Beaver Country Day School Job Description for Diversity Coordinator

Beaver Country Day School

Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

Job Description

Beaver Country Day School 

Beaver is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school of 405 students in grade 6 – 12, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, close to Boston.  Founded as a progressive school in 1920, Beaver takes great pride in its close-knit and supportive community, in curricular innovations and in its deep commitment to diversity. 

Overview

The Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs is a resource for faculty and staff as the BCDS Diversity Strategic Plan is implemented. The Director is an inside consultant, available to assist those who may have primary responsibility for implementation of diversity directives commensurate with their institutional functions and authority.  A major objective of this office is to support the development of a critical mass of leaders, strategically placed across BCDS, all of whom hold authority and accountability for progress on the Diversity Strategic Plan.

The Diversity Leadership Team is responsible for setting diversity strategy and establishing an overall implementation plan.  The Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs works in partnership with the Diversity Leadership Team to ensure progress on the multi-year Diversity Strategic Plan.

Primary Functions

*Provides Support for Faculty.  The Director offers advice and counsel to individual faculty members on issues relating to advising diverse students, management of diversity related classroom dynamics, and diversity-related issues that may arise between faculty and parents.  The Director will support the work of the Administrative Council in identifying resources for faculty related to multicultural programs and curricular revitalization.  While faculty are primarily responsible for developing tiered faculty diversity training and professional development programs, the Director may serve as a facilitator or instructor in such programs, and assist faculty in identifying appropriate outside resources.

*Supports Student Success.  The Director meets regularly with cross-discipline faculty teams who are tracking the progress of students from under represented groups, international students, and students for whom transition to BCDS represents a cultural change or larger than average academic challenge.  The Director assists faculty in making sure that implications regarding pedagogy, curriculum or academic support that transcend individual students are brought to the faculty leadership.

*Gathers Feedback from those in Pastoral Roles.  The Director supports student success by meeting periodically with individuals who are in pastoral roles (e.g., advisors, student support services) at BCDS to identify themes regarding the experiences of students from under represented groups and make sure those issues are communicated to the Diversity Leadership Group.

*Works with Families.  The Director works with the leadership of the Parent Association to create programs designed to help parents better understand Beaver’s commitment to and approach to diversity.  The Director will work with G.S.A. leadership to develop strategies to help parents align with students who are allies of GLBT students, and to better understand the intersection of sexual orientation developmental issues and diversity.

*Oversees Staff Development.  The Director assists administrators in broadening outreach for administrative and staff openings to ensure that all candidate pools include diverse candidates.  The Director will make connections with diversity recruitment firms who may serve as additional resources in developing more inclusive candidate pools for administrative and staff positions.

*Works to Distribute Accountability and Authority.  As a critical mass of leaders are developed through training and development programs, the Director works with the Head of School and the Diversity Leadership Team to revise job descriptions to make sure that administrative, staff and faculty leaders are fully authorized to lead specific diversity initiatives, and that performance evaluations are modified to include evaluation on achievement of diversity objectives.