Resident Director - Wellesley-in-Aix
- Employer
- Wellesley-in-Aix Association
- Location
- Aix-en-Provence (Ville), Bouches-du-Rhône (FR)
- Salary
- Commensurate with experience
- Closing date
- Dec 4, 2023
- Phone number
- 781-2XXXXXXX
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- Specialty
- Academic Affairs, Administration
- Knowledge Communities
- Education Abroad
- Position Type
- Director
- Hours
- Full-time
- Employment Type
- Permanent
- Organization Type
- Non-profit
Wellesley College seeks a Resident Director for its program in France, headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, beginning July 1 with the 2024-2025 academic year. The Resident Director is employed by the Association Wellesley-in-Aix, a registered non-profit organization based in France and reports to the President of the Association or the President’s designee.
The longstanding Wellesley-in-Aix (WIA) program is designed to immerse students in the language and culture of France. Students attending the program have taken the equivalent of at least five semesters of college French. They take their courses at Aix-Marseille Université (AMU), at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences-Po Aix), and in a selection of 4-5 in-house courses reserved for WIA students.
The Resident Director will be dedicated to providing sustained and empathic support to students as they study and live in France, adapt to a new academic environment, and adjust to a new community. Passionate about fostering intercultural communication, the Resident Director will assist students with their residential life and academic pathways, while also promoting new initiatives to expand program learning goals. The Director will pursue an inclusive and diverse vision for education abroad and organize student activities (excursions, trips, cultural programming) relevant to a diverse student body including, but not limited to, First Gen, International, LGBTQ+, students with disabilities, and BIPOC students.
The Resident Director will have experience with student program design, logistics, and implementation; coordinating marketing and promotion efforts to meet program goals; and other essential administrative processes related to the effective delivery of education abroad. Detail-focused, comfortable with administrative management and student affairs, the Resident Director should also have a strong understanding of the US and French educational systems and academic cultures. The position is based fulltime in Aix-en-Provence. Appropriate permit/authorization to work in France is required before application.
The Resident Director is responsible for all on-site aspects of the program, including general oversight, student safety, and specific administrative and academic duties. The Director is the representative of Wellesley College in France and is closely affiliated with the Wellesley College French, Francophone and Italian Studies Department. The Director’s responsibilities fall into four main categories:
Academic
- Organizes the academic program in Aix and Marseille
- Acts as primary academic advisor to the program's students
- Maintains contact with the program’s instructors and with professors and administrators at AMU and Sciences-Po-Aix
- In collaboration with the Wellesley College French, Francophone and Italian Department, solicits and reviews proposals for in-house courses
- Monitors final grading and reports grades to the Wellesley College Registrar
- Maintains contact with relevant faculty and administrators at Wellesley College and with other home institutions attended by students.
Student Life
- Organizes the cultural program in Aix
- Maintains regular contact with students and is available to discuss issues of personal and cultural adjustment
- Helps students find extra curricular activities
- Serves as on-call emergency contact 24/7 (on rotation with other staff members)
- Solicits assistance from relevant interlocutors based on student need (e.g., physicians and counselors)
- Briefs students on relevant safety and preparedness topics
Administrative
- Acts as liaison with the Wellesley campus, including regular contact with the French, Francophone, and Italian Studies department, the Office of International Studies (OIS), the Office of Finance and Administration and the Provost’s Office, and visits the campus once a year
- Supervises maintenance of the Centre Wellesley-in-Aix villa, including solicitation of bids and monitoring of necessary repairs
- Is responsible for what is required on the ground for the program facilities (paying taxes, other compliance)
- Ensures compliance with French law and maintains appropriate legal and financial representation to meet those requirements
- Oversees the recruitment and onboarding of host families
- Submits a report to Wellesley College administration on the program every year
- Maintains a handbook of administrative tasks
- Updates student handbook as needed
- Selects, hires, and mentors teaching faculty in Aix with the guidance and approval of WIA committee
- Prepares and updates labor contracts for professors and personnel
- Manages personnel including housing coordinator and tutor
- May occasionally visit US partner schools to recruit students and meet with study abroad advisors and faculty
- Participates in student recruitment presentations and pre-departure orientation
Finances
- Is responsible for financial administration on site
- Meets with the program’s accounting firm on payroll matters
- Prepares the annual budget for submission to the WIA Association for approval
- Authorizes expenditures including payroll in accordance with approved budget
- Approves all invoices and timesheets
- Ensures compliance with accounting and invoice payment procedures outlined by the Treasurer of the WIA Association
Complete description in English and French available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YaS4bPBXNDf19LhKnFW8GQYwG_W2cFxa1EBKI0LgLtI/edit?usp=sharing
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