Director of Student Activities & First Year Experience

Location: Delhi, NY Category: Staff - UUP Job Type: Full-time Posted On: Wed Nov 4 2026 Job Description:

The Director of Student Activities and First-Year Experience provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for programs that support new students in their transition to college life. This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing comprehensive orientation programs and year-round first-year experience initiatives that foster student engagement, belonging, social life, retention, and academic success. The Director serves as a key partner in advancing the institution's commitment to holistic student development and will collaborate closely with colleagues across the College. The Director serves a diverse student population and is expected to create programs, services, and leadership opportunities that are welcoming and accessible to students of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. Demonstrated cultural competency, including the ability to work effectively with students, families, faculty, and staff across differences, is required.

Student Activities

• Lead campus activities program overseeing all aspects of campus programming, including entertainment, student communications and the department website

• Supervise key staff and programs: Provide leadership, training, development, and ongoing support to the Assistant Director of The O'Connor Center for Community Engagement and Coordinator of Student Basic Needs Services, the Coordinator of Student Leadership Initiatives & Greek Life, office and student staff.

• Advise Student Senate and Clubs: Serve as advisor to the Student Senate and oversee student club activities, ensuring collaboration with faculty and staff.

• Policy Development: Create and maintain student activity policies in alignment with SUNY guidelines and campus input.

• Assessment & Evaluation: Develop and implement assessment strategies to measure program effectiveness.

• Assist with organizing and managing large-scale events such as Family Weekend, Welcome Week, Winterfest and others.

• Advisor Recruitment & Training: Recruit faculty/staff club advisors and coordinate training and support.

• Leadership Development: Develop student leaders through intentional training, mentoring, and hands-on leadership opportunities, and foster academic integration where possible.

• Representative Student Leadership: Ensure that the diversity of the campus is reflected in student leadership positions, including Student Senate, clubs and organizations, orientation leaders, and student staff, through broad outreach, inclusive recruitment and selection practices, and the removal of barriers to participation.

• Diversity & Cultural Competency: Serve a diverse student population by designing programs, events, and services that reflect and respond to students' varied cultures, identities, and needs; model cultural competency and provide related training for professional and student staff, student leaders, and club advisors.

• Career Readiness: Partner with Career Services to prepare students for post-graduation employment opportunities, helping students connect their leadership and co-curricular experiences to career-ready skills.

• Support campus-wide events: Assist with major institutional events such as admissions programs, and commencement

• Professional development: Engage in ongoing professional growth and development

The First Year Experience

• Plan, coordinate, and execute comprehensive new student orientation programs for first-year and transfer students and support orientation programs for other student populations.

• Collaborate with a broad range of campus stakeholders to design inclusive orientation content that integrates academic and co-curricular components.

• Develop and implement assessment tools to evaluate program effectiveness and student outcomes; use data to inform decisions, improve programming, and support retention and student success efforts.

• Oversee the staff, general planning, budgets, and assessment of all orientation programs.

• Work with campus stakeholders to design, Implement and lead a year-long First-Year Experience (FYE) program designed to promote academic success, social integration, and personal development.

• Lead efforts to develop new student transition pathway programs.

• Partner with the Provost's Office to create opportunities for engagement with faculty to support the holistic development of students.

• Serve on departmental and College Committees as assigned

Job Requirements:

• Master's degree in higher education administration, student affairs, college student personnel, counseling, or a related field.

• Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience in student activities.

• Minimum of two (2) years of work experience with new student orientation and/or first-year experience programs.

• Demonstrated cultural competency and experience serving a diverse student population, including the ability to work effectively with students, families, faculty, and staff across differences.

• Demonstrated experience developing student leaders and advising student organizations or student government.

• Experience supervising, training, and evaluating staff.

• Experience with program planning, budget management, and assessment.

• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed to support student programs and events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in student activities, orientation, and/or first-year experience.

• Experience supervising full-time professional staff.

• Demonstrated success increasing the participation of underrepresented students in student leadership positions.

• Experience partnering with campus stakeholders on career readiness, retention, or student success initiatives.

• Experience advising student government and managing student activity fee budgets.

• Experience planning and executing large-scale campus events and managing related contracts and vendors.

• Experience using assessment data to improve programs and support retention.

• Experience with student engagement and event management software.

Additional Information:

• Salary: $85,000

• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, some evenings and weekends

• This is a 12-month position (Calendar Year)

• Budget Title: Director of Student Activities, SL4

• Reports to: Vice President of Student Life

• This position offers full New York State UUP (FT) (https://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/benefits/benefit-summaries/FTUUPbenefitsummary-Nov-2017.pdf) , benefits which are among the most comprehensive in the country with an excellent fringe benefits package

• Click here for more Information for Prospective Employees

• SUNY Delhi has a strong commitment to Affirmative Action and Cultural Diversity. The College welcomes responses from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans.

• SUNY Delhi is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community for our students and employees. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final candidates being considered for employment. Any offer of employment is contingent on the successful completion of the background check