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Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students

Employer
Wilson College
Location
17201, Chambersburg

Job Details

Wilson College seeks a collaborative and community-minded student affairs leader to serve as its next vice president for student development and dean of students. This is an on-site and in-person role, and the anticipated start date is late September/early October 2022. 

Wilson College is a private, liberal arts institution located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869 as a college for women and became coeducational in 2013. Featuring gracious lawns, mature trees and rolling hills, the 300-acre campus is on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district and the Conococheague Creek runs through it. Through its newly adopted strategic plan, Future Wilson: The Phoenix Rises, the College is poised to build on its 153 year history as an institution with a sincere commitment to a transformative education that balances academic quality, access, affordability, and supportive rigor.  

Over 1,400 women and men of all ages are enrolled in Wilson’s undergraduate, graduate, and online programs. Students can choose from 30 undergraduate majors and 38 minors, and nine master’s degree offerings in education, nursing, business, and the arts and humanities. Fifty-one percent of full-time undergraduate students live on campus, and students are involved in nearly 30 organizations, including the highly active Wilson College Government Association. Wilson is a member of the Colonial States Athletic Conference and fields six women’s and five men’s NCAA Division III athletic teams. It has enjoyed growing success in its athletic programs, with ten of its 11 athletic teams reaching conference playoffs in 2021-22. 

Reporting to President Wesley R. Fugate, the vice president for student development and dean of students (VPSD-DOS) is responsible for providing vision, leadership and effective administration of the College’s student development division and its many functions and services. The vice president is an executive officer of the College and serves as a member of the President’s senior leadership team. As such, they will be expected to be a trusted partner, advisor, and thought leader especially on matters related to the co-curricular experience of students. The next VPSD-DOS will have an opportunity to build on the success and strengths of the student development division and lead it into a new era of creativity and service excellence. Consistent with Wilson’s shared values of honor, discovery, inclusivity, community, and service, the VPSD-DOS will actively promote the vision of a fully integrated student experience that aligns the curricular and co-curricular dimensions of student life and enhances the Wilson experience and sense of community and belonging for all students in an increasingly diverse environment.

The VPSD-DOS provides strategic and operational leadership to campus safety and parking; career development; chaplain; counseling services; dining and conference services; health services; intercollegiate athletics and esports; international student services; justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; new student orientation; Phoenix Against Violence grant program; residential life; student conduct, threat assessment, and crisis management; and student programming and leadership development. Further, the VPSD-DOS advises student government, leads the CARE team, and serves as the Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Clery Compliance Officer for the College. This senior leader will cultivate a collaborative culture that supports and provides an inclusive learning community; partner on the continual assessment and refinement of student engagement and student success initiatives in partnership with academic affairs and enrollment management partners supporting retention, persistence, satisfaction and graduation outcomes; develop, oversee, and assess programs, services, and facilities designed to create a supportive learning environment that is aligned with the College’s strategic plan; and operationalize diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts across the division of student development.

The next VPSD-DOS will join a community that is eager to partner with the student development team and committed to helping achieve the College’s strategic priorities related to data-informed student success initiatives, enrollment growth, and access and affordability. 

Minimum requirements include a master’s degree and a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in relevant areas of higher education. The ideal candidate will be a strategic-minded and highly collaborative individual well versed in program development, strategic planning, operational oversight, and fiscal and budget management. The successful candidate will be expected to have completed Title IX and Clery Compliance certification or be willing to complete such certification within one year of employment. 

The next vice president and dean of students will be an exceptional leader of people and programs with proven talents and expertise in student affairs and student success functions and strategies. Candidates will be expected to possess the ability to conceptualize and implement a dynamic and data-informed vision for the student development division, the ability to inspire and motivate a highly dedicated team, and the drive and commitment to confront the contemporary challenges facing institutions of higher education. 

Wilson College has retained the services of Spelman Johnson, a leading national executive search firm, to assist with leading this search. Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Review of applications will begin Monday, July 11, 2022, and will continue until the position is filled. A resume with an accompanying cover letter may be submitted via the Spelman Johnson website at www.spelmanandjohnson.com/open-positions. Nominations for this position may be emailed to Michel R. Frendian at mrf@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.

Visit the Wilson College website at www.wilson.edu and the Division of Student Development website at https://www.wilson.edu/student-life. 

It is the policy of Wilson College to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital/familial status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, having a GED rather than a diploma, or any other protected characteristic applicable under law.

Organization

Wilson College is an independent college with a proud history of educating women since 1869 through rigorous study of the liberal arts and sciences. Today, Wilson's mission also includes women and men enrolled in adult degree and graduate programs. Guided by the Honor Principle and distinguished by its commitment to transformative student growth, Wilson College prepares all of its graduates for fulfilling lives and professions, ethical leadership and humane stewardship of our communities and our world

A rigorous academic program with incredible access to professors has been a hallmark of Wilson College since its founding in 1869. A collaborative environment, a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and professors who are dedicated to mentoring students—both in and out of the classroom—create an educational experience that is focused on the individual student.

Wilson connects career-oriented programs with a broad-based liberal arts education that teaches students to think critically and communicate with confidence—essential skills for career success. This approach is evident across all of Wilson's degree programs—undergraduate, graduate and adult degree.

Rooted in more than 140 years of a forward-thinking tradition, the College has always been a leader. From a pioneering residential program for single mothers with children and the establishment of the Center for Sustainable Living 20 years ago to having a USDA certified-organic farm to leading the way on affordability in higher education with a first-of-its-kind student debt buyback program, Wilson continues to be a trendsetter.

Student experiences inside and outside the classroom are influenced by the Wilson Honor Principle, which fosters qualities of personal responsibility and integrity. College is a transformative time and Wilson is committed to educating the whole student: mind, body and spirit.

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