget; and aiding in the training of the RAs.
- Participation in an on-call rotation for the entire undergraduate/graduate population; emergency/crisis response; individual student interventions; policy enforcement and low-level conduct hearings; and service on the Conduct Review Committee. This position is considered essential reporting for emergencies.
- Manage the administrative functions of the residential area including housing check-in and move-out, Caltech Housing and Institute policy enforcement and other needs.
- Participate in and lead additional ORE and campus initiatives that support and engage students.
- Evening and weekend responsibilities expected.
- Other duties as assigned.
Basic Qualifications
- Have or will complete a master’s degree within three months of their hire in Education, Social Work or a related program and two years of paraprofessional or professional experience working with students in higher education.
- Crisis/Emergency response/management experience.
- Ability to successfully co-habitat with campus residents in a collegial manner.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills as well as the ability to multi-task, prioritize and be flexible.
- Appreciation of the culture and priorities of a Science and Technology-focused research institution.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional experience working with graduate students in Higher Education.
- Experience as a student or professional at another academically rigorous institution/university.
- Experience living in as an RA or other similar Residential Life position.
- Professional experience addressing graduate student needs and understanding graduate student development.
- Appreciation for the demands on graduate students, especially at the doctoral level.
Required Documents
