Manager, Student Affairs Mitigators (SAMs)

ETHICS AND CMPLNC PROFL 3 (006232)

UCPath Position ID: TBD_941523

Position Description History/Status

Approved Date:

6/17/2026 7:11:05 PM

Date Last Edited:

6/17/2026 7:10:52 PM

Last Action Effective Date:

Organization Details

Business Unit (Location):

LACMP

Organization Code:

7000O

Organization:

VC STUDENT AFFAIRS                     

Division Code:

7300D

Division:

CAMPUS LIFE                            

Department:

373300 - CAMPUS LIFE ADMINISTRATION

Position Details

UCPath Position Number:

TBD_941523

Position Description ID

256878

UC Payroll Title:

ETHICS AND CMPLNC PROFL 3 (006232)

Personnel Program

Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Salary Grade:

Grade 23

Job Code FLSA:

Exempt

Union Code (Collective Bargaining Unit):

99: Non-Represented (PPSM)

Employee Relations Code:

F: All Others - Confidential

Employee Class (Appt Type):

2 - Staff: Career

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

1

SUPERVISION

UCPath Reports to Position Number:

41019644

Reports to Payroll Title:

ADMIN OFCR 4

UCPath Department Head Position Number:

40065594

Department Head Payroll Title:

 STDT LIFE DEV MGR 4

GENERAL SUPERVISION - Indicates that the incumbent develops procedures for performance of variety of duties; or performs complex duties within established policy guidelines.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Manager of the Student Affairs Mitigators (SAMs) is a senior-level, career exempt professional responsible for supporting the University's academic mission and operations while advancing student success, protecting student rights, and building a campus community grounded in trust, equity, and open expression. The Manager serves as an educator, advocate, mentor, and frontline administrative resource across a wide range of campus life contexts, including events, demonstrations, strikes, and other campus activities.

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Campus Life and coordinating with the Chief of Risk and Compliance for Campus Life/Recreation, the Manager leads the Student Affairs Mitigation (SAMs) Team, a specialized unit of approximately six management-level volunteers trained in de-escalation, crisis intervention, community engagement, and student affairs best practices — and directly supervises one FTE. 

The SAMs team serves as the University's frontline administrative response: educating campus affiliates and visitors about university policy, monitoring compliance with Time, Place, and Manner (TPM) and other applicable policies, and supporting a coordinated institutional response when events or activities create operational, policy, or safety concerns. Success is measured by relationship building, effective campus-wide education, and support of uninterrupted academic operations.

The Manager supports the TPM policies, promotes campus safety, and ensures continuity of University operations during events, demonstrations, strikes, and other activities. During active responses, the Manager focuses on four core functions: observation, de-escalation, communication, and documentation.

The Manager operates within the highest levels of UCLA's institutional leadership structure, requiring independent judgment in complex, sensitive, and fast-paced environments while serving as a trusted advisor to senior campus leaders in Student Affairs, Campus and Community Safety, and the Emergency Operations Center. The Manager is a named participant in the university's tiered-response and system-wide Campus and Community Safety Plan and serves as the formal executive designee in the UCLA Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when senior principals are unavailable. Due to the nature of this role, the Manager routinely handles highly confidential and sensitive information — including matters related to campus safety, personnel, and institutional decision-making — and is expected to exercise the utmost discretion in all communications and actions.

The SAMs Manager functions as a representative body of the EOC, and as the central coordination point for managing incidents that intersect with campus operations, public safety, and labor relations, including strikes, picketing, work stoppages, and other collective actions. During labor-related activities, this role supports the collection, analysis, and dissemination of operational and labor-sensitive information to support institutional response and labor relations strategy. The role requires independent judgment in assessing and sharing sensitive information with designated stakeholders.

The scope of authority, independence of judgment, executive advisory function, mandatory 24/7 on-call obligation, access to and stewardship of highly confidential institutional information — including sensitive matters related to campus safety, personnel, legal affairs, and emergency operations — and cross-divisional leadership expectations of this position are fully consistent with and substantiate both career exempt classification and non-represented status.

As a pivotal member of UCLA Student Affairs, you’ll ignite the Bruin spirit and contribute to a vibrant community that champions academic success, student wellbeing, and holistic development. UCLA Student Affairs is the backbone of the Bruin journey—supporting students from admission to graduation and beyond. In this role, you join a community committed to personal growth, academic persistence, and enriched student engagement. Here, you’re not just part of a team; you’re part of the UCLA legacy. Join us in shaping the future of UCLA, where each day you make a meaningful difference for students and the broader Bruin family.

Student Affairs Policy Compliance, Community Engagement & Risk Mitigation

1. Lead SAM Team Engagement at Campus Activities and Emerging Incidents 

 • As the operational and strategic leader of the SAM Team, the Manager serves as the University's primary frontline administrative response lead — educating campus affiliates and visitors about university policy, monitoring compliance with TPM and other applicable policies, and supporting a coordinated institutional response when events or activities create operational, policy, or safety concerns. During events or activities requiring active university response, the SAM program provides structured onsite support focused on four core functions: observation, de-escalation, communication, and documentation. The Manager exercises full programmatic authority and independent professional judgment across all aspects of team readiness, deployment, and performance, and models an engagement-first approach that supports the University's ability to carry out its core academic mission and business functions during events, demonstrations, strikes, and other campus activities.

 • Supervises 1 Administrative FTE; provides ongoing performance management, coaching, and professional development consistent with UC people management expectations and values.

 • Designs, delivers, and continuously evaluates comprehensive SAM team training to ensure members are proficient in the program's four core onsite functions — observation, de-escalation, communication, and documentation — as well as campus policy, First Amendment law, crisis intervention, and student development theory. Ensures all team members lead with relationship-building and community engagement, and are equipped to produce compliant documentation satisfying all applicable legal and policy reporting obligations.

 • Monitors and ensures compliance with Time, Place, and Manner (TPM) policies and other applicable university requirements. Pays particular attention of TPM during demonstrations, events and public assemblies. 

 • Responsible for conducting compliance assessments, identifying potential policy and/or operational risks, and recommending and follow through with corrective actions and mitigation strategies.  

 • Independently assesses campus conditions, situational dynamics, and emerging needs to authorize SAM team deployment. Communicates assessments, resource recommendations, and strategic guidance directly to senior leadership — including the VCSA, AVC, Deputy Director, and Chief of Risk and Compliance — in real time and without supervisory direction.

 • Designs and facilitates high-stakes training for campus stakeholders — including administrators, professional staff, and student leaders — on Time, Place, and Manner (TPM) policies, First Amendment rights, de-escalation strategies, and legal compliance during public assemblies and campus events.

 • Develops and refines event engagement strategies that center student wellbeing, open expression, and community trust, while ensuring campus safety and legal compliance as natural outcomes of strong community relationships.

 • Manages documentation and resolution of safety and policy concerns. Serves as a critical institutional liaison between university administration, students, student organizations, and external parties, leading resolution processes that preserve institutional integrity and sustain community trust.

 • Sources, negotiates, and manages contracts for specialized safety services and security technology. Ensures all third-party vendors are vetted and aligned with the student-centered campus climate in which they operate, and enforces strict risk-protection protocols throughout all vendor relationships.

 • Serves as the primary institutional on-call expert for SAM team mobilization within the University's tiered response framework. Participates in a 24/7 rotating on-call schedule — including during labor actions, strikes, campus disruptions, and emergencies — to assess engagement requests, monitor policy compliance, provide real-time incident guidance, and support coordinated institutional response when events or activities create operational, policy, or safety concerns. Availability during all campus disruptions, including strikes and labor actions, is a structural and essential function of this non-represented management position.

 • Manages SAM team activation within the University's tiered response framework — the structured approach that guides how the institution escalates its response to policy concerns, operational disruptions, and threats to health and safety. Applies the tiered response framework during both scheduled events and spontaneous incidents, providing real-time advisory council to UCLA senior leadership and operational staff navigating dynamic, high-pressure situations where consequential institutional decisions must be made rapidly and with confidence.

 • Meets with student groups and individual students to mentor them on communication, leadership, and the lawful exercise of protest and free expression. Educates the campus community on First Amendment rights, UCLA's free speech policies, and institutional expectations for responsible expression. Serves as the campus subject matter expert and trusted advisor on student protests, demonstrations, and free speech, helping students and staff navigate compliance with federal, state, UC system, and campus-level policies with clarity, care, and equity.

 • Analyze compliance trends and recurring policy issues and develop recommendations for process improvements and risk mitigation. Prepare compliance summaries, findings, and policy-related reports for senior leadership recommending resolutions and applicable trainings. 

65%

Coordinate SAM Program Services for Athletic Events

The Manager is the primary institutional coordinator ensuring that the SAM program is fully operationalized and effective during UCLA's highest-profile athletic events, including those held at partner institutions.

 • Manages and prepares SAM staff deployment for all home football games, home basketball games, and the annual UCLA/USC football game at USC. Ensures appropriate staffing, pre-event briefing quality, and full alignment with campus safety protocols for each event type and venue.

 • Oversees complete operational readiness for all athletic events by managing logistics, staffing assignments, briefing and debriefing materials, and real-time coordination. Applies lessons learned to refine future event strategies.

 • Maintains continuous, proactive alignment with the UCLA Athletics Department through regular planning meetings, real-time event coordination, and structured post-event reviews to evaluate effectiveness and embed continuous improvement into athletic event protocols.

15%

Training, Development, Implementation, and Compliance

 • Leads the formulation, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of training goals, objectives, policies, programs, and procedures for the Division of Campus Life. Serves as the divisional lead for hazing education and prevention, ensuring programs are evidence-based, legally compliant, and culturally responsive to the diversity of the campus community.

 • Conducts regular needs assessments to identify training gaps; designs and develops training courses, instructional materials, and program curricula tailored to the diverse roles of Campus Life staff — including students, part-time employees, and full-time professionals.

Establishes and maintains tracking systems to monitor training participation, assess program effectiveness, and produce data-informed recommendations for programmatic improvements and institutional resource investments.

 • Conducts compliance assessments and identifies potential policy, operational, legal and reputational risks associated with campus activities.

 • Develops recommendations and corrective actions to address identified compliance concerns and improve adherence to university policies. 

 • Partners with Campus Life HR to support compliance tracking and follow-up for all mandatory University training, ensuring complete and timely compliance across all student, part-time, and full-time staff within the Division of Campus Life.

 • As subject matter expert, coordinates all job-specific required training and certification compliance — including applicable federal, state, First Amendment law, CPR, First Aid, Clery Act, FERPA, CANRA, and other applicable regulatory requirements — maintaining accurate records and ensuring all renewal timelines are met across the division.

 • Provide policy interpretation, compliance guidance and develops training initiatives to campus stakeholders regarding TPM, free expression, and related university requirements.

15%

Reporting, Evaluation, and Emergency Preparedness

 • Develops and delivers comprehensive recommendations, reports, and program metrics to senior leadership — including the VCSA, AVC and Deputy Director — assessing the feasibility and ongoing impact of new and existing programs. Evaluates the effectiveness of community engagement initiatives and policy changes, producing actionable, evidence-based recommendations. Maintains detailed records of campus protests, demonstrations, and related incidents; provides regular structured reports to university administration on expressive activity events, emerging trends, and campus climate.

 • Analyzes and identifies compliance trends and recurring policy issues, and provides recommendations for process improvements. 

 • Serves in a key advisory leadership role on the Student Affairs Safety Committee, providing expert counsel to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Administration. Acts as the formal designee of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Life, and/or the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer in the UCLA Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during activations when those principals are unavailable. This designee function is one of the most consequential expressions of the executive-level trust and institutional authority vested in this position, and is a primary basis for both career exempt classification and non-represented status.

 • Maintains all required training credentials, certifications, and expertise to serve as an effective formal participant in the University's Emergency Operations Center and Event Operations Centers. Supports situational assessment, cross-agency coordination, and strategic communication during emergencies, complex incidents, and campus disruptions — functioning as a named institutional leader within the university's broader emergency management structure.

 • Applies subject-matter expertise derived from real-time incident response, behavioral pattern analysis, and program evaluation to advise division and campus stakeholders on improvements to staffing models, training approaches, and policy frameworks. Engages proactively in division-wide and cross-campus strategic discussions to collaborate on safety planning, incident mitigation best practices, and evolving program development priorities.

 • The SAMs Manager along with the EOC is actively involved in the development and real-time adjustment of response strategies during labor events and routinely handles information that may be used to support labor relations strategy and legal proceedings. In this capacity, the role functions as a key operational conduit to ELR, providing direct and regular support to individuals responsible for formulating, determining, and effectuating labor relations policies. 

 • Prior to a labor action, this position may sit in on meetings where they would be privy to UC’s confidential negation strategy, develops talking points for the Director of Emergency Management, the VC of Student Affairs and the AVC Campus Life and maintains access to the communication channels for negotiation discussions effecting labor outcomes with the unions. 

5%

•

Performs other duties as assigned.

•

Complies with all policies and standards.

•

Complies with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Principles of Community.

•

This position description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree

in Student Affairs, Higher Education, Public Administration, Counseling, or a related area and / or equivalent experience / training. 

Required

And

Master's Degree

in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Public Policy, Emergency Management, or related area and / or equivalent experience / training. 

Preferred

Knowledge of the overall organization and administrative operations of the campus, campus resources and services, and campus-wide offices and administrative staff contacts.

Required

Demonstrated team building skills to effectively recruit, train, evaluate, motivate, resolve problems/conflicts, conduct performance evaluation, and build a productive service-oriented environment.

Required

Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in student affairs, community engagement, crisis intervention, campus safety, or a directly related field.

Required

Experience within the UC system or a comparably complex public research university environment.

Preferred

Prior experience serving in a formal Emergency Operations Center (EOC) capacity.

Preferred

Familiarity with the Clery Act, FERPA, CANRA, Title VI, Title IX, and other federal compliance obligations in a higher education context.

Preferred

Experience with vendor management, contract administration, and procurement for safety, security, or risk management services.

Preferred

Track record of building trusted, collaborative relationships across student affairs, campus safety, athletics, legal counsel, and external agencies.

Preferred

Red Cross CPR Certification

By start date

Required

Standard First Aid Training Certification

By start date

Required

Certification in emergency management (ICS-100/200/300, NIMS), crisis intervention, or professional de-escalation (e.g., CPI, MOAB, or equivalent).

By start date

Preferred

Keen ability to maintain sharp focus amidst competing priorities; the acumen to effectively manage time, teams and projects to deliver commitments on time. Ability to adapt to changing priorities.

Required

Highly sophisticated and proven knowledge of student development theories and practices including best practices in higher education and an understanding of mentorship and development techniques. Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, student rights, and student-centered practice within a large, diverse university environment.

Required

Proven experience to engage and interact effectively with a diverse population including students, staff, faculty, administrators, family, and the community from a variety of cultural, educational, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Required

Utilize research to stay current with policy and procedures, applying expertise in state and federal law and university policy impacting campus life to speak formally and informally through prepared and extemporaneous presentations that provide information, explain procedures, investigate facts, and persuade others. Deep experience to analyze and evaluate data and program procedures to assess consequences and recommended courses of actions.

Required

Facilitate specialized training as an instructor for CPR/First Aid, BBP, and SVSH Prevention, and incident/accident reporting while managing an electronic records system to maintain compliance. Apply expertise in training concepts and emergency protocols to personnel and evaluate program effectiveness during campus incidents. Experience managing, training, and developing professional staff or volunteer teams in student affairs, community safety, or related contexts.

Required

Demonstrated experience making high-stakes, autonomous decisions in real-time crisis or emergency situations with limited supervisory oversight and significant institutional consequences.

Required

Demonstrated ability to advise and communicate with confidence and authority to senior institutional leadership, including Vice Chancellor- and Associate Vice Chancellor-level executives.

Required

Ability and genuine willingness to participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation, including regular evening, weekend, and holiday availability — including during campus disruptions and labor actions — as required by the non-represented management function of this position.

Required

Working knowledge of First Amendment law, Time, Place, and Manner (TPM) policy frameworks, and applicable federal, state, UC, and campus regulations governing free expression and public assembly. Strong understanding of First Amendment rights and related legal considerations, with the ability to apply this knowledge to campus policies and practices.

Required

Knowledge of compliance program administration, policy interpretation, and regulatory compliance practices in a higher education environment.

Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate operational, compliance, legal, and reputational risks associated with campus activities and programs.

Ability to monitor compliance activities, evaluate findings, and recommend corrective actions and process improvements.

Knowledge of applicable federal, state, UC, and campus regulations, including First Amendment law, FERPA, Clery Act, CANRA, hazing prevention requirements, and related compliance obligations.

Preferred

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.

Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.

Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.

CANRA: The position is designated as a mandatory reporter under CANRA. The employee must sign the "Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse".

Clery Act: The position is a designated CSA (Campus Security Authority) under Clery Act requirements.

LOCATION AND PHYSICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, MENTAL (PEM) REQUIREMENTS

Environment and Work Location Information

Environment Type:

Non-Clinical Setting

Location Setting:

Campus

Location:

John Wooden Center

Standing/Walking

X

Sitting

X

X

Bending/Stooping

X

Squatting/Kneeling

X

Climbing

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 0-25 lbs

X

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 26-50 lbs

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull over 50 lbs

X

Physical requirements other

X

Chemicals, dust, gases, or fumes

X

Loud noise levels

X

Marked changes in humidity or temperature

X

Microwave/Radiation

X

Operating motor vehicles and/or equipment

X

Exposures other

X

Sustained attention and concentration

X

X

Complex problem solving/reasoning

X

X

Ability to organize & prioritize

X

X

Communication skills

X

X

Numerical skills

X

X

Mental demands other

X

X

Classification 3:  Position in which exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues is not part of the position description. The normal routine task involves no exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues and the employee can decline to perform tasks which involve a perceived risk without retribution.