Director of Campus Life and Recreation

Position Overview

The Director of Campus Life and Recreation helps neighbors build active, connected, meaningful lives.

This position develops recreation, social opportunities, community relationships, projects, volunteering, and other experiences that reflect neighbors’ interests. The Director works across departments and locations to create additional options that may not fit within one existing program.

The Director does not replace the responsibility of CAG, CAI, Residential, Employment, Spiritual Life, or Case Management. The position adds capacity, develops opportunities, and helps departments connect neighbors to meaningful experiences.

The central question for the position is:

What would make this person’s life meaningful?

Primary Responsibilities

Recreation and Social Opportunities

• Develop a broader range of recreational and social opportunities for neighbors.
• Coordinate selected recreation during CAG hours.
• Develop at least one evening and weekend opportunity in partnership with Residential.
• Create options for neighbors with different interests, abilities, and support needs.
• Coordinate agreed organization-wide trips, celebrations, and neighbor events.

Neighbor Interests and Choice

• Learn what neighbors enjoy, want to try, want to learn, and can teach others.
• Help turn those interests into actual opportunities.
• Work with Case Management and program staff without creating a separate planning or documentation system.
• Regularly evaluate who is participating, who is not being reached, and where additional options are needed (with the support of Case Managers)

Community Relationships

• Develop relationships with recreation programs, businesses, colleges, civic organizations, clubs, libraries, parks, volunteers, and other community resources.
• Connect departments with community partners and resources that support their work.
• Determine whether a new relationship should remain organization-wide or transfer to a department for ongoing ownership (e.g. Employment, CAI, etc).
• Help neighbors move from one-time outings toward recurring participation, relationships, and community belonging.

Projects Contribution and Leadership

• Develop neighbor-driven projects such as gardening, cooking, woodworking, recreation, campus beautification, volunteering, and community service.
• Create opportunities for neighbors to contribute, take responsibility, teach others, and lead.
• Ensure projects are designed for neighbor growth, enjoyment, and contribution rather than as a substitute for routine staff or Facilities work.

Department Support

• Provide ideas, relationships, resources, and coordination that strengthen the work of CAG, CAI, Residential, Employment, Spiritual Life, and Case Management.
• Help departments expand the meaningful options available to neighbors.
• Support employees in recognizing and developing recreation and community-life opportunities.
• Work across departments without supervising their staff or taking over their core responsibilities.

Relationship with Other Departments

CAG

CAG remains responsible for providing meaningful daily activities and community experiences during CAG services.

The Director may:

• Develop additional opportunities during CAG hours
• Coordinate selected recreation periods
• Bring community partners or instructors into CAG
• Create opportunities that CAG staff help neighbors access
• Develop a relationship and later transfer it to CAG for ongoing ownership

The Director does not become CAG’s activities department. CAG remains responsible for the overall quality of the CAG day.

CAI

CAI remains responsible for delivering individualized community access services, including direct support, transportation, goals, and documentation.

The Director may develop relationships or opportunities that CAI staff help a neighbor access.

Residential

Residential remains responsible for home operations, staffing, transportation, health and safety, medication systems, and routine direct support.

The Director works with Residential to make evening and weekend opportunities possible. The Director may provide direct support for a specific opportunity when trained and authorized but is not routine DSP coverage.

Employment

Employment remains responsible for vocational discovery, job development, employer relationships, job coaching, and employment supports.

The Director may help a neighbor explore an interest, volunteer, or develop a skill. Employment takes the lead when the desired outcome becomes paid work. Note: If it is billable, employment takes the lead.

Spiritual Life

Spiritual Life remains responsible for pastoral care, spiritual formation, neighbor spiritual leadership, staff spiritual support, church relationships, and faith-community belonging.

The Director leads when the primary purpose is recreation, social connection, celebration, or general community participation. Spiritual Life leads when the primary purpose is spiritual care, formation, ministry leadership, or faith-community belonging.

Case Management

Case Management remains responsible for the ISP, formal goals, required documentation, and service coordination.

The Director helps turn neighbor interests into real experiences but does not create a separate service plan.

Direct Support Expectations

The Director should be capable of providing direct support when needed to accomplish Campus Life and Recreation objectives.

Depending on training and authorization, this may include:

• Driving a Wesley Glen vehicle
• Supporting neighbors in community settings
• Assisting with personal or behavioral support needs
• Administering medication
• Supporting evening and weekend participation

These abilities exist to help neighbors access opportunities. They do not make the position a floating DSP or the default response to staffing shortages.

Decision Making and Escalation

The Director works with the appropriate department leader to plan and support opportunities.

When a barrier involves staffing, transportation, scheduling, safety, or departmental priorities, the Director and department leader should first attempt to resolve it together. Unresolved issues should be taken to the CIDDO.

The Director does not have supervisory authority over other departments but is accountable for identifying barriers that prevent approved opportunities from moving forward.

Measures of Success

Success should not be measured only by the number of activities offered.

Within the first year, Wesley Glen should see more neighbors who:

• Participate in recreation they chose
• Have things they look forward to
• Try new experiences
• Develop recognizable interests
• Build skills and complete projects
• Volunteer and contribute
• Develop relationships beyond paid staff
• Participate regularly in community groups
• Have meaningful evening and weekend opportunities
• Take greater responsibility and leadership

The organization should also have:

• Stronger recreation and community partnerships
• More options for neighbors with different support needs
• Clearer coordination among departments
• Successful transfer of appropriate relationships to departments
• Less dependence on one person to personally deliver every opportunity

Qualifications and Capabilities

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong relationship-building with neighbors, employees, families, and community partners
• Ability to discover individual interests and turn them into practical opportunities
• Experience developing recreation, projects, events, or community partnerships
• Sound judgment involving health, safety, risk, and inclusion
• Ability to coordinate across departments without relying on formal authority
• Strong organization, communication, and follow-through
• Ability to work independently and adapt the schedule to neighbor opportunities
• Ability to provide direct support within training and authorization
• Commitment to Wesley Glen’s mission and respect for neighbor choice

Working Conditions

• Regular travel among Wesley Glen locations and community settings
• Planned evening and weekend work
• Work in indoor and outdoor environments
• Direct interaction with neighbors who have varied support needs
• Physical requirements and required credentials to be finalized through HR review

First Year Priority

The first year should establish a sustainable Campus Life and Recreation function rather than a calendar dependent on one employee.

The Director should develop opportunities, strengthen departmental practice, build community relationships, and help create a Wesley Glen culture in which neighbors have:

People they know. Places they belong. Interests they pursue. Things they contribute. Responsibilities they own. Fun they enjoy. Opportunities to grow and lead.