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Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Campus Life, the University Chaplain & Director of Religious and Spiritual Life will work closely with colleagues across the institution in support of fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and caring community . The University Chaplain and Directo r will provide leadership in developing multifaith and interfaith programs and offerings including educational initiatives focused on spiritual issues, service, justice, ethics, and values in both formal and informal settings. The University Chaplain and Director must possess a strong desire to work in an interfaith context with college students of diverse cultural backgrounds and religious traditions, particularly traditionally underserved populations ( i.e. first-generation college students, students from low-income households, BIPOC , and/or LGBTQ+ students) .

Stetson University is a secular university with a Baptist heritage located in DeLand, Florida. DeLand has a vibrant award-winning downtown, home to 35,000 people and located in sunny central Florida 30 minutes from Daytona Beach and an hour from the Space Coast, Orlando and the theme parks. The work of the University Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life will occur through the following ways: supporting student organizations that support spiritual life and practice; work with student leaders, adult sponsors/directors, start new groups, etc.; direct pastoral care, whether of students who experience a loss, the death of someone part of the campus community (student, faculty, staff, alum, etc), as well as those in personal crisis; events, classes and other programming; plan, lead, support as needed religious services and campus ceremonies; collaboration with other departments such as Diversity and Inclusion, Community Engagement, Dean of Students Office, etc; lead interfaith education processes and support the interfaith groups; assist in supporting the multicultural groups; advocate for the religious and spiritual needs of the community; administrative functions of supervising staff and affiliates, managing budgets, facilities, planning, etc.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Employment duties include, but are not limited to the following:

Programming and Education

+ Support the religious and spiritual development of all students, including those who are atheist, agnostic, seeking, or secular

+ Engage students in the exploration of values, faith, belief, and religious and spiritual practice and provide support for students engaged in the deconstruction, construction, or reconstruction processes involved in developing their own beliefs and/or belief system

+ Assess the spiritual needs of students and coordinate, provide, or provide for community building, religious programming, and education including regular programming or religious observances for variety of religious traditions on campus such as Lent, Passover, Holy Week and Easter, Holi, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Diwali, Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha, Advent and Christmas, Hanukkah, and others as warranted and requested

+ Plan and conduct special educational series, discussions, speakers, and other campus programming on the intersection of religion and contemporary issues and collaborate with other departments across campus

+ Provide leadership and institutional input about issues relevant to the larger campus such as justice and anti-racism which may have a religious component

+ Assist with the ceremonial needs of the campus including planning and presiding over University events and coordinate memorials, remembrances, and vigils for the community, as needed

Student Religious Organizations

+ Supervise existing student-led religious groups and support the creation of diverse religious organizations on campus

+ Work collaboratively to maintain or establish a formal and beneficial relationship with the campus ministers and staff of external religious organizations with a presence on our campus

+ Promote interfaith student leadership on campus and provide mentoring and leadership development opportunities for student leaders

+ Support multicultural student organizations that may have religious aspects

Student Care

+ Provide thoughtful pastoral care for students, faculty, staff, alumni and other members of the college community regarding emotional, religious, educational, social, professional, and civic issues

+ Assist Dean of Students with supporting students and families in crisis

+ Serve on the Hatters Care Committee and Campus Life Leadership Team and help coordinate university response when there is a death of a student, staff, or faculty member

+ Reach out regularly to those in the community experiencing loss of loved ones

+ Visit Stetson community members and their families for pastoral care while in the hospital or in times of need

Collaboration

+ Collaborate with the Office of Career Success to identify internships and service opportunities at religious institutions, social welfare agencies, and social justice and advocacy groups for students considering careers in religious or social service

+ Collaborate closely with the Center for Community Engagement and Bonner Scholar program to strengthen community partnerships

+ Foster collaborations with local and regional churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious bodies to enhance the spiritual and religious needs of students, specifically volunteer chaplains and occasional pastoral counseling or services from global religious perspectives

+ Partner with Financial Aid and University Grants office to ensure the continuity of the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars program

+ Work closely with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Bias Education Support Team (BEST) process to address issues of bias related to religious and spiritual identities

+ Work with University Development staff to secure additional financial resources for religious and spiritual life and seek new and creative support avenues and structures

Administration

+ Supervise and provide guidance to Hillel Program Director, Catholic Campus minister, a graduate assistant or coordinator for interfaith dialogue, and any volunteer or affiliate campus ministers or chaplains

+ Develop and manage annual religious life administrative functions including budget, website, facilities, and ongoing needed coordination with staff and departments

+ Supervise student employees who may support office functions and indirect supervision of the Interfaith Values Fellows

+ Help develop and oversee the creation of Sacred Space on campus

+ Perform other site and position specific functions as assigned

Required Skills

+ Have a commitment to and track record of success related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice

+ Appreciation of and commitment to further an inclusive culture for those of diverse backgrounds such as ability, age, class, ethnicity, faith, gender, neurodiversity, race and sexual orientation

+ Organizational and administrative ability, including supervision of staff and volunteers that is motivational and collegial

+ Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal and intercultural communication skills, including public speaking

Required Experience

+ Master’s Degree or equivalent in religious studies, divinity, social work, religious, higher education, counseling, or relevant field is required

+ Be ordained or hold recognized standing in a religious tradition that would permit the performance of roles related to the college chaplaincy

+ A minimum of three years of experience working in higher education and/or possess and demonstrate transferrable skills and experience

+ Experience with college chaplaincy, or administrative responsibility in religious institution, student life, social service, or social justice agencies

+ Experience with interfaith dialogue or interfaith relations, and demonstrated commitment to religious diversity, healthy interreligious relations, and social justice

+ Experience with programming and leadership development for young adults

Salary Grade: 8