The Campus Safety Dispatcher serves as the initial point of contact for visitors and guests of the College, and as a knowledgeable resource for the Bennington College community. The Dispatcher is responsible for ensuring a welcoming and responsive customer service experience with every interaction. The Dispatcher is responsible for responding to inquiries over the telephone and in person, providing routine and emergency dispatch services for the Office - informing officers/staff in the field of calls/service needs. The Campus Safety Dispatcher also handles administrative responsibilities such as managing calendars, drafting/editing correspondence, and tracking/compiling relevant data and statistics required for federal and related reporting purposes.  Of critical importance is the ability to communicate clearly and well, to remain calm under pressure and to obtain/share accurate and detailed information. 

Bennington serves a diverse student population inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities as well as diverse gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness. Each individual (faculty, staff and students) will be accountable for upholding these values. The College’s approach to pluralism and inclusivity—both as fields of inquiry and practice—is to prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to apply.

Available Shifts 

• Per Diem - work on an as-needed basis (on-call support) 

General Responsibilities

1. Provide information services to guests/visitors/internals of the College.  Ensure that the customer service experience is welcoming, responsive and that follow-up is complete.  Respond to inquiries, needs and questions via telephone or in-person and direct calls as needed.  Determine the nature/urgency of the inquiry and/or purpose of the visit and provide a timely and accurate response.  Take detailed and accurate messages and convey same to relevant parties.  Resolve issues quickly and appropriately.  Where appropriate, educate the guest and provide recommendations (both meaningful and resourceful) that may enhance the visitor/guest experience with the College. 
2. Serve as a knowledgeable resource for campus facility information.  Maintain current information on campus facilities including recommended usage, space type, capacity and other relevant details.  Remain current on events/happenings (academic and otherwise) to be able to respond effectively to inquiries.  Maintain an accurate list of campus resource contact points (offices and key personnel) and develop/build/maintain strong and positive working relationships with same.  As directed, update and manage student visitor database, daily dispatcher log of campus safety operation, and virtual clipboard of noteworthy information (daily shift log of non-routine notes).    
3. Maintain the van reservation program and the College’s approved driver list.  Process reservation requests, update van reservation log, assign driver coverage and communicate status of reservation to requestor.  Prepare reserved vehicles for checkout and complete inspection form upon return.
4. Maintain confidentiality in the execution of all Campus Safety responsibilities.  Prioritize and respond to calls in stressful situations, including articulating pertinent details to Campus Safety officers and/or emergency services personnel as needed.  
5. Provide dispatch services to the Campus Safety Office.  Track/monitor new directives, daily tasks, and ad hoc requests.  Field incoming questions and requests and inform the Campus Safety Officer(s) and other relevant personnel of requests/details; convey urgency of request, timing and other relevant data.  As directed by the Campus Safety Officers, write up and process work orders using SchoolDude or similar work-order/facilities software.  Maintain regular and effective communication with Campus Safety personnel in the field.   
6. Ensure the smooth transfer of duties when starting/ending shifts by sharing and accepting relevant shift information with other staff members. 
7. Maintain the Campus Safety dispatcher log in a timely manner through the use of Report Exec to include all relevant Campus Safety operations in a given shift to include date, time, and exact location of incidents, events, and procedures.  Ensure integrity of the log in compliance with Campus Safety practices/policy.
8. Monitor/track key inventory for secured rooms in VAPA and other areas of campus; handle sign in/out procedures and follow established protocol to ensure that key usage/distribution is contained to relevant parties.  Maintain lost and found.
9. Diligently monitor foot and vehicle traffic in/around the main campus area.  Remain aware of surroundings/happenings at all times to be able to effectively respond to a variety of situations.   Report concerning incidents to Officer on duty. 
10. Provide administrative support to the Campus Safety Office and the Director of Campus Safety. Handle calendar, mail and correspondence.  Compile and track Campus Safety Office data/statistics.
11. Ensure that the Campus Safety Office is maintained in a neat/orderly manner. 
12. Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

1. High School Diploma or equivalent; Bachelor’s degree preferred.  Demonstrated successful administrative and customer service experience required. 
2. Superior verbal communication skills.  Demonstrated ability to accept sensitive information and to facilitate initial handling/processing while maintaining confidentiality.  Able to interact, communicate and build/maintain effective working relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization as well as guests/visitors and the general public.
3.  Highly proficient in use of Microsoft Office Suite (Word and Excel required), Gmail/Google docs and calendars, and Internet research.  Able to learn new programs (i.e. SchoolDude, Report Exec) as needed.
4. Must have demonstrated ability to successfully coordinate and facilitate work independently in an organized manner and with limited supervision.  Work requires continual attention to detail, ability to use good judgment in decision-making and must be able to manage effectively under stress.   Must be flexible to changing priorities, able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple, competing tasks and demands.
5. This position requires successful completion and acceptable results of a background check.

Working conditions and physical demands

Majority of work performed in an office environment with substantial activities completed using a computer.  Work is basically sedentary.  Some standing, bending, reaching, stooping, walking, pushing, pulling and climbing stairs may be required.   

The College