Aaron Clark
Dominican University Of California
San Rafael,CA
15
years of professional experience
Student-centered and best-practices oriented housing & residence life professional with strong background in building communities, fostering development, managing people and systems, and improving the residence life experience at large, public universities as well as small/mid-sized private universities.
Work History
Director, Housing & Residence Life
8 Years 5 Months- Manage daily operations of Housing Department, which includes three on-campus residence halls and one off-campus apartment complex.
- Manage all budget operations pertaining to Housing Department, managing an annual budget of over $340,000.
- Coordinate housekeeping and facilities services for four university owned/operated residences.
- Supervise one full-time professional Residence Life Coordinator.
- Supervise up to 15 Resident Advisors, as well as provide evening direction to Campus Security staff.
- Serve as primary University Conduct officer, adjudicating conduct cases involving residence life, bias incident, and some Title IX cases.
- Serve as active member of University CARE (Connection, Advocacy, Resources, Education) Team.
- Serve(d) on the following University committees: Orientation; Space & Facilities; University Operations; Diversity Action Group; IT Customer Service Roundtable; Torch First-Gen Student Success; and numerous Staff Selection & Hiring Committees at all levels, including the Vice President of Finance Search committee as well as numerous other professional- and student-staff selection committees.
- Liaise with on-campus and off-campus partners, including the local neighborhood association (DBCNA) and Center for Domestic Peace, among others.
- Serve as member of and primary lead for after-hours Emergency Response Team.
- Construct and design all staff training efforts, for both fall and spring semesters as well as part of ongoing learning component throughout the semester.
- Serve as assignments coordinator for residence halls and campus parking lots.
- Direct General move-in process for first-year and returning students, as well as collaborate with Student Engagement, Athletics, and other offices to provide early access to their student leaders and athletes.
- Initiate and secure partnerships with non-University affiliates in the development of revenue generation for Housing Department, including housing local College of Marin students as well as international students from ELS Language Centers on Dominican's campus.
- Supervise and implement all other standard residence life procedures and protocols, as necessary.
Residential Life Coordinator
2 Years- Oversaw nightly operations of diverse and dynamic international residence hall community at UC Berkeley, home to nearly 600 residents from over 70 different countries
- Supervised staff of 13 Resident Assistants (RAs), 3-5 Building Security Monitors, and 10 Front Desk Assistants.
- Coached and led student staff, residents, and guests in understanding and adhering to official policies and procedures.
- Acted as main point of contact in emergency situations as well as crisis intervention
- Provided guidance and support for residential education programming for nearly 600 residents
- Maintained regular contact with campus emergency personnel to ensure safety and security of International House residence hall.
- Co-led hiring and training efforts of all newly hired and returning RA staff
- Guided residents in conflict resolution and promoted cultural competency initiatives.
Resident Director (Graduate Hall Director)
1 Year- Directly supervised and developed team of 6 paraprofessional Resident Assistants (RAs)
- Oversaw implementation and post-assessment of academic and social programs
- Co-advised the Residence Halls Association (RHA) and National Residence Halls Honorary (NRHH)
- Oversaw, implemented, and acted as main point of contact for 2016-2017 RA selection processes
- Assisted and participated in the 2016-17 Resident Director processes
- Participated in and facilitated semesterly professional development trainings for RA staff
- Promoted community development and cultural competence among residents
- Acted as primary Conduct Manager for the Residence Hall I was in charge of
- Interpreted and enforced university and Housing department policies
- Served as Conduct Hearing Officer for the department by investigating and conducting hearings and assigning consistent and appropriate administrative and educational sanctions
- Oversaw and maintained programming and staff development budgets.
Program Coordinator
1 Year 3 Months- Facilitated daily operations of two programs associated with Cal State Fullerton's CICE office
- Reviewed resumes, interviewed, hired, and placed undergraduate students at tutor sites in under-resourced communities in Orange and Los Angeles Counties
- Supervised and professionally developed 40 undergraduate student employees
- Supervised, developed, and delegated tasks to Assistant Program Coordinator
- Established new partnerships with schools and community centers with main goal of providing tutoring and mentorship to underprivileged youth in low-income communities.
Resident Advisor
1 Year 4 Months- Fostered positive learning environment and safe residential space for international students studying abroad here in the United States
- Weekly duty obligations, including nighttime rounds and after hours emergency and crisis response
- Facilitated weekly programming to promote students' learning, acclimation, and understanding of American culture
- Assisted students in their quest to master American English.
Corps Member
11 Months- Worked closely with the California Endowment and Impact HUB on their 'Building Healthy Communities' initiative
- Served as member of 'Community Outreach' team for South Central Los Angeles based non-profit organization Community Development Technologies (CDTech)
- Served as advisor and mentor to South Central LA youth; created safe spaces for these youth to explore ways to get their stories heard through social media
- Led local Men or Color focus groups in which African-American and Latino men explored ways to create legacies and pathways to success for future generations of Men of Color
- Led special focus groups engaging African-American residents of South Central LA, discussing through weekly meetings ways to improve the quality of life for residents in some of LA's most troubled neighborhoods.
Corps Member
10 Months- Served as tutor, mentor, and role model to students at Markham middle school in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA
- Served as chair of Community Engagement, in which I organized educational enrichment programs and healthy living initiatives for students and residents of both the school I worked for and the larger Watts community
- Developed skills in community service, community building, and organizing
- Featured in regional and national media for work with students and community.
Education
Master of Science - Higher Education
Bachelor of Arts - Interdisciplinary Studies (Sociology, Ethnic Stud)
Skills
Ample ability to supervise and support staff
lead teams
and provide on-going professional development
coaching
and feedback to direct reports through regular one-on-one meetings
staff assessments and annual performance reviews.
Strong belief in Individualization when supporting staff and colleagues
displaying sensitivity to different communication and working styles when managing teams and operations.
Ability to assess current practices and protocols and identify opportunities for improvement and/or the refinement of the practice/protocol.
Solutions oriented and best practice oriented approach to departmental issues as they arise.
Experience in cross-departmental collaboration and support.
Fourteen years of experience with on-call and after-hours / emergency response.
Experience developing learning outcomes and identifying courses of action to meet those learning outcomes.
Conflict mediation and resolution skills.
Strong ability to team build and foster community.
Extensive experience working with students in Higher Education settings.
Knowledge of Maxient conduct software.
Familiarity with Ellucian and PowerCampus programs.
Adept in Microsoft Office programs (including Excel
Word
Powerpoint etc) as well as Google Suite.
Strong research and analytical skills.
Immense experience and comfort with public speaking.
Honors & Awards
- Honorable Mention by Dominican University President Nicola Pitchford, for revenue-generating and cross-collaboration accomplishments for the University - September 2026
- Chapter dedication in "Humanly Possible: A New Model of Leadership for a More Inclusive World", by Jason Patent, detailing experience as Higher Education professional - 2023
- California Legislature Speaker of the Assembly, Certificate of Recognition - July 2013
- University of California, Riverside Magazine feature article - July 2012
- University of California, Riverside 'Notable Alumni' honor - July 2012
- People Magazine mention, 'Mailbag Section' - June 2012
- People Magazine feature article, 'Heroes Among Us' section, June 2012
- UCLA Daily Bruin mention, January 2012
- University of California, Riverside Highlander Newspaper, front page article feature, November 2010
- National Residence Halls Honorary (NRHH) award for 'Exceptional Service and Contributions' - June 2009
- NRHH Leadership Award, June 2009
- Alpha Phi Omega Award for 'Outstanding Service and Contributions to the Spirit of Volunteerism' - June 2007
Timeline
Director, Housing & Residence Life
Dominican University Of California
05.2018 - CurrentRead More
Residential Life Coordinator
International House - University of California, Berkeley
06.2016 - 06.2018Read More
Resident Director (Graduate Hall Director)
University of La Verne
07.2015 - 07.2016Read More
Program Coordinator
CSUF Center for Internships and Community Engagement (CICE)
08.2014 - 11.2015Read More
Resident Advisor
Education First Los Angeles
05.2013 - 09.2014Read More
Corps Member
Public Allies
08.2012 - 07.2013Read More
Corps Member
City Year
08.2011 - 06.2012Read More
California State University, Fullerton
Master of Science from Higher Education
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University of California, Riverside
Bachelor of Arts from Interdisciplinary Studies (Sociology, Ethnic Stud)
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