A Living and Learning Village is a shared residential environment where students, staff, and faculty engage in connected curricular and co-curricular experiences to foster belonging, an intellectually enriching atmosphere, and holistic student development. Village Directors are content-area professionals responsible for the program’s day-to-day operations, programmatic leadership, strategic planning, and implementing holistic experiential learning opportunities, aligning with partners and the Residence Education Model (REM).
The Engineering Village is one of 15 Living and Learning Communities, serving approximately 730 first-year engineering students. Its focus is creating a community of care to support students’ wellness and success, helping them build skills through connections for internships, research, and study abroad. Residents have access to an in-house Design Studio/MakerSpace. The Village aims to help students explore academic options before declaring a major and develop skills to address complex global challenges.
Village Director Role and Responsibilities:
The Village Director works closely with partners like the College of Engineering and the Career Development Center to promote learning aligned with the College of Engineering’s First Year Engineering Program.
Key Duties:
- Teaching/Instruction (10%): Teach sections of E101 (Introduction to Engineering and Problem Solving) and E102 (Engineering in the 21 Century), focusing on design, teamwork, problem-solving, Grand Challenges, and the College’s degree programs.
- Administration (25%): Oversee budget, manage recruitment, coordinate operations (move-in, events), manage Village spaces (including the MakerSpace), update marketing/website/social media, and lead the Advisory Council.
- Supervision (20%): Supervise, train, and evaluate 5-21 Village Mentors, Lab Assistants, and a Graduate Assistant.
- Village Mission & Student Development (15%): Cultivate intentional interactions, assess the Village experience, maintain high visibility, and develop/implement learning outcome-specific experiential programs aligned with REM and program goals.
- Partnership Development (10%): Lead Advisory Council meetings, cultivate interdisciplinary and strategic partnerships (e.g., Career Development Center, College of Engineering faculty, Alumni), and collaborate with Residence Life.
- Open and Welcoming Community (10%): Create a welcoming community, foster varied student populations, encourage training, and serve as an advocate/role model.
- Crisis and Resident Behavior (5%): Support Residence Life in crisis response, implement restorative justice, and serve as a resource for mental health and personal challenges.
The Director formally reports to the Associate Director for Living Learning Programs and supports initiatives from First Year Engineering Programs and the College of Engineering. Success is evaluated through an assessment plan for data-driven improvement.
