Director of Medical Student Equity Services, Student Affairs

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The Student Affairs department in the School of Medicine has an outstanding opportunity for a Director of Medical Student Equity Services to join their team.

The Director of Medical Student Equity Services, Student Affairs (Director), leads student-focused initiatives and programming to support diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging across the UW School of Medicine’s (UWSoM) 5-state Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) region. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to medical students and welcomes students through prematriculation and orientation programming. This position is responsible for advising individual students and supporting medical student affinity groups. The Director is a strategic and student-centered thinker who is skilled at developing effective professional relationships and executing strategies to enhance student support and programs at the School of Medicine. The Director must be able to multitask, prioritize responsibilities and competing tasks from students and administration, and work independently under pressure of frequent deadlines and evolving student needs. Situated in the student affairs office, the Director will collaborate on key events across departments, including but not limited to admissions, alumni relations, career advising, and the Office of Healthcare Equity (OHCE).

The Director works closely with the School’s administrative and academic leadership. This position requires the ability to concurrently manage multiple projects with high priority and competing needs, as well as have the ability to analyze and evaluate large amounts of information, utilize sound administrative judgment, and make independent decisions. With the regional orientation of the medical school, the position requires the ability build relationships across constituencies and to navigate challenging or sensitive conversations with a high level of tact and diplomacy. The Director must be able to work independently under the pressure of frequent, competing deadlines and evolving student and program needs and priorities. It requires a high degree of emotional intelligence and precise and thoughtful communication and interpersonal skills. The need to be flexible and open-minded is essential for responding to emergent student concerns.

The Director has frequent contact with the School’s academic and administrative leadership and the medical students. This position provides support and advocacy for underrepresented and economically, environmentally, and educationally disadvantaged background medical students by cultivating an inclusive and anti-racist learning environment free from bias, harassment, discrimination, or systems of oppression. With the regional orientation of the medical school, the position requires the ability to navigate challenging or sensitive conversations with a high level of tact and diplomacy. The Director must be able to work independently under the pressure of frequent, competing deadlines and evolving student and program needs and priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Student Advising:

• Provide support and advocacy for underrepresented and economically, environmentally, and educationally disadvantaged background medical students. Serve as a resource for students in distress, triage their concerns and direct them to the appropriate support services as necessary.

• Counsel and advise medical students on School of Medicine policies and procedures, exercising discretion and maintaining confidentiality of program, medical, financial, student, and other sensitive information.

• Advise and support medical student EDI registered student organizations including affinity groups. Facilitate leadership training for new affinity group leaders and monitor affinity group activities to identify opportunities for improved engagement and greater regional participation. Develop and maintain relationships with partner departments on the larger university campus to identify opportunities for increased student support and engagement.

• Counsel prospective medical students on School of Medicine programs, resources, and affinity groups for students from underrepresented and/or economically, environmentally, and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.

Program Operations

• Oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs, events, and services that support the success and wellness of medical students from underrepresented and economically, environmentally, and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds across the 5-state WWAMI region. Interface with local and regional stakeholders to build partnerships and collaborate with partners to enhance student success.

• Support the recruitment and advancement of a diverse physician workforce along the continuum, from admission to graduation, in collaboration with the Office of Admissions and other units. Participate in admissions interview day and Second Look programming.

• Plan and implement the prematriculation program for incoming medical students. Recruit and select faculty instructors and hire, train and supervise prematriculation program student mentors and teaching assistants.

• Plan and implement a Basic Needs Program for medical students focused on facilitating access to resources related to basic needs insecurities such as money, food, transportation, and shelter. Connect students with UW Division of Student Life programs, and partner with regional deans to connect students with resources at their foundations site.

• Collaborate with student affairs staff and advisors on the development of programs and resources that support targeted student populations (e.g. first-generation, DACA, students with disabilities, LGBTQIIA+, etc.), and support student success and retention efforts.

• Provide administrative support for the implementation of accommodations for students with disabilities. Coordinate support programs and provide proctoring for exams.

• Oversee and manage student application processes for institutional and national EDI- or affinity-related fellowships, scholarships, and awards. Serve as primary point of contact for logistical questions, issues, and paperwork process and submissions.

• Support the development, implementation, and evaluation of EDI trainings, in collaboration with other WWAMI and UW Medicine partners, to current medical students across the continuum, from admissions to graduation.

• Participate in the planning and implementation of other high priority School of Medicine events, such as orientation, graduation, the white coat ceremony, and Match Day.

Administrative Oversight:

• Participate in and support unit leadership with the medical school accreditation process. Draft responses to the annual LCME questionnaires, manage data collection, and maintain and prepare School of Medicine accreditation materials.

• Prepare and disseminate written communication material, including reports for internal and external stakeholders, departmental websites, and program promotional materials.

• Prepare and manage budget, assist with grant writing, and cultivate additional funding sources for expansion of current programs, as well as funding for new initiatives.

• Establish, collect, analyze, and apply program management metrics and make policy recommendations based upon them.

• Monitor shared unit email accounts and phone lines and respond or refer inquiries to the appropriate personnel while maintaining a welcoming and professional demeanor.

• Participate in Student Affairs staff meetings and other department activities. Actively serve on assigned School of Medicine committees. Engage in the medical education EDI landscape and serve as a thought leader in the area. Support UW School of Medicine EDI efforts and foster medical student engagement with these initiatives.

• Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in education, public administration, healthcare administration, public health, business administration, or closely related field.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience working with recruiting, admissions, student services, student counseling in a higher education setting or equivalent experience.

Additional requirements:

• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain positive, ethical, and professional working relationships with faculty, staff, students, and community members from a wide variety of backgrounds.

• Must have significant experience working with underrepresented student populations.

• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to independently determine appropriate and effective communication for a variety of audiences that is respectful of individual and cultural differences.

• Proven ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast-paced environment plus an ability to set and meet goals and adapt quickly to changing priorities.

• Ability to work independently with a high degree of reliability, accuracy, and productivity.

• Strong supervisory and problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively both on a team and individually.

• Ability to interpret and communicate to others complex policies and procedures.

• Advanced skills with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access).

Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum requirements.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working in an academic health system providing student affairs and EDI focused training, education, and support to premedical and medical students.

• Energetic self-starter with a get-it done attitude and collaborative disposition.

• A willingness to support School of Medicine EDI student initiatives and participate fully in a fast-moving team environment where everyone is expected to contribute.

• Familiarity with the administrative structure of a large university is highly desirable. Ability to work across multiple levels of an organization to achieve results.

• Experience working with underrepresented background students within the states of the WWAMI region.

• Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Student Affairs Educator (CSAEd)

Work Environment

• Full-time schedules are assumed to be at least 40 hours; however, employees are expected to work to complete job responsibilities. This position may require the employee to work beyond a normal work week and intermittently requires evening and weekend time to meet project deadlines and attend meetings and events.

• This role is based in Seattle, WA and is required to work in the office. Limited telework may be permissible based on unit and program needs.

Conditions of Employment

Application Process: 

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law