Director of Student Affairs

About the role

Mount Tamalpais College provides an intellectually rigorous, inclusive Associate of Arts degree program and college preparatory program, free of charge, to people at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; expands access to quality higher education for incarcerated people; and fosters equity, civic engagement, independence of thought, and freedom of expression. The Director of Student Affairs leads nonacademic student support functions, including student affairs, student support counseling, learning support, career support, alumni support, and reentry resource navigation, and directly supervises the Learning Specialist and Alumni Affairs Associate.

Responsibilities

• Lead Mount Tamalpais College’s Student Affairs function, including systems and services that support student wellbeing, belonging, access to resources, connection to the College, and continuity of support.
• Develop, implement, and improve Student Affairs systems in collaboration with the Chief Academic Officer, Registrar and Director of Academic Advising, academic directors, Senior Program Administrator, and other staff.
• Create and maintain systems for documenting, triaging, referring, and following up on student concerns, support needs, conduct concerns, and patterns of need.
• Contribute to developing and maintaining policies, practices, and procedures that support a respectful, inclusive, equitable, and academically rigorous college environment.
• Support accreditation and institutional effectiveness work related to student affairs, learning support, alumni outcomes, student support counseling, and related areas.
• Meet directly with students to provide non-clinical student support counseling, resource navigation, problem‑solving support, and follow‑up.
• Support students navigating personal, institutional, interpersonal, reentry‑related, or prison‑related barriers that affect their ability to participate meaningfully in the College.
• Serve as the lead staff member for escalated student support situations, including time‑sensitive student needs, student conduct concerns, emergencies affecting student participation, and complex situations requiring coordination across staff or departments.
• Coordinate with San Quentin staff, CDCR and volunteer programs, community‑based organizations, and other partners as appropriate to support students and alumni.
• Recognize the limits of the College’s role and make appropriate referrals when a student’s needs fall outside the scope of non‑clinical student support counseling.
• Supervise and support the Learning Specialist and ensure that learning support systems are effective, accessible, ADA‑compliant, and well coordinated with faculty, academic advising, and student affairs.
• Oversee systems for identifying, documenting, and responding to student learning support needs.
• Supervise and support the Alumni Affairs Associate and oversee systems for alumni support, alumni engagement, and communication with former students.
• Lead the development and coordination of career‑related support systems, including career counseling, career exploration, professional development, and post‑release planning resources.
• Escort faculty into San Quentin regularly during the week and provide onsite support for faculty and students while classes are in session.
• Participate in weekly team meetings and regular staff check‑ins.
• Participate in monthly all‑staff meetings and other organization‑wide meetings, activities, and events to foster a cohesive organizational culture.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in student affairs/student development, counseling, social work, psychology, human services, sociology, or a related field; master’s degree preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience may be considered.
• At least five years in progressively responsible, relevant experience in higher education, student services, counseling, case management, reentry, or a related field, including significant experience providing direct support to individuals navigating complex issues.
• Experience supervising staff.
• Experience developing and improving support systems, including documentation, referrals, coordination, and consistent follow‑up.

Skills

• Cultural competence: ability to work well with diverse populations with a broad range of backgrounds.
• Strong sense of personal responsibility and exceptionally self‑motivated.
• Commitment to fostering a collegial and collaborative work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and demonstrate discretion with sensitive information.