Residence Hall Rector

The Office of Student Affairs is now accepting applications for the position of Rector for the 2008-2009 academic year.

This is a full-time, nine-month position. Living alongside students in the residence hall and accompanying them on their journey of faith, the Rector counsels and advises, provides critical support, and when necessary, calls students to accountability. The Rector oversees a staff which includes graduate student Assistant Rectors and senior students who serve as Resident Assistants. Collaboration with a wide array of University departments responsible for student welfare and University facilities is an essential feature of the Rector position.

The successful candidate will possess a Master’s degree and a minimum of three years experience in a related field, such as pastoral ministry, education, student personnel, or counseling. Some possibility of additional part-time teaching or administrative responsibilities at the University may be available, if desired. The University strongly encourages applications from members of minority groups and others who will enhance and diversify our staff. Starting salary in 2007-08 was $30,000 plus benefits; rectors also receive furnished living quarters designed for one person and a partial meal plan.

Application Materials

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Please mail a completed application to:

Sister Jean Lenz, O.S.F.
Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs
316 Main Building
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 631-5550

Residential Life at Notre Dame

Since Notre Dame’s founding by the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1842, student life has been a hallmark of this Catholic University. While student life has changed dramatically since the University’s early years, residence life continues to be an essential component of education at Notre Dame. Within its residence facilities, the University seeks to create an environment which will encourage the integration of the student’s religious, academic and social development.

Today, approximately 6,500 of 8,000 undergraduates live in twenty-seven single-sex undergraduate residence halls. In addition, there is a graduate student housing complex comprised of two bedroom apartments and four bedroom townhouses for single graduate students.

Each undergraduate residence hall is headed by a rector, who is assisted by one or more assistant rectors (ARs) and by resident assistants (RAs). The rector and ARs comprise the head staff of the hall. The graduate student housing complex is currently supervised by a head staff that includes a Rector and three Assistant Rectors.

Head staffs include priests and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross, men and women of other religious communities, and lay men and women. Though the rectors and ARs have multifaceted responsibilities, their primary roles are those of educator and minister. Notre Dame’s educational philosophy is holistic. The head staffs are bridges to the many aspects of university life that touch our students. Within its undergraduate residence halls, the University strives to create communities of faith and learning that serve as catalysts for the integration of students’ intellectual, spiritual and social development.

The Rector Position

The rector is the principal person in charge of general administration of the residence facility and its programs. Rectors are assisted by ARs, and, in the case of undergraduate residence halls, by RAs, who are seniors or graduate students. The rector is responsible for the well-being of all staff members and residents. This includes primary responsibility for assisting students in the integration of their religious, academic and social development. In addition, the rector is responsible for leadership and coordination of all residence programs, in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Residence Life. The rector also plays a key role in the selection and training of ARs and RAs. Moreover, the rector is responsible for the condition of the residence facility and acts as a liaison to the appropriate offices for physical plant operations.

Although a number of rectors hold teaching positions or other administrative assignments which they are able to balance with their duties, the position of rector usually is regarded as a full-time job. Ordinarily graduate and professional students are not eligible for the position of rector. At the present time, close to 70 percent of our Rectors are priests, brothers, or sisters and some 30 percent of rectors are lay people. Living accommodations are designed for one person. Rectors report directly to a member of the senior staff of the Office of Student Affairs.

For More Information Contact:

Sister Jean Lenz, O.S.F.
Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs
316 Main Building
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 631-5550