Deputy Vice Chancellor – Student Life

Deputy Vice Chancellor – Student Life

The Role

USIU-Africa seeks a strategic, compassionate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Student Life to provide strategic direction, oversight, coordination and leadership for an integrated student experience that enables every student to thrive academically, personally and socially. The mandate brings together student success, wellbeing, advocacy, engagement, inclusion and development, recognising that academic achievement is closely connected to mental health, belonging and resilience.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor will lead the student success lifecycle, from enrolment and transition into University through academic progression, completion and preparation for life beyond graduation. Working across academic and administrative divisions, the role will remove barriers to achievement, champion student voice and advocacy and strengthen accessible, proactive and preventive support. The role combines strategic oversight with active participation in student life, including the planning, organisation and implementation of policies and procedures governing extracurricular activities.

The mandate is to translate an integrated student experience into demonstrable improvements in retention, academic progression, timely graduation and employability. This includes strengthening engagement and campus participation, improving enrolment and the responsiveness of student support, and sustaining students’ lifelong connection to USIU-Africa. The Deputy Vice Chancellor will work with academic and professional teams to establish baselines, agree on measurable targets and use evidence to assess progress and direct resources where they will have the greatest effect. Technology will underpin this approach through student success dashboards, progress tracking and coordinated interventions, enabling the University to identify emerging needs, act early and evaluate the effectiveness of support.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Accountability

• Translate the University’s Strategic Plan into measurable student success outcomes, implementation plans and performance targets across the student lifecycle. Lead an integrated approach that connects academic achievement with wellbeing, inclusion, engagement and personal development.

• Serve as the Vice Chancellor’s chief advisor on student success, wellbeing, advocacy and the wider student experience, keeping the Vice Chancellor informed. Participate in the Management Board, contribute to institutional goals and represent the student success, wellbeing and advocacy portfolio on University committees and community groups.

• Lead the planning, implementation and review of policies, standards, programmes and services for student success, wellbeing and advocacy. Guide the transition from reactive services to proactive, coordinated and preventive support, with clear responsibilities and accountability for delivery.

• Academic Progression and Completion

• Collaborate with academic schools and administrative divisions to identify and remove barriers to retention, academic progression and timely graduation. Coordinate academic advising, mentoring and early interventions for students who need additional support.

• Oversee enrolment and retention, financial aid and orientation, working across the University to support new, transfer and re-entry students, including those transitioning from high school. Connect these services to continued engagement and successful progression.

• Work with academic leaders to ensure wellbeing informs the curriculum and classroom experience. Collaborate with the Deputy Vice Chancellor responsible for Academics, Transformative Teaching, Learning and Research to plan and direct graduation ceremonies.

• Student Wellbeing and Inclusion

• Provide strategic oversight of counselling, wellness, student advocacy and services that meet students’ daily needs. Ensure support is accessible, inclusive and responsive, and strengthens mental health, resilience and psychological safety.

• Oversee international student services, study abroad and multicultural programmes. Recognise the needs of students from different backgrounds and coordinate support that enables equitable participation and achievement.

• Manage facilities and services that enhance students’ quality of life and learning. Use student feedback and service evidence to improve access, response times and the coordination of support.

• Student Engagement and Experience

• Champion student voice and advocacy and serve as a liaison between students and University administration. Listen actively to student concerns, involve students in decisions affecting their experience and use feedback to guide improvements. Ensure student interests inform policies, support decisions and the removal of barriers to achievement.

• Lead the planning, organisation and implementation of policies and procedures for extracurricular activities across the University. Provide oversight and participate actively in initiatives that promote a positive, high-quality student experience.

• Increase engagement and campus participation through relevant co-curricular opportunities. Work with Marketing to promote these programmes and support branding, communications, public relations, media relations and sports information.

• Career Readiness and Transition

• Oversee career services, internships and job placement, connecting these functions with academic and co-curricular development to strengthen employability and students’ transition beyond university.

• Work with academic units, employers and relevant partners to connect students’ learning and development with career opportunities. Support lifelong engagement and connection to USIU-Africa.

• Represent the University to government bodies and agencies providing benefits, resources and services for students and, when requested, to educational institutions, businesses and community organisations.

• Student Development and Belonging

• Provide leadership and oversight for student associations, councils, clubs and the Student Centre. Support student leadership, confidence, resilience and personal development through sports, community service and other extracurricular activities.

• Build a campus culture that values diversity and strengthens belonging, connection and psychological safety. Develop institutional traditions and lifelong affiliations through vibrant student organisations and a living and learning environment grounded in the University’s values.

• People, Resources and Service Improvement

• Develop and manage the Student Life Division’s budget and oversee relevant funding processes and policies. Achieve divisional goals through effective financial and human resource management and align resources with student needs and agreed outcomes.

• Lead and develop diverse teams, evaluating personnel, programmes and services against student success outcomes and support responsiveness. Introduce additional services that respond efficiently and effectively to emerging student needs.

• Use technology as a core tool for tracking and supporting student success. Work with IT Services and academic teams to connect student information, academic progress, engagement and support records so that staff can identify emerging concerns, coordinate timely interventions and follow up on their effectiveness. Develop accessible digital support channels and dashboards that track retention, academic progression, graduation, employability and service responsiveness, with appropriate access controls, confidentiality and data protection.

• Governance Ethics and Risk Management

• Collaborate with the Legal and Quality Assurance Offices to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, codes and University requirements. Maintain and clearly communicate high legal and ethical standards across student services, programmes and activities.

• Oversee student judicial services and fair disciplinary procedures. Uphold safeguarding responsibilities, confidentiality and sound management of student-related institutional risks, ensuring sensitive concerns are handled appropriately.

• Undertake other duties commensurate with the role as assign