Dean of Learner Affairs

Key Responsibilities

• Learner Experience & Campus Culture
• Own and continuously improve the overall out-of-classroom learner experience at Rishihood.
• Build a vibrant campus culture rooted in Rishihood's values of personal growth, professional excellence, public impact, responsibility and service.
• Ensure that learners experience a strong sense of belonging, identity and community.
• Design systems, experiences and practices that encourage learners to participate actively in campus life rather than remain passive recipients of university services.
• Work with learners, faculty and staff to understand what is working, identify gaps and continuously improve the learner experience.
• Ensure that the experience is consistent across Schools, hostels, clans and learner communities.
• Student Engagement, Clubs & Societies
• Own the development of a vibrant ecosystem of clubs, societies, student communities and learner-led initiatives.
• Enable learners to conceptualise, initiate and execute activities with appropriate institutional support.
• Develop frameworks for student-led events, cultural activities, competitions, interest groups and community initiatives.
• Encourage interdisciplinary and inter-School engagement.
• Ensure that clubs and societies become spaces for leadership, collaboration, creativity and learning rather than merely event-organising bodies.
• Build mechanisms to identify learner interests and create opportunities around them.
• Support learners in converting ideas into meaningful campus initiatives.
• The DLA should create the conditions for learner-led culture to flourish rather than becoming the sole producer of campus activities.
• Student Voice & Representation
• Serve as a primary institutional bridge between learners and University leadership.
• Create structured channels for learners to share concerns, ideas, aspirations and feedback.
• Facilitate Student Council, Clan Leadership and other learner representative structures.
• Ensure learner representatives have meaningful responsibilities and are accountable for representing their communities.
• Conduct regular town halls, open forums and structured conversations where appropriate.
• Develop feedback mechanisms such as pulse surveys, learner feedback systems and periodic experience assessments.
• Identify recurring concerns and convert learner feedback into actionable institutional improvements.
• Represent the learner perspective in relevant academic and administrative discussions.
• The objective is not simply to listen to learners, but to help build a culture where learners learn to articulate concerns, engage constructively and take ownership of solutions.
• Learner Leadership & Community Building
• Build strong learner leadership structures across the University.
• Identify and nurture learners who demonstrate initiative, responsibility and leadership potential.
• Create opportunities for learners to lead communities, events, projects and service initiatives.
• Develop peer leadership and peer-support systems.
• Strengthen the Clan system as a mechanism for belonging, mentorship, participation and leadership.
• Create opportunities for senior learners to contribute to the development of junior cohorts.
• Encourage a culture in which learners take increasing ownership of the campus as they progress through their years at Rishihood.
• Wellbeing & Pastoral Care
• Own the University's learner wellbeing ecosystem outside academic support.
• Ensure learners have access to appropriate counselling, medical, mentoring and pastoral support.
• Establish systems for identifying learners who may require early intervention.
• Develop strong coordination between mentors, wardens, counsellors, faculty and relevant University teams.
• Ensure appropriate support for issues including homesickness, academic stress, interpersonal challenges, emotional difficulties and other personal concerns.
• Develop escalation protocols for wellbeing and safety concerns.
• Where necessary, coordinate with parents, medical professionals and external specialists.
• The approach should be early, preventive and developmental, rather than waiting until a learner reaches crisis.
• Campus Rhythm, Traditions & Shared Experiences
• Steward the rhythms, traditions and shared experiences that contribute to Rishihood's identity.
• Ensure that key moments in the learner journey — induction, transitions, celebrations, cultural occasions, and graduation — contribute meaningfully to a sense of belonging and institutional identity.
• Develop appropriate daily, weekly, term-wise and annual practices that encourage reflection, community, discipline and participation.
• Work with relevant Schools and faculty to ensure that cultural practices are grounded in purpose and meaning.
• Ensure that institutional traditions evolve as Rishihood grows.
• Assemblies, ceremonies, and other common gatherings may form part of this ecosystem, but they are mechanisms for building culture, not ends in themselves.
• Orientation, Onboarding & Transitions
• Own the learner's transition into Rishihood.
• Design and oversee orientation and onboarding experiences that introduce learners to the University's culture, values, systems and communities.
• Ensure that orientation extends beyond an event into a structured transition journey.
• Build peer mentoring and buddy systems where appropriate.
• Support learners through important transitions during their undergraduate journey.
• Work with the Career Advancement Cell, Alumni Engagement and relevant Schools to support final-year learners as they transition beyond University.
• Learner Safety, Crisis & Incident Management
• Establish clear protocols for learner-related incidents involving conduct, safety or welfare.
• Act as the senior point of accountability for significant learner incidents.
• Ensure appropriate response to issues such as ragging, substance use, serious conflicts, mental-health emergencies, safety incidents and disputes involving staff.
• Coordinate with Security, Medical, Counselling, Operations, Proctorial and academic teams as required.
• Conduct post-incident reviews and ensure institutional learning is incorporated into systems and practices.
• Cross-Functional Learner Experience
• The DLA works across the University and is not limited to any individual School.
• The role will work closely with:
• All School Deans and faculty
• Learner Experience and academic support functions
• Career Advancement Cell
• Alumni Engagement
• Operations
• Security
• Counselling and medical services
• Proctors and Wardens
• Clan Leaders