Vice President of Institutional Advancement Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

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1 Vice President of Institutional Advancement Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA Send Nominations or Cover Letter and Resume to: Beth Parsons Search Director The Opportunity: As Massachusetts designated public liberal arts college, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is committed to helping students develop the critical thinking and communication skills that employers seek in today s complex global economy. It provides a transformative education in a rich and inclusive living and learning environment. With a focus on academic excellence and a commitment to innovation and experiential learning, MCLA prepares students to become successful and engaged global citizens was the fourth consecutive year that MCLA has been ranked as a national top ten public liberal arts college by U.S. News & World Report. The College was also recognized for the fourth consecutive year on MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 1

2 the 2014 President's Honor Roll for Service by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine voted MCLA in the 100 best colleges that combine outstanding academics with an affordable cost for A member of COPLAC (Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges), MCLA is recognized for championing the cause of liberal arts education of superior quality in the public sector, providing students of high ability and from all backgrounds access to an outstanding education. MCLA continues to ensure broad access to educational opportunities for all students to succeed and graduate. This strategy encompasses increasing financial aid resources through advocacy and philanthropic engagement. MCLA believes a high-quality liberal arts education should be available and affordable to all who aspire to it and are prepared for its challenges, and the College is committed to providing this opportunity. Its students feel that MCLA is the right choice because they receive a combination of quality academics and affordability. The Vice President of Institutional Advancement (VPIA) will play a critical role in advancing the College s mission and increasing the support for its students, deepening endowed resources, and making enhancements and additions to campus infrastructure. This is an ideal opportunity for a mission-driven and highly motivated development leader eager to have a significant impact on an institution and its student body. With new MCLA President, Dr. James Birge, just beginning his tenure and a Foundation Board dedicated to advancing the financial resources of the College, the VPIA is well-positioned to bring increased revenue to MCLA, maximizing support from all key stakeholders: alumni, parents, corporations and foundations, and the regional community. The incoming Vice President will provide the leadership and expertise to inspire, increase and diversify philanthropy, raising funds that will have a direct impact on today s student experience and the future of MCLA. Position Overview Vice President of Institutional Advancement Reporting directly to the President, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement (VPIA) is responsible for developing and implementing all of the College s internal and external resource development initiatives. S/He serves as President of the Foundation Board and as a member of the President s Executive Management Team. MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 2

3 Duties and Responsibilities: Responsible for the development and implementation of annual strategic and operating advancement plans of all aspects of the College s comprehensive fundraising program including, but not limited to: campaigns in support of college priorities and initiatives, annual giving, planned giving, major gifts, corporation, foundation and public sector giving, capital gifts, major fundraising events, and grants. The VPIA will execute plans that incorporate quantifiable metrics and targets for measuring program effectiveness. As President of the Foundation, the VPIA reports out to the Foundation s Board of Directors, supervises the affairs of the Foundation, and acts as the liaison to the Foundation Corporators (members of the corporation). Plans, manages, and evaluates the effectiveness of the fundraising programs and development staff to ensure performance aligned with established annual and multi-year goals. Provides guidance and mentoring to enhance the staff s effectiveness, skills, and professional development. Sets the vision and strategic direction for programs seeking to involve alumni and friends in advancing the College s fundraising priorities, as well as to strengthen alumni relations. Develops and monitors annual budget for division and ensures adherence to spending guidelines. Advances the core principles of the College s mission, vision and strategic priorities; provides leadership and opportunity in this area for all of advancement, setting a high standard of performance for both self and staff. Assists the College President and executive management team in building and nurturing long-term relationships that yield significant support from major donors. Participates as a member of the President s Executive Management Team in establishing and monitoring college policy and management matters. Qualifications: Master s degree in an appropriate discipline strongly preferred. Bachelor s degree required. Ability to demonstrate a proven track record of personally cultivating, soliciting, securing, and stewarding gifts at leadership levels. Seven to ten years experience in successful private fundraising and gift solicitation; annual giving, alumni, and corporate/foundation relations and capital campaigns. Understanding of current and emerging best practices and the capacity to adapt these to MCLA. Proven success in staff leadership and management. Possession of strong operational management skills. Excellent communications and interpersonal skills including presentation capabilities; demonstrated leadership and organizational ability; analytic and administrative talents. MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 3

4 Demonstrated appreciation for and reliance upon data and quantifiable outcomes and reporting. Possession of knowledge of the legal and ethical aspects of fundraising and obligations to donors and their intents as well as proper alignment with the College s goals, priorities, and decisions. Proven ability to work effectively with a wide variety of individuals and groups including students, faculty, administrators, alumni, prospective donors, Boards, and corporate and government leaders. A set of personal and professional characteristics that includes integrity, creativity, and flexibility. Knowledge of public higher education principles, practices, and procedures. Advancement Overview The MCLA Office of Institutional Advancement includes alumni relations, fundraising, conference planning, grants, and the MCLA Foundation, Inc. These departments work together to support the goal of advancing the mission of the College. The MCLA Foundation, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to the growth, development and support of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and its faculty, staff, and students. Special emphasis is placed on academic quality and the assurance of access to higher education through the receipt, management, and disbursement of funds and other charitable contributions secured through private sources and grant funding. MCLA completed its first comprehensive capital campaign, Sowing Seeds for Success: The MCLA Campaign for the Future, on June 30, The campaign successfully raised $30.57 million, well exceeding its original goal of $22.5 million. The campaign supports the College's Strategic Plan specifically, the goal of "Responsive and Intentional Stewardship." In October 2013, as part of this effort, MCLA announced the largest gift in its history a $5 million naming gift for the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation. With the continued challenges facing public support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as increasing resource and program costs, MCLA has an incredibly strong case for support from its closest constituencies. These not only include alumni and parents, but the local and regional community, its foundations and corporations. As the largest employer in North Adams, MCLA has a tremendous impact on the local economy, and its residents both full-time and seasonal have a vested interest in the institution s appreciation. Great opportunities exist for increased engagement from corporate and foundation partners and regional philanthropists, in addition to the more traditional donor base of alumni and parents. MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 4

5 Last year, MCLA raised nearly $3 million in public and private support. The College has established a Charitable Gift Annuity program, and executes regional alumni events, as well as non-alumni cultivation activities with community members. Faculty are eager partners in these efforts. A student philanthropy program has been created and the importance of philanthropy will likely be emphasized even more strongly, both on-campus and off, with the arrival of Dr. James Birge, who has been successful in partnering to raise significant funds in prior roles. Alumni Association Over 18,000 alumni, more than half of whom continue to live in Massachusetts, are served by the MCLA Alumni Association. Housed within the Office of Institutional Advancement in downtown North Adams, the Association not only organizes reunions, networking programs, and regional activities, but also helps locate graduates and keeps them up to date on College events through the Class Agent program, publications such as the alumni magazine, and a monthly newsletter, E-Trail. With alumni in all fifty states, the Association hosts local and regional alumni events. The MCLA Alumni Association has its own dedicated Board of Directors, who provide opportunities for alumni to serve and promote the College, and also to promote the high standards of public higher education in the Commonwealth. The Alumni Board plans, reviews, and implements programs and activities consistent with the College s vision and mission. Leadership: Dr. James F. Birge President Dr. James F. Jaimie Birge was named president of MCLA in December He has worked in higher education for more than thirty years and spent much of his early career in the student affairs area. This was followed by work with faculty and staff to integrate community-based learning into academic course objectives. MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 5

6 Birge has worked in public and private higher education as well as with an association of academic presidents. Most recently, his work has been in private higher education. After serving as the executive vice president and interim president at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, Birge was recruited to become the fourth president at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire in While at Franklin Pierce, Birge and his leadership team achieved great success, including securing the largest single-donor gift in University history, the largest planned gift in history, four of the six largest annual fund contributions in history, and completing the comprehensive capital campaign above goal. Birge holds a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., an M.Ed. in guidance and counseling from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, and a B.S. in elementary education from Westfield State University in Massachusetts. Client Overview Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is the Commonwealth's public liberal arts college and a campus of the Massachusetts state university system. MCLA promotes excellence in learning and teaching, innovative scholarship, intellectual creativity, public service, applied knowledge, and active and responsible citizenship. Since its inception as the Normal School in North Adams in 1894, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has provided educational access and exceptional learning opportunities to generations of students and alumni. Over the years, MCLA has evolved to meet the needs of changing times. In 1932, the Normal School became the State Teachers College of North Adams, reflecting the increased importance of education as an academic discipline. In 1960, it changed its name to North Adams State College and expanded its focus to include professional degrees in business administration and computer science. In 1997, with eyes focused on the horizon of a new century, the College assumed a unique mission within the state university system, as Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the public liberal arts college for the Commonwealth. Today, MCLA continues to innovate. It guides students as they develop critical thinking, communication and leadership MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 6

7 skills both in class and through a range of high-impact experiences. Though changing times present new challenges and opportunities, the essential nature of MCLA remains constant: a place that delivers a highquality, affordable public liberal arts education in an environment that supports the development of intellectual and practical skills, promotes scholarship and inquiry, and challenges students to model personal, social and civic responsibility. MCLA offers nineteen majors and more than fifty programs of study which lead to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. MCLA's graduate program offerings include Post-Baccalaureate Educator Licensure, a Master of Education (M.Ed.), a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a Leadership Academy, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS). MCLA is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), a national consortium of visionary public institutions that works to advance and promote the mission and distinctive role of the liberal arts in public higher education; its 26 COPLAC partners include Keene State College, Geneseo State University, New College of Florida, and St. Mary's College of Maryland. MCLA is a Division III NCAA athletics program that promotes excellence in academics and athletics, and encourages student-athletes to develop leadership skills on and off the field. Sample Programmatic Highlights Cultural Connections: MCLA s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC) is a creative economy incubator that provides technical assistance, professional development, and programming to support the region s creative economy. BCRC programs operate from MCLA Gallery 51 on Main Street in North Adams. Gallery 51 is an economic engine that supports the revitalization of the downtown business district in North Adams. DownStreet Art, a summer cultural program, has welcomed over 100,000 visitors to the downtown business district since The Berkshire Hills Internship Program (B-HIP) matches early career professionals with opportunities in the county s cultural organizations. It is a model collaboration and an employment pipeline for the creative MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 7

8 economy through which participants have turned their internships into jobs in the creative sector in Berkshire County. Student Research Opportunities: The Undergraduate Research Program encompasses independent scholarly activity by students in the arts, humanities, and sciences. Driven by the many opportunities for interaction between students and faculty, undergraduate research at MCLA has expanded dramatically in recent years. The program supports students with independent study opportunities in many disciplines, small Research and Travel Grants, and a dynamic campus-wide Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) for presenting their work. Community Collaborations: Established in 2005, the Berkshire Compact for Education is a regional collaboration that unites educational, business, nonprofit, and community leaders, and elected officials in a commitment to promote educational access, raise student aspirations, and advocate for educational opportunities as cornerstones of the regional economy. An example of a signature Compact program, Berkshire County Goes to College, brings third- and sixth-grade students to MCLA annually. The visits are recognized as a statewide model. STEM Initiatives: MCLA is the Berkshire region Pipeline of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Initiative in Massachusetts. It serves a pivotal role in promoting these areas of study in the K-12 and higher education systems and works to forge links between the two. STEM programming and activities are primarily focused on encouraging interest and enthusiasm for the subject areas among current educators, and to help increase the number of qualified K-12 STEM teachers. STEM provides curriculum ideas, hands-on and in-class training, and extracurricular activities to educators throughout the Berkshire Region. MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 8

9 The STEM Academy is a five-day program that will introduce incoming freshmen to careers in STEM areas, build connections to other STEM students, faculty, and staff. The primary goal is to provide students with a foundation as they start their academic career at MCLA, and assist them on their way to earning undergraduate degrees in STEM areas. The Academy accepts up to twenty incoming freshmen who are enrolled in a STEM major or have expressed interest in STEM fields. The program is open to all students. Location The Berkshires North Adams, MA: Located in a beautiful valley at the base of the Berkshire Mountains, North Adams is an ideal community in which to work and raise a family. Entrepreneurs from around the country have found that its natural beauty and growing cultural and creative economy are two very good reasons to locate and do business in North Adams. It is very fortunate as a small city to have the five underpinnings of a much larger area. Located here is a vibrant liberal arts college in MCLA, a world class museum in the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), medical services, and of course, the beauty of the natural environment. Beyond the North Adams community, the Berkshire region serves Massachusetts as a substantial and substantive cultural resource. A few attractions of note include the Tanglewood Music Center, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Jacob s Pillow, the longest running dance festival in America; several theatre festivals, including the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Berkshire Theatre Festival; and the Bang on a Can Summer Festival for contemporary music. Nearby Williamstown offers the world-class Clark Art Museum, Williams College and the Williams College Museum. North Adams also boasts the state s highest mountain peak, Mount Greylock, and numerous state parks and natural wonders. MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 9

10 The campus is close to the Vermont and New York state borders and within a three-hour drive of both Boston and New York City. MCLA students, faculty, and staff enjoy the benefits of living where nature and culture coexist. More information about the region may be found here. Steeped in art, culture, and community what's happening in Massachusetts' smallest city may surprise. North Adams is the Berkshire hub from which to delve into contemporary art, indie music, outdoor recreation, fine dining, independent retail, and antiques. To learn more about North Adams, please click here. Background Checks: Prior to submitting your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. LLLS does verify academic credentials for its candidates, and our clients frequently conduct background checks prior to finalizing an offer. To learn more, call Beth Parsons, Search Director at or send nominations or cover letter and resume to bparsons@lllsearches.com. All inquiries will be held in confidence. Setting the Standard in Development Search 420 Boylston Street, Suite 604, Boston, MA MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER 10

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