| Job Summary/Basic Function | The Center for Spirituality and Social Justice (CSSJ) guides, nurtures, and enhances spiritual, religious, and ethical life within the Dickinson College community. The CSSJ Director is responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to foster a campus environment that affirms religious and spiritual identities and promotes belonging, equity, and inclusion. Reporting to the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, the Director serves as a critical member of the leadership team in the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The Center for Spirituality and Social Justice is a nondenominational, nonsectarian office within the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The Director, who serves as chaplain for the college, will be a champion for equitable and inclusive experiences for students, faculty, and staff of all religious and spiritual backgrounds. This position is called to assist students of all faiths, or no faith, in their spiritual development and is expected to lead an extensive interfaith program for the entire campus. The Director will have a keen understanding of the role that spiritual and religious life plays in student development and must be able to translate that understanding into effective programming and experiences that will challenge students to grow in their understanding of themselves and others.
Consistent with the mission of the Center, the Director will demonstrate the capacity to be a multidisciplinary leader with strengths in advocacy and social justice and the ability to provide direction for Dickinson’s spiritual and religious life. The next leader will be an effective communicator with the ability to regularly host lectures, training, and workshops related to spirituality, equity, and social justice. Prior experience in restorative justice, reconciliation, or mediation are desired.
Essential Functions: - Chaplain: Functions as chaplain for the college. Responsibilities include but are not limited to providing pastoral guidance, emotional support, or spiritual care; assisting the emergency management team (ERT) during planning activities and actual campus emergencies; facilitating memorial services for members of the campus community; officiating at campus weddings serving as college chaplain; participation in 9/11 memorial, ROTC Commissioning, and other campus occasions that may call for prayer and spiritual support. In this capacity, the Director serves as a confidential resource for those who seek guidance or pastoral care.
- Student Programming and Engagement: Be a visible advocate and knowledgeable resource on campus, with work that spans the academic, co-curricular, and social life of the College. Plan, develop, and implement interfaith programs, activities, and services. Build and maintain a strong and comprehensive student programming model that supports and encourages an environment of religious exploration, meaning-making and purpose, and identity development.
- Equity Leadership: Work to reduce structural barriers to student success by regularly reviewing institutional policies, practices, and procedures and providing recommendations for change. This includes but is not limited to ensuring compliance with the college’s religious accommodations policies, proactively identifying gaps in faith-based and non-sectarian spiritual support, maintaining a calendar of religious and spiritual occasions, and working with stakeholders to negotiate conflicts that occur between these observances and campus events, and partnering with campus offices (e.g., residential life, academic affairs, and dining services) in support of students of various cultures and faith traditions.
- Education and Workshops: Use various forms of data to understand our campus climate and work collaboratively across the campus to develop, implement, and assess learning and professional development opportunities for students, staff, and faculty both to educate and shift campus culture.
- Committee Leadership: Chair the 7-member Interfaith Advisory Board and ensure visibility and coordination among the multifaith religious leaders affiliated with the college. As appointed, serve as a divisional representative on working groups, steering committees, and college-wide committees.
- Coordination and Collaboration: Coordinate social justice related programs, lectures, research, and activities. Lead the Center in a multidisciplinary and intersectional manner that highlights connections between social justice and the College’s academic program (e.g., connections between social justice and disciplines in STEM, social sciences, visual and performing arts, and social sciences).
- Office Leadership: Provide leadership and direction for the day-to-day operations of the Center for Spirituality and Social Justice. This includes but is not limited to budget management, ordering supplies, supervision of student workers and 1 FTE, timely responses to inquiries, website updates, sponsorship of programs and initiatives, and ensuring proper maintenance and upkeep of worship, prayer, and mediation spaces on campus.
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| Preferred Qualifications | Education:
Required:
Master’s degree – religion, theology, ministry, social work, psychology or related field.
Candidates with a demonstrated history of success accomplishing the essential functions of this directorship in a college or university setting are encouraged to apply.
5 – 8 years experience
Preferred:
Doctoral degree -religion, theology, ministry, social work, psychology or related field.
Preferred Experience and Qualities
• Prior experience in higher education (e.g. campus ministry, student success, student affairs, social justice…)
• Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, holistic student development
• Recognized standing in a religious tradition that would allow one to perform the chaplaincy functions successfully.
• Clinical Pastoral Education or equivalent supervised ministry experience.
• Ability to cultivate strong connections within a college or university setting; forging positive working relationships with a wide range of constituents (administrators, students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni).
• Ability to effectively plan, organize, and prioritize work.
• Commitment to inclusion and equitable and just outcomes
• Intrinsically motivated. Ability to take initiative and act independently with sound judgment.
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