Description

Stillman College, west Alabama’s only 4-year HBCU, seeks an inspiring, forward-thinking, and collaborative leader to serve as Vice President for Student Success. This is an exciting time to join Stillman College under the dynamic leadership of a new president and this newly created division. As Stillman’s chief enrollment and student affairs officer, the Vice President for Student Success will play a critical role in shaping a new strategic plan for the college, leading strategic enrollment and student success efforts, and delivering an exceptional educational experience that is accessible, affordable, and responsive to the needs of the students that Stillman serves.

Job Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Position

The Vice President for Student Success provides executive leadership, direction, coordination, administration, management, and budget formation and allocation for student affairs and enrollment management units and functions. The Vice President for Student Success is an executive officer of the college and is responsible for stewarding the student lifecycle—from recruitment through graduation—to ensure that Stillman College offers a wide range of services that support students throughout their educational journey and that it continues to make good progress towards its strategic goal to improve student success and close equity gaps. Reporting to the president, the Vice President for Student Success works closely with the senior leadership team, deans, faculty, staff, and students to advance a campus-wide focus on the student experience and to strengthen the structures and programs that support a thriving community in which all students can succeed. The Vice President for Student Success participates in all aspects of institutional planning in support of the college’s mission, goals, and strategic priorities. The Vice President for Student Success will also have an appreciation for the college’s historical and formal relationship with the Presbyterian Church USA.

The Vice President for Student Success has responsibility for the following administrative units and functions:

• Student Life
• Residential Housing
• Band
• Choir
• Dean of Chapel
• Recruitment
• Admissions
• Registrar
• Title IX 
• Student Conduct
• Financial Aid

Executive Management

• Serve as a member of the president’s senior leadership team and on other campus planning and service committees.
• Provide executive-level advice and counsel affecting all aspects of campus management.
• Partner with the other vice presidents in the overall planning and direction of campus affairs; provide executive leadership to meet the college’s strategic goals and increase the presence of the institution in the region, state, and nation.
• Develop a strategic plan for the new division comprised of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and provide oversight for the plan’s implementation.
• Serve as the college’s chief student affairs officer; provide leadership and guidance to administrative leaders in student affairs toward the delivery of quality services, programs, and activities for students.
• Serve as the college’s chief enrollment officer responsible for developing a comprehensive enrollment management strategy that fosters an integrative recruitment, admissions, and retention effort consistent with the college’s strategic goals and direction.
• Work collaboratively with the provost and vice president for academic affairs to achieve recruitment, enrollment, and retention goals.
• Lead strategic, intentional, and creative initiatives to effectively utilize college resources in partnership with the vice president of administration and finance and chief financial officer.
• Work closely with the vice president for institutional advancement and academic leadership to enhance philanthropic and private support for student success.
• Lead initiatives to develop and enhance partnerships with external constituents that strengthen enrollment growth.
• Represent the president, as needed, on local, regional, and statewide committees and at conferences and meetings regarding student affairs and enrollment management in higher education. 

General Responsibilities

• Responsible for executive guidance, direction, and policy for enrollment management and student affairs.
• Provide administrative leadership for enrollment management and student affairs directors and professional staff, communicating institutional priorities and ensuring the ongoing assessment of programs and services.
• Develop, administer, and monitor the annual budget for the division, overseeing continuous efforts to maximize utilization of departmental resources.
• Serve as the principal investigator for various grants associated with the division.
• Ensure campus compliance with all federal and state laws and system-wide program management directives about enrollment management and student affairs services, programs, and resources.
• Participate in academic governance regarding policy matters involving the delivery of quality student, enrollment, and academic support services.
• Oversee the recruitment, selection, and evaluation of management personnel.
• Actively promote professional development within the division to maintain currency regarding student affairs and enrollment management trends, priorities, and best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the president.

Qualifications and Characteristics of the Successful Candidate

The successful candidate should have preferably, ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education with a distinctive record of achievement in strategic enrollment management, student affairs, and/or student success efforts. A master’s degree in a relevant discipline is required; an earned doctorate or terminal professional degree is highly preferred.

Additionally, candidates will possess many, if not all, of the following traits, experiences, and abilities:

• An affinity for the distinctive vision, mission, and character of a small, private  Historically Black College/College (HBCU) and the students and the communities it serves no matter their geographic region or socio-economic background.
• Experience recruiting and developing Hispanic
• Demonstrated executive leadership skills, including visionary execution, strategic planning, systems thinking, and budgetary management.
• A deep knowledge of current and emerging thinking and best practices in strategic enrollment management and student affairs
• Documented success in creating conditions that improve student engagement, development, retention, and success.
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity in all its forms and a proven track record of support and advocacy for students with diverse identities, histories, backgrounds, and experiences.
• A history of leading by example and engaging staff in a way that challenges them to reach for possibilities, supports their professional development and reinforces a sense of common purpose and shared experience among them.
• An ability to use research, data, and assessment to guide decision-making and promote continuous improvement.
• Superb written and oral communication skills, as well as an ability to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences, including students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors.
• A commitment to the work of philanthropy and fundraising to advance strategic initiatives.
• Experience working collaboratively with campus partners engaged in recruitment, retention, and student success efforts.
• An understanding of intercollegiate athletics, its role at the college, and the student-athlete experience
• An ethical leader who acts with integrity, treats others fairly, and demonstrates empathy, emotional intelligence, resiliency, political savvy, gravitas, and grace under pressure.

History of the Position

The Vice President for student success position is a newly redefined and expanded executive position. With the appointment of the vice president, Stillman will unify two administrative units – Student Affairs and Enrollment Management - to create a new division that will be known as Student Success.

Opportunities and Challenges of the Role

The Vice President for Student Success will be expected to address the following opportunities and challenges, among others:

• Create a vision and strategic plan for the combined structure of enrollment management and student affairs, that realizes the full potential of the division and captures the natural synergies between both units.
• Refine organizational structure, prioritize staff engagement and development, and promote higher levels of transparency, collaboration, and innovation throughout the division.
• Build the trust and respect of enrollment management and student affairs staff, inspiring and supporting them in their efforts to provide excellent service and transformative experiences for students.
• Forge a close partnership with the provost and vice president for academic affairs, college deans, and other academic and administrative leaders to recruit and retain students, and enhance student engagement, support, and success.
• Serve as an advocate for students and cultivate their sense of community and belonging within the Tuscaloosa community.

Measures of Success

Soon after joining the Stillman College community, the vice president will work directly with the President to identify specific quantitative and qualitative measures of success, along with associated timetables.

In the short term, the vice president’s success will be measured by the degree to which they learn and are able to navigate the culture and complexities of Stillman, build relationships with campus constituents and stakeholders across the college, earn the trust and confidence of the staff,  and become an integral part of the college’s executive leadership team. In the longer term, the vice president’s success will be measured by the achievement of specific goals and objectives related to managing enrollment and meeting the evolving needs of students.

Stillman College is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate unlawfully in employment matters on the basis of race, religion, gender, color, ancestry, national origin, age, disability or any other category protected by law.