Director - La Casa Cultural Latina
University of Illinois

Director - La Casa Cultural Latina

La Casa Cultural Latina

Job Summary
Manage and provide leadership to the La Casa Cultural Latina (La Casa). Works with colleagues across campus and the community, including other cultural and resource centers; Student Affairs; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and academic units to advance student success, intercultural engagement, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts on campus. Focusing primarily on creating a vibrant and welcoming physical space, a broader sense of belonging and addressing issues which impact Latina/o/x and Hispanic students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign through an intersectional lens.

Duties & Responsibilities

Student Success, Intercultural Engagement and Advocacy:

• Lead La Casa to be a welcoming, active, and vibrant facility for the campus community, but specifically for Latina/o/x and Hispanic students.
• Collaborate with other units, especially Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in the development of services and programs related to Latina/o/x and Hispanic students by integrating the Center's educational and cultural activities.
• Provide leadership for Divisional and University-wide Latina/o/x and Hispanic student retention and graduation initiatives.
• Assist with policy development to support Latina/o/x and Hispanic students' recruitment, yielding, retention, and graduation initiatives.
• Support Latina/o/x and Hispanic registered student organizations (RSOs) in their leadership development, activities, and programming.
• Serve as the primary resource for information as it pertains to students and stakeholders including but not limited to advocacy, referrals, and services that La Casa provides.
• Develop collaborative partnerships with experts in the areas of student success, intercultural engagement, and identity development to support student success.
• Proactively coordinate with academic units, especially the Department of Latino/a Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as organizations within the broader Champaign-Urbana community to further inform, and implement, culturally significant initiatives.
• Provide advocacy, advising; and referrals to crisis intervention and other support resources when appropriate.
• Coordinate sustainable, large-scale programmatic efforts which examine historical and contemporary issues and trends as experienced by Latina/o/x and Hispanic communities throughout the diaspora.
• Develop and promote Latina/o/x and Hispanic student and alumni relations.
• Provide leadership for advancement activities at La Casa and contribute to broader SSIB and Student Affairs advancement efforts (i.e. fundraising, alumni relations, and communication).
• Represent La Casa, SSIB, and/or Student Affairs on campus-wide committees.

Administrative and Supervision:

• Direct supervision over all operations of the La Casa facility.
• Responsible for administering all programming, marketing, communications, and services offered by La Casa.
• Responsible for all budget planning and oversight, task delegation, conflict management, and goal setting for La Casa.
• Responsible for all hiring, training, supervising, and evaluating for staff employed by La Casa.

Assessment and Evaluation:

• In conjunction with SSIB Assessment, implement an assessment and evaluation strategy which informs a culturally significant approach to data-driven co-curricular design.
• Institute an outcomes-laden method to the development and implementation of educational programs.
• Provide leadership in reviewing the mission and goals of La Casa and creating a strategic plan consistent with the Student Affairs Strategic Plan.
• Conduct regular program evaluations and coordinate objectives with Student Affairs and University goals.
• Coordinate the production of reports for internal and external units.

Required Qualifications

Education :

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

Experience :

• Five years of professional experience in student affairs, higher education administration, or community organizations.
• Experience supervising professional and/or student staff.
• Experience developing and overseeing a departmental budget.
• Experience developing, delivering, and/ or assessing educational, social, cultural, and/or social justice programs.
• Experience managing a facility.
• Experience implementing successful strategies to retain and graduate Latina/o/x and Hispanic students at predominantly white institutions of higher education.
• Experience helping first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented Latina/o/x and Hispanic students succeed in a higher education setting.
• Experience working in a fast-paced and administratively complex environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to speak Spanish fluently.
• Experience advising and creating leadership development opportunities for students and/or student organizations.
• Knowledge of theoretical frameworks under-girding student identity development, social justice education, and sense of belonging.
• Experience in fundraising and working with alumni/diverse constituents.
• Experience in facilitating policy review, reform, and development in the service of Latina/o/x and Hispanic students.
• Experience in the design and implementation of assessment and evaluation methodologies.
• Experience in developing community and public engagement programs.
• Experience in marketing and communications (e.g., electronic newsletters, websites, social media, etc.).

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 4/16/2025. Salary range for the position is set at $91,000 - $95,000.

Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on Monday, February 10, 2025. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Please make sure to upload a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least three professional references when applying. Additionally, if you have your transcripts please upload those as well. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Keri Collins at keric@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal , or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu .

Requisition ID: 1028587
Job Category: Education & Student Services
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu

---