Residence Don

Residence Life creates an inclusive and vibrant community where students grow and develop to flourish in and out of the classroom. Through our residence community, students have a sense of belonging where they learn to live with, learn from, and take care of others, as well as themselves.

Positions Available:

Our Don Team is made up of Junior Dons and Dons. The basic qualifications for each position are outlined below.

• Junior Don: A current, upper year (going into their 3rd year or higher) King’s student.
• Don: A young professional, graduate student, or a recent graduate from an undergraduate program. If completed their undergraduate program at King’s, preferably someone who has at least one academic year between graduation and the start date of this position (August of this current year).

The position descriptions and responsibilities are mostly the same for both positions and are outlined below. The only difference is Junior Dons will typically be responsible for smaller-sized communities.

General Description

Dons are community leaders and role models who provide mentorship and support to the King’s residence community. Dons report to the Assistant Dean of Residence Life and work closely with the Programming & Community Engagement Coordinator who is also a member of the Don Team. Together, they make up the Residence Life office.

The Don position requires a high degree of creativity, passion, reliability, on-campus presence, dedication, and flexibility. Dons are an integral component of residence life at King’s and are largely responsible for delivering a friendly, safe, inclusive, and supportive residence experience. Dons are expected to motivate their students to get involved in campus life and help foster an environment where students can build relationships with one another.

Dons participate in a rotational, after hours on-call schedule. A Don can expect to be on-call about four (4) shifts a month. During these on call shifts, Dons work with Student Patrol, Front Desk and Campus Security to respond to various and occasionally serious incidents in residence. Incidents can include, but are not limited to, lockouts, noise complaints, alcohol related issues, medical emergencies, mental health crisis, verbal and/or physical aggression, suicide intervention etc. There is a Don on-call Monday – Friday from 4pm-8am and 24/7 on weekends and holidays.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support & Mentorship:
  • Support approximately twenty to thirty-five (20-35) students who live with them on their floor or Bay.
  • Mentor the community by providing guidance, feedback, and support for a broad range of student experiences.
  • Direct students to appropriate resources for personal and academic support.
  • Provide regular engagement and support to their community through various means.
  • Support students who are feeling unwell, including those self-isolating with COVID, by helping with meal delivery and providing check ins as needed.

• Community Building & Programming:
  • Organize both social and educational programming to welcome students into the King’s community the promote belonging.
  • Foster friendship and relationship building by helping students integrate their intellectual life with community life through residence programming.
  • Cultivate a sense of belonging for students of diverse cultures, worldviews, and experiences.
  • Develop and deliver programming that reflects their community’s own intellectual, social, artistic, and athletic interests while also responding to their students’ emerging needs.
  • Assist in the planning and facilitation of residence wide programming.

• Education:
  • Educate their community on the general guidelines and standards of living, as set by the King’s College Code of Conduct and Residence Guidelines.
  • Inform students of the various supports and resources available to them at King’s.
  • Support and advance equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging within the residence community.

• On-Call Coverage:
  • Participate evenly in a rotational on call schedule that provides evening and overnight support to the residence community (approximately four (4) days a month).
  • Complete one (1) round of the residence buildings with Student Patrol once every on-call shift.
  • Carry an on-call phone and kit and be readily available to respond to calls.

• Administrative:
  • Complete administrative tasks like incident reports, programming proposals, surveys and more as needed.
  • Support the operations of Residence Life & Housing in the lead-up to Don Team training, move-in, orientation, and the opening of residence.
  • Act as a liaison between residence students and Residence Life, Housing & Facilities Management.
  • Perform other administrative duties as assigned to support Residence Life throughout the duration of the contract.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

Dons will typically be graduate students, young professionals, or recent graduates of an undergraduate program and junior dons will be mature, upper year students (going into their 3rd year of study or higher).

Additional experience and skills needed to thrive in this position include:

• Peer Support
• Interpersonal Skills
• Motivational Skills
• Commitment to Community Development
• Event Planning & Facilitation
• Open-Mindedness
• Flexible Communication Skills
• Problem Solving & Resourcefulness Skills
• Honesty & Integrity
• Eagerness to Learn

Experience and skills in Mental Health Support, Anti-Oppression, Equity Building and Sexual Violence Prevention Training is considered an asset.

Dons are required to be trained in Emergency First Aid & CPR – Level A. Emergency First Aid Training will be provided during training in August.

Employment Equity Statement:

The University of King’s College is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion. We encourage and welcome applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons with a disability, racialized persons, including persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, persons who are neurodivergent, persons from rural communities (especially rural Atlantic Canada) and all candidates who would contribute to the diversification of our community.

Our goal is to have a diverse Don Team that represents the lived experiences and worldviews of our student population. If an applicant is a member of one of these groups, they are encouraged to self-identify on their electronic application.

Duration of Assignment:

The Don contract dates are August 14, 2023 – May 31, 2024.

The Don training program is scheduled between August 17 – August 25 for Don specific training and August 28 –  September 1 for joint training with Student Patrol and Front Desk. These training dates are subject to change with notice. There are days off scheduled within the Don training program.

Dons are expected to be fully moved into their accommodations prior to the training start date. Dons are required to pay a $300 damage deposit before receiving their keys and moving into their rooms/suites.

Remuneration:

Remuneration for the Don position is comprised of taxable benefits (housing and food) and stipends.

Taxable Benefits:

• Housing accommodation for the duration of the contract.
  • This is a taxable benefit, and the total value of this benefit will depend on the accommodation type assigned to successful candidates in their offer letter.

• Food accommodation during the fall and winter academic terms.
  • Dons are expected to take meals in Prince Hall (dining hall) regularly to assist in building relationships with their community. Dons are assigned the 14 meals per week plan. This is a taxable benefit, valued at approximately $4,200.
    • Dons can upgrade their meal plan and can pay the difference between the 14-meal plan and their chosen meal plan at their own expense.

Stipend:

• Dons receive a $500 stipend per term ($1000 total) as remuneration for on-call. This stipend is paid out at the end of each term.

Application Process:

Interested candidates can apply for this opportunity by completing our online application form: UKC Residence Don Team Application Form

The application deadline is March 12, 2023, at 11:59pm. The application form will automatically close when the deadline has passed.