Job Summary

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) seeks a Director, International Student & Scholar Affairs to join International Student & Scholar Affairs.

The Director, International Student & Scholar Affairs (ISSA) will develop, oversee, consult, and coordinate various aspects of the international student and scholar experience, including immigration compliance, cultural adjustment, acclimation, support and care.  This role ensures office plans, goals, and initiatives are aligned to and supportive of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) mission and strategic plan. The director serves as the Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) for RISD’s participation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). As the primary contact for all issues impacting RISD’s international students and scholars, the Director is responsible for the leadership and management of the ISSA office and the hiring, professional development, and evaluation of its staff. This position leads compliance for the F-1 visa program as the Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) and for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program as the Responsible Officer (RO). 

The Director is the primary advocate for international students and scholars, and serves as a liaison with groups such as faculty, staff, government agencies, businesses, and local communities, and as a consultant throughout the RISD community on the various issues impacting international students and scholars. This individual will subscribe to and support our commitment to Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion. The Director promotes teamwork and respect for people of diverse backgrounds in the workplace and in all interactions with internal and external clientele, and effectively communicates verbally and in writing with customers from diverse backgrounds. The Director will also have access to, and ensure the confidentiality of, protected health information under HIPAA and student information protected by FERPA.

We seek a culturally competent candidate who will thrive in a campus environment that is committed to advancing the principles of social equity and inclusion, environmental and climate justice, and equal access to resources and opportunities.

Essential Functions:

• Serve as RISD’s liaison to relevant government agencies in the interest of maintaining F-1 and J-1 visa holders at RISD. Represent RISD to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its bureaus – Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP); U.S.  Department of State, US. Department of Labor, and Social Security Administration. The Director is designated by the President and Board of RISD to act as the Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) and as the Responsible Officer (RO).

• Administer all related functions as the College’s senior immigration officer. Lead regulatory compliance for the F-1 visa and J-1 visa programs.  Oversee the integrity and maintenance of records in the SEVIS database. Monitor legal status of all non-immigrants enrolled at RISD.  

• Develops, implements, updates and maintains the ISSA Policy and Operations Manual, ensuring compliance to Homeland Security regulations and RISD guidelines.

• Advise the College-at-large on compliance with student immigration regulations.  Forecast and address opportunities and issues that impact RISD’s ability to achieve its mission with F-1 and J-1 visa holders.

• Inform relevant stakeholders on pertinent topics germane to U.S. regulations and compliance by remaining up to date with literature, governmental policies, and international realities.

• Coordinate compliance, ongoing education, and workflow with all other campus DSOs and AROs at RISD (including but not limited to colleagues in Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar).

• Coordinate processing of immigration documents for international visitors and guests, beyond the F and J visa programs. Apply current professional standards and practices that fulfill RISD’s regulatory compliance requirements and educational purposes.

Student Success, Advocacy and Campus Partnerships

• Oversee the advising and education of non-immigrant students and their families on visa status, U.S. employment, OPT, CPT, and academic compliance matters. 

• Coordinate processing of immigration documents for the international student population of undergraduate and graduate F-1 visa holders (totaling approximately 970+ current students and 1300+ total active records, including graduates (alumni/alumnae/alumx). 

• Coordinate processing of immigration documents for the J-1 Exchange (and other) Visitors in the following categories: Professor, Research Scholar, Short-Term Scholar, Student, College/University.

• Design, deliver, and assess programs and services supporting the successful adjustment of international students and their families to RISD and the U.S. academic systems. Produce orientation and transition programs that facilitate student transition to RISD and out of RISD post-graduation. Inform and educate RISD constituents, as appropriate, on topics related to international student curricular and co-curricular success.

• Design, deliver and assess programs and services supporting the successful adjustment of exchange visitors and their families to RISD and life in the United States. Produce orientation and community building programs to support the spirit of the J Program with the U.S. Department of State. 

• Support RISD’s international student community through inclusive community building and programming. Engage with clubs and organizations that represent the interests of RISD’s undergraduate and graduate student populations. Support alliances and build and foster campus partnerships that promote the advancement of international student academic and co-curricular success.

• Respond to global environmental, political/social, and economic conditions to triage and support individual and collective student needs. Serve on the C.A.R.E. (Concern, Assessment, Response, Evaluation) Network, the school’s behavioral intervention team.  Serve as part of RISD’s emergency response team(s) and/or processes – including those addressing the safety of students within the U.S. and abroad.

• Employ creative and out-of-the-box thinking to propose and develop new innovative ways to provide excellent customer services to our campus stakeholders, and implement procedures designed to deliver value-added services to our international student and scholar community.

• Responsible for international student programming focused on cross cultural learning as it relates to the international student experience and the overall ISSA programming plan throughout the year. This includes, but is not limited to, orientation programs, International Education Week, etc.

• Assess, determine and advise students on cultural adjustment, cultural competence and differences in higher educational systems, provide additional training and resources, as necessary.

• Manage website redesign and technology updates in collaboration with Student Life Division. Lead the migration and mapping of ISSA content and information to the new platform.

• Proactively engage in the inception of an International Student Task Force. Implementing and guiding of the task force to achieve defined learning outcomes and principles to support the international student experience across campus. 

• Promote comprehensive campus internationalization. Offer consultation and advisement to other faculty and staff partners, as needed.

Operations

• Manage and oversee ISSA’s professional and support staff.  This includes hiring, training, developing, and evaluating staff to ensure premiere student services, ethical practices, inclusive and equitable operations, and intentional student development.

• Manage and oversee student staff serving as international peer mentors and supporting programming.

• Liaise with Academic Affairs, Human Resources, and General Counsel regarding issues with international scholars.  Provide guidance and consultation to resolve issues.

• Propose and manage the department’s overall budget (personnel and operations) to deliver upon both the short- and long-term goals and in alignment with RISD’s strategic mission.

• Develop and implement the processes and procedures required to manage and maintain the department’s physical and digital record keeping in accordance with, and ensuring required compliance.

• Responsible for overseeing and maintaining the SEVIS database and batch system, ensuring accuracy and efficiency; maintaining data integrity through system updates, producing reporting and educating other authorized users as appropriate. Manage and oversee the ISSA website, including producing and updating content as needed. Serve as primary contact for SEVIS field agents.

• Identify needs to collect standardized information regarding student requests. Develop and build custom digital and physical forms to fulfill these needs.

Required Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Due to the requirements and scope of this position directly related to immigration, incumbents must be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.

• Master’s degree required. 

• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience with U.S. student immigration, visas, PDSO/DSO leadership, and federal immigration regulations with an ability to practically apply and integrate prior experience and knowledge to this position. 

• Previous supervisory experiences required.  Demonstrated advisory experience with student and administrative populations. 

• In-depth knowledge of current statuses and regulations governing the US immigration policy. Thorough understanding of the institution’s academic programs, policies and procedures and regulations, sponsor agencies, and sponsored student needs. Demonstrated expertise in federal regulations and compliance related to international student and scholar immigration services. 

• Understanding of F-1 and J-1 regulations. High-level proficiency with Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) regulations and procedures required. 

• Strong demonstration of cultural competence awareness within domestic and international contexts and among a broad range of social identities and circumstances.  

• Ability to articulate, demonstrate, and mentor others in the employment of diversity, inclusion, and equity in systems, policies, procedures, and services. 

• Proven track record of creating programming and affirming situations for international students that add to educational and enriching experiences inside and outside of the studio/classroom. 

• Demonstrated project management knowledge. 

• Skilled in problem-solving and troubleshooting. Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.   

• Experience managing and tracking budgets and spending required. 

• Active member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators or other international organizations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with higher education software such as Workday, TerraDotta and Maxient.

Union:

No

Work Schedule:

35 hours per week; 12 months per year

Employment Status:

Full-time; Exempt; Regular

Grade:

550EX

Work Modality

Hybrid-Flexible