President

Gratz College, a primarily graduate, and online, institution committed to Jewish values and academic excellence, invites applications for the position of President. With a broad commitment to the intellectual and professional growth of diverse constituencies and a historic commitment to meaningful and engaging online education, the College creates access for students to become leaders in their professions and communities. Gratz College is recognized for developing effective teachers, professionals, and scholars, both within and beyond the Jewish community; preparing students to further their careers through education; inspiring life-long learners; and helping to build informed and strong communities.

The Institution: Founded in 1895 as a teaching college educating Hebrew School teachers, Gratz is the oldest independent and pluralistic college for Jewish studies in North America and has a rich history that is interwoven with Philadelphia. An early adopter of online education, Gratz offers online degrees and has enrolled students from 36 states and six countries. Over the last 20 years, the College has expanded its offerings to include a broad array of credentials, including a PhD and EdD, master’s level programs, BA completion programs, graduate and undergraduate certificates as well as community programming. Gratz College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the State of Israel. To learn more about Gratz College, please visit www.gratz.edu.

The Position: Reporting to the Board of Governors and working closely with the Chancellor—a newly created position focused on assisting the President with fundraising and academic affairs—the President serves as the Chief Executive Officer and exercises supervision, direction, and oversight over the affairs of the College. The President

• is responsible for all areas of leadership, strategic planning, budgeting, and higher education standards; develops and sustains strong relationships with faculty, staff, students, alumni, the community, and the Board; and facilitates collaborative strategic planning, utilizing shared governance to create a vision for the advancement of the College.
• demonstrates passion for Gratz College's mission of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world through education, and serves as a role model for the College, students, and community.
• ensures that annual goals for the College’s executive team members are aligned; creates an annual budget to be presented to the Board; is responsible for the overall administration and quality of fundraising; and assures that the College develops adequate sources of funding to keep the College on solid financial footing.
• speaks on behalf of the College to the community-at-large, and connects the Gratz College internal community, including students, faculty, staff, donors, and constituents, with the Board of Governors.

Directly reporting to the President are the Chancellor, Manager of Business Operations and Facilities, Director of Library and Information Technology Services, Director of Institutional Advancement, Director of Campus Security, and the Dean of the College.

Qualifications: The Gratz College Board of Governors seeks a visionary and innovative leader with strategic management skills who will continue to enhance the tradition of excellence established by the College. The successful candidate will

• have a commitment to and understanding of academic excellence as well as a record of team building, sound fiscal management, and experience in higher education administration.
• demonstrate a collaborative leadership style that champions equity and inclusivity and be able to advance the environment of shared governance.
• serve as an effective advocate for the College, possess the ability and commitment to proactively develop and maintain strong partnerships in the community and with other educational institutions, and further the College’s role in the educational continuum.
• understand best practices in both online and graduate higher education.
• have the ability to honor, value, and continue the tradition of Jewish studies and education, while ensuring the College provides programs and teaching modalities that respond to contemporary and future needs of students who represent a diverse presence at Gratz College both within and beyond the Jewish community.
• be a compelling and transparent communicator, active listener, and willing learner.
• demonstrate a high level of ethics and integrity.
• have a doctoral or terminal degree.

Location: Gratz College’s campus is located on Old York Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philly and its surrounding suburbs offer a vibrant and welcoming Jewish community. The area’s many universities and colleges make it a top study destination as the city has evolved into an educational and economic hub. Famous as the birthplace of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the City of Brotherly Love provides countless enrichment opportunities including fascinating museums, vibrant parks, national historic sites, world-class performing arts, award-winning restaurants, and endless shopping. Conveniently located in the middle of the Northeast Corridor, Philadelphia is 100 miles south of New York, 133 miles north of Washington, D.C., and 55 miles from Atlantic City. The city offers Amtrak and bus service throughout the region as well as proximity to the Philadelphia International Airport, which provides daily nonstop flights around the nation and around the world.

Application: Interested candidates should submit only a cover letter and CV/Resume to RPA Inc. at GratzPresident@rpainc.org. For a confidential discussion about this opportunity or to make a nomination, please email Dana John Cohick, President, or Amanda O’Donnell, Vice President and Senior Consultant, at GratzPresident@rpainc.org. The first review of candidates will begin on January 8, 2021, and first-round interviews will commence thereafter. All inquiries, nominations, and applications will be held in the strictest confidence.

Gratz College is an affirmative action institution, and it is the continuing policy of Gratz College not to discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, non-job-related disability or any other basis prohibited by law.