Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

UAE Nationals are encouraged to apply

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint an Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs reporting to the Vice Chancellor for NYUAD.

The Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (AVC) provides strategic oversight and direction for New York University Abu Dhabi’s Division of Student Affairs – which includes Intercultural Education, Community Outreach and UAE Engagement, Career Development Center, Leadership Initiatives, Residential Education, Athletics, Student Success and Wellbeing, the Student Health Center, and the Dean of Students Office. The AVC serves as the Chief Student Affairs Officer overseeing the Student Affairs Leadership Team and partnering closely across the University to ensure a well-coordinated, thoughtful, and high-quality student experience.

The AVC for Student Affairs is a senior member of the University’s leadership team, reporting to NYU Abu Dhabi’s Vice Chancellor, and is responsible for crafting a portfolio of programs, resources, services, and opportunities aligned with NYUAD’s broader mission and values. The AVC for Student Affairs provides direct oversight and supervision of external affairs functions – including Career Development Center and Community Outreach – along with the Office of Spiritual Life and Intercultural Education (SLICE) and the Student Health Center. The AVC for Student Affairs also oversees the Dean of Students, and works in close partnership with other areas beyond Student Affairs – including Global Education, Public Affairs, Campus Operations, Admissions, Human Resources, Risk Management, etc.

The AVC of Student Affairs is a visible member of the NYUAD community, actively working to connect faculty, staff, and community members with the work of Student Affairs and identifying opportunities for greater collaboration or integration. They will be well-versed in all areas of student affairs and will work in tandem with the Dean of Students to ensure appropriate staffing, organizational structures, and resources are in-place to enable a high-quality student experience.

NYUAD is “in and of” Abu Dhabi and founded to contribute to the intellectual and cultural life of the UAE. This position sets the divisional vision for active engagement and partnership with local community organizations, other universities, and government partners, as well as partnering with other areas of NYUAD that share this expectation. The role also includes harnessing the full diversity of our student body and staff across all identities, including race, faith, politics, cultural values, economic status, and national identities.

The AVC of Student Affairs will represent Student Affairs and the broader NYUAD leadership to external partners and colleagues across NYU’s global network. They will represent the interests of Student Affairs in professional associations, community events/programs, and as part of University-wide initiatives. The AVC for Student Affairs will also provide general and personal advising support to a set of students/student groups each year. This role is an active contributor to University and Division-wide programs, including admissions events, new student orientation, student leadership trainings, athletic programs, and more.

This role requires regular evening and weekend activities throughout the academic year, including serving in a senior administrator, on-call capacity.

Background:

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) is a central part of NYU’s global network, marked by a uniquely international student population (100+ nationalities); a rigorous, liberal arts and science academic program; and a location at the crossroads of the Arab world. We are a highly diverse community that shapes and examines issues of common humanity through multicultural perspectives; recognizes that the breadth of an education here extends far beyond the classroom and the campus; sees students themselves as educators; and recognizes that true engagement with the breadth of our diversity requires curiosity, humility, and engagement with contrasting views and values. 

The mission of NYUAD’s Division of Student Affairs is to collaborate with students to find individual and collective meaning in their personal, intellectual, professional, and social lives. We cultivate belonging within a uniquely intercultural community; foster lifelong development for a complex world; and catalyze meaningful engagement with the United Arab Emirates.

Student Affairs Leader Profile:

We look for inclusive leaders that nurture collaboration and pursue diversity in people, thought and perspective. They model candor, transparency, vulnerability, and good judgment. They are willing to receive feedback, accept ambiguity, take risks, acknowledge mistakes, and engage in conflict constructively. We want culture setters and strategic thinkers, who actively seek to align processes and programs with our values and institutional context. We seek those who are able to empower, inspire and motivate others to do and to be their best. Cultural humility undergirds our work, so our leaders need to be able to engage in the process of self-reflection and self-critique to both learn about others and to examine their own beliefs and cultural identities. 

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership for Student Affairs Division

• Oversee Student Affairs Leadership Team and provide oversight for all areas/functions within the Division. Guide the development of contextually-appropriate strategies and programs to enable a high-touch, engaged student experience. Work in close partnership with a range of stakeholders to identify critical needs and opportunities to innovate and improve the student experience at NYUAD. Remain engaged in student affairs professional activities to ensure continuing development, assessment, and improvement across the Student Affairs division
• Work in partnership with University leadership, government partners, and other stakeholders across NYU to ensure that Student Affairs strategies are aligned and well-coordinated with broader institutional priorities

University Leadership Team and Strategic Initiatives

• Serve as a senior member of the Vice Chancellor’s leadership team and as part of NYU’s global student affairs leadership team. Work in close partnership with other institutional leaders - including Global Education, Academic Affairs, Provost Office, Campus Operations, and more - to address strategic and operational challenges, and advocate for the student experience with other areas of the university
• Serve on institutional committees and working groups, and assume responsibility for cross-functional initiatives that will impact or shape the student experience. Represent the Student Affairs Division in broader university planning, resource allocation, and assessment activities. Represent the Vice Chancellor, particularly with the student community, as needed. 

Community Engagement 

• Oversee Student Affairs Division efforts to broaden and deepen engagement with the Abu Dhabi, UAE, and MENA regional communities through intentional programming and partnerships. Engage key external partners – including other local universities, professional associations, health/wellness organizations, educational/cultural groups, and more – to enhance the student experience and advance NYU Abu Dhabi’s outreach priorities
• Take an active role in the NYUAD community, including regular attendance and engagement with university programs/events and cultivating strong relationships with students, staff, faculty, and community partners  

Management and Oversight

• Provide direction and oversight for the Division of Student Affairs, including headcount/personnel, organizational structure, financial resources, space planning, policy, and long-term planning. Partner with other university leaders to ensure Student Affairs functions are operating in alignment with institutional policies and procedures, and lead efforts to identify/mitigate risks, ensure compliance with University guidelines, and effectively track/manage resources
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, IT, Legal, Compliance, Public Affairs, Campus Operations, and other units to ensure Student Affairs is positioned to achieve key objectives while remaining well-coordinated with University-wide priorities and strategic initiatives. Work closely with the Dean of Students and Student Affairs Leadership Team to ensure student funding, facility usage, and resource allocation is effectively managed

Required Education:

• Master’s Degree 

Preferred Education:

• Doctorate Degree 

Required Experience: 

• Minimum ten+ years of progressively responsible experience developing and managing the implementation of student services to a diverse student body at the college or university level 
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, students, administrators and external partners and stakeholders
• Ability to appreciate and incorporate diverse learning styles, educational backgrounds, and communication styles
• Ability to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels
• Ability to conceptualize, plan, and oversee execution of projects and initiatives in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment
• Excellent listening skills to accurately understand others and provide effective feedback. 
• Substantial international and global education experience
• Good judgment, discretion, independence and initiative. A capacity to work collegially and collaboratively
• Excellent presentation, written and oral communication skills in English
• An ability to prioritize and to handle multiple projects on tight deadlines, organized work habits, consistent accuracy, and attentiveness to detail
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• High energy and good sense of humor
• Leader in contributing to climate that respects Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging, and Equity (IDBE); fluency with IDBE issues and efforts; reputation for leading diverse thoughts and perspectives and a campus climate of inclusion that integrates ideas from many voices