Superintendent/President
The Board of Trustees of the Desert Community College District invites applications and nominations for the next Superintendent/President.
Application Deadline March 15, 2012
College of the Desert (COD) seeks a Superintendent/President who will provide leadership and advocacy for the College and be directly accountable to the Board of Trustees for the implementation of all District policies and procedures. The Superintendent/President will also serve as the College’s leader of all facets of campus wide operations focusing on learning and student success.
About College of the Desert
Founded in 1958, College of the Desert is one of 112 community colleges in California, a vital part of the world’s largest system of higher education. The college’s annual student population is approximately 15,000 and the operating budget is approximately $41 million per year. The governing Board of the Desert Community College District is comprised of five elected Trustees and a Student Trustee elected by the student body.
As a comprehensive California community college, COD offers transfer students the opportunity to complete lower division course requirements prior to transfer to four-year institutions. COD also offers a number of vocational and technical programs including nursing, digital design and production, turf grass management, advanced transportation technologies, culinary arts, and a full range of administration of justice courses at the Public Safety Academy training facility. As a result, the College plays a significant role in the overall economy of the Coachella Valley region, contributing over $30 million annually.
The main campus is located in Palm Desert, California, in the beautiful and diverse Coachella Valley, a thriving year-round community of approximately 450,000 residents with the natural beauty and recreational amenities typical of a resort destination. Recreational opportunities, such as world-class golf and superb hiking, abound thanks to an average of over 350 days of sunshine per year. The Coachella Valley is also home to a rich and varied agricultural production featuring citrus groves, table grape vineyards, and dates. Irrigation for the valley’s agriculture industry comes from both the All American Canal and underground aquifers. In addition to the original campus in Palm Desert, COD has campuses in both the Eastern Valley with sites in Indio and Mecca and the Western Valley located in Palm Springs.
COD is a federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and has been a recipient of several recent Title V grants from the U.S. Department of Education. With the goal of strengthening COD as an HSI, the grants have provided millions of dollars in increasing transfer rates and improving academic support services focusing on Hispanic and first generation college students.
The College is also a nationally recognized leader in renewable energy and alternative fuel training. COD is the administrative home of the Advanced Transportation Technology and Energy (ATTE) statewide initiative and operates one of seven centers established by the California Community College System to develop curriculum and conduct training for workforce development in emerging transportation and energy industries.
COD’s McCarthy Family Child Development and Training Center at the College earned national accreditation in August 2011 from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This is a distinction held by only 8% of the childcare centers in the nation. The Center not only provides child care to students, employees, and the public, but also serves as a training facility for students interested in becoming early childhood education professionals.
The College enjoys strong community support as evidenced by the 2004 passage of a $346.5 million bond measure to upgrade the infrastructure, renovate buildings, and construct new buildings to accommodate the college's growth. The construction phase is well under way with the completion of an infrastructure upgrade, a new Alumni Center, Public Safety Academy, Student Services building, Nursing Complex, renovated classrooms, and athletic field lighting.
With its upcoming new facilities and an excellent faculty and staff (107 full-time faculty, 350 adjunct faculty, 200 support staff, and 37 administrators), the College’s future is very bright. The College enjoys strong financial support from both the COD Alumni Association and the COD Foundation.
Characteristics of the Next Superintendent/President
The successful candidate will be an accomplished educational leader with a profound respect for the COD mission as well as a consensus builder who is able to work effectively with the Board of Trustees and the campus community as a whole. The next Superintendent/President will be a strong, dynamic individual with highly effective interpersonal skills that inspire confidence. More specifically, the college seeks a leader who:
• Works effectively in the local, state, national, and international arenas of higher education while representing the interests and needs of the district.
• Demonstrates institutional accountability that involves faculty, staff, and students.
• Exhibits strong leadership and effective direction across the campus while maintaining optimism and community spirit.
• Manages complex academic, fiscal, physical, technical, and human resources activities.
• Proves to have a strong commitment to the principles of shared governance.
The Successful Candidate for the Position of Superintendent/President will:
• Work effectively with the Board of Trustees in the implementation of District policy and procedures.
• Understand state, local, and national rules, regulations, and laws governing the operation of a community college district.
• Ensure institutional team building, delegation of authority, and effective employee hiring and evaluation.
• Make strategic but fair decisions and articulate their implementation all while listening and communicating openly with all campus groups.
• Demonstrate innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit that supports and enhances the mission, vision, and values of the institution.
• Effectively manage activities related to bond issuance, facilities planning, and financing as the college completes a capital construction program.
Instill energy, enthusiasm, and inspiration to motivate students, faculty, and staff.
• Represent the College effectively and build consensus in District discussions, community relations, and various political arenas.
• Acquire resources through fund development, grant acquisition, and partnership development in order to augment state apportionment.
Qualifications:
• A minimum of a Master's degree required and a Doctorate is preferred both from an institution accredited by one of the six regional accreditation agencies.
• Five years of increasing administrative experience in higher education with significant decision making responsibilities. Comparable business and industry experience are acceptable.
• Evidence of a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, culture, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.
• Teaching experience is preferred.
Salary:
Comparable with other superintendent/president salaries of a similar size within the California Community College System. College of the Desert offers a generous benefit package including health, vision, dental and life insurance.
Filing an Application:
Electronically submit the following materials by March 15 in order to be considered in the first review:
• A letter of application (3 to 5 pages) which provides examples from the applicant’s work history that demonstrates how his/her knowledge and expertise apply to the position as described in this announcement.
• A current resume of professional experience, educational background, and other pertinent information.
• A list of eight professional references with e-mail address and telephone numbers. In your references please include two supervisors, two members of the faculty, two community members, and subordinates, one of which is a support staff member. These documents must be sent electronically as attachments to your e-mail response. Paper applications will not be accepted.
If selected, additional information such as an official transcript will be required.
Please submit all application materials electronically to:
http://www.collegeofthedesert.edu/ps
The Search Advisory Committee's tentative timeline and additional information about the College District and local area are available at the district website:
www.collegeofthedesert.edu/ps
For nominations and confidential inquiries, contact:
Dr. Edward J Valeau, the ELS group
Telephone (510) 566-3426, fax (510) 881-1018
E-mail evaleau@elsgroup.org
Or
Ms. Sallie Savage, the ELS group
Telephone (831) 241-8379
Email ssavage@elsgroup.org
College of the Desert is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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