After eight years at Lafayette, Assistant Director of Residence Life Timothy Uhrich left the college last month for a position as Associate Director of Operations in the Undergraduate Programs Office of Lehigh University’s College of Business. According to the Department of Resident Life, the hiring process to fill the assistant director position is underway. 

The assistant director of Resident Life is a community development educator who oversees aspects of both the development program and student life at Lafayette. In addition to providing guidance to Resident Advisors (RAs), they manage the daily operation of student staffing programs and residence areas.

The position also requires living on campus. According to Lafayette’s Office of Human Resources, this is to ensure that the Assistant Director “provides close support to student staff, regularly attends campus events…and participates in the emergency on-call rotation.”

The Office of Residence Life is currently conducting a thorough search to find the best fit for the new assistant director. 

“We are looking for a candidate that mirrors the values of our department [and] college: diversity, student support and community to name a few, and will relate to the current study body,” Julie Mulé, senior associate director of Residence Life, said.

According to the job description, candidates for the position must have two to three years of prior experience in a residential life setting, as well as a demonstrated capacity to supervise, guide and motivate the student body. As one of the most prominent faculty members on campus in relation to the student body, the assistant director must be able to inspire teams of students to collaborate effectively under pressure, assist students who require help and perpetuate a positive environment on campus. Other qualifications include experience with evaluating student affairs initiatives and the ability to juggle multiple different projects at once.

Uhrich helped oversee programs including the RA training program, OneLove and Safe Zone during his tenure on College Hill.

The hiring requirements also place an emphasis on the importance of being able to work with diverse student populations, which is paramount for the Office of Residence Life to uphold in their candidate selection. 

“We ask numerous questions to vet the candidates, many of which focus on the candidates’ experience with college students in a residential setting,” Mulé said. 

As Residence Life continues further with the hiring process, they will seek potential candidates that demonstrate the necessary skills and experience to transition successfully into the associate director position.