POSITION SPECIFICATION President Northern Virginia Community College Preamble The Virginia Community College System provides programs and courses of instruction, through the associate degree level, encompassing occupational technical education, college transfer education, general education, developmental education, continuing education and workforce development. With 23 colleges located on 40 campuses throughout the state, Virginia's community colleges provide access to quality higher educational opportunities and workforce training throughout the Commonwealth for over 225,000 credit students and nearly 175,000 non credit students. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) serves the 2 million residents of the Northern VA region of the National Capital area. The College is compressed of six fully comprehensive campuses, located in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudon, Manassas, Medical Campus (Springfield), and Woodbridge. Founded in 1964, the college is the largest provider of higher education and workforce development training and services in the region, serving 78,000 credit students in 2014 15 and educating 35,000 annual full time equivalent students (FTES). The college s enrollment has jumped 40% since 2010. Of the service region s residents enrolled in a college or university in 2014 15, 40% attended NOVA; 25% of the service region s spring 2010 high school graduates were enrolled at NOVA in fall 2010. NOVA is the 2nd largest associate degree producer among the nation s community colleges. Page 1 of 8
With the retirement of Dr. Robert Templin after 12 years of outstanding service as president, NOVA is seeking its next president. The president will be a skilled strategist able to envision, propose, and implement change with a proven record of engaging the college, community, and other external partners in improving student access and success. This president will be able to clearly envision and achieve a 21 st century, esteemed college by institutionalizing an inclusive, results driven planning process that supports the risk taking and innovation necessary to sustain the college s growth and desired student outcomes. The president will develop and maintain strong leadership teams; seek continuous improvement; and foster innovation and technological optimization to successfully facilitate complex, organizational wide change. This compassionate leader will build successful partnerships with highly diverse stakeholders, including the students, faculty and staff, business community, public leaders, multiple governmental bodies, and regional representatives and encourage investment in college programs. He or she will be able to advance regional economic opportunities and workforce development programs to meet employer driven needs. Internally, he or she will ensure operational efficiency, fiscal strength, and college affordability. The Local College Board and college community have identified several areas of potential growth or emphasis for the new president, including: a) continuing to expand student success and access as measured by retention, transfer, and graduation rates, responding to the needs of an evolving, increasingly diverse student base, and strengthening developmental studies success; b) aligning NOVA's academic programs to the region's economic needs to include being a significant provider of workforce solutions for the business community, continuing outreach efforts in the community and the building of partnerships and support at the local, state, and national levels; c) elevating the institutional image of NOVA and cultivating partnerships with local high schools, other two year colleges, four year institutions and other public or private stakeholders; d) increasing NOVA s presence as an active, visible participant in regional workforce development and expanding workforce training and employer services; e) improving levels of full time faculty teaching NOVA s courses; f) continuing to diversify NOVA s funding base by expanding grant funded activities and private, corporate, and foundation fundraising; g) working with NOVA s affiliated foundation and other stakeholders, and developing and implementing plans for the future of the foundation s property holdings; h) maintaining college affordability by working with the other Virginia community colleges and the governing board to moderate the impact of rising costs on students and their families while maintaining the quality and variety of programs and services within the constraints of the state budget; and i) ensuring the sustainability of the college by reducing costs and identifying new revenue streams, optimizing the organizational structure by emphasizing the one college approach across NOVA s six campuses, attracting and retaining highly qualified faculty and staff, and fostering a culture of innovation to further enable and manage the college's continued growth. Page 2 of 8
Faculty NOVA's commitment to academic excellence and intellectual rigor is best exemplified by the 953 full time faculty and some 2,341 adjunct faculty members. Their experience ranges widely from distinguished specialists with 45 years of teaching and research behind them to dynamic young scholars just completing their doctoral studies. The instructional faculty are supported by a dedicated corps of 240 administrative and professional faculty. Staff NOVA is very proud of its workforce, and in turn, those individuals contribute to the successful operation of the college. The college employs some 962 well trained and experienced full time staff members and another 1080 hourly employees, all of whom work within a vibrant community that values their opinions and recognizes the effect their presence has on the life of NOVA. Many of the staff are long time area residents, have invested their entire professional lives in the college, and take great pride in its accomplishments. Students and Student Life More than half of the college s students are 24 years of age or younger; 74% are enrolled in college transfer programs; 40% of NOVA students are enrolled full time. In 2014 15, 29% of NOVA students were from Annandale, 23% from Alexandria, 13% from Manassas, 16% Loudon, 5% Medical Campus (Springfield) and 14% were from Woodbridge. 30 percent of NOVA students received some form of financial aid in 2014 15. Overly half (56%) of the student body is minority; NOVA enrolls more African American students than any other public or private college or university in Virginia. The college recognizes more than 90 active student clubs and organizations at the six campuses, including the international honor society Phi Theta Kappa, competitive athletics teams in men s basketball & soccer and women s basketball, and student government associations. NOVA students have the opportunity to study abroad through the International Programs Office. As an integral element to its Student Success Agenda, NOVA is developing a comprehensive leadership development program, which will include an emerging leaders program, expanded community engagement and service opportunities for the college s students. Unique among Virginia community colleges, NOVA has embarked on a program to provide a student center at each campus facilities that will provide study and group meeting rooms, office and work space for student government and clubs, fitness & recreation space, child Page 3 of 8
minding, and food services. The 90,000 square foot Annandale Campus Student Center opened in 2011; the other six campuses student center plans are under review. NOVA is a leader among the nation s colleges and universities in serving military related students. As a result of its location, the college serves a large number of military related students in Fall 2014, more than 4,500 active duty service members, reservists, National Guard personnel, veterans, and their family members enrolled at the college. To support the success of that unique population of students, NOVA has established a Center for Military and Veterans Education. In addition to providing on campus advising and support services for those students, the Center maintains a presence and provides classes at most of the military installations in the service area. The Center also coordinates and manages the college s contract and non credit instruction services provided to military commands in the service region and beyond. Academic Programs NOVA is a comprehensive community college that offers learning opportunities in collegereadiness, personal enrichment, career and technical fields, and preparation for transfer to baccalaureate study. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree. The college offers a robust schedule of classes in a wide variety of lengths and formats to meet the needs of its students. In 2014 15, more than 27,000 students enrolled in one or more of the 271 sections of 135 courses NOVA offered online. The college has established a Division of elearning to coordinate, manage, and support its distance learning enterprise. Workforce Development NOVA s Workforce Development division provides dynamic, state of the art education, training, and services responding to regional workforce needs and preparing individuals to succeed through personal development and career preparation. Located in the NOVA Regional Workforce Development Center in the old Pitney Bowes building in Annandale, VA, the division offers a wide range of courses designed to meet workforce needs, including management courses, small business workshops, cyber and computer training. Additionally, the division delivers custom designed corporate training programs throughout Northern Virginia. The division also coordinates apprenticeship related instruction and offers specialized training under the auspices of the Academy for Nonprofit Excellence, the Job Skills Training Program, and the Virginia Department of Labor. In 2014 15, the Workforce Development division served Page 4 of 8
1300 employers and more than 13,100 individuals, 1884 of whom were enrolled in custom contract training programs. Learning Resources The college s Learning Resources division provides services and materials that are available to students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community and play a significant role in student success and life long learning. NOVA maintains an academic library at each of its six campuses. The college community along with the students, staff and faculty have access to over 400,000 units of print and non print materials, such as books, periodicals, and media. Remote access is also possible using the college s online public access catalog. Extended Learning Institute The Extended Learning Institute (ELI), NOVA s online program, serves more than 23,000 students annually. Founded in 1974, ELI now has over 600 faculty delivering nearly 500 unique courses. More than 40 degrees and certificates can be completed entirely online through ELI. ELI also leads and manages a statewide distance learning consortium, serving an additional 1200+ students each semester. Offering 8 week courses with monthly start dates, a robust complement of student and instructional support services (free online tutoring, remote exam proctoring via webcam, virtual student union, virtual academic advising and counseling services, embedded librarian, and more), award winning courses, and nationally recognized leadership in open educational resources, ELI is a national leader in distance learning. Budget and Finance NOVA is financially healthy with an operating budget of approximately $297 million for the 2014 15 fiscal year; the predominant sources of income are student tuition and state appropriations. In addition, the college expects to disburse more than $135 million in student financial aid funds this year. The college s local funds will generate approximately $16 million consisting of student fees, auxiliary operations, and support from localities. Facilities NOVA s facilities include 42 buildings with over 1.8 million square feet on six campuses and six off campus sites; another four buildings, totaling 227,645 square feet, are under construction. The college holds approximately 449 acres of land. Over the past decade, projects totaling 225,982 Page 5 of 8
square feet in new or expansions to facilities have been completed. (Among those was a complete reinvention and relocation of NOVA s founding Portsmouth Campus, regional centers for advanced technology, performing arts, automotive technology, health professions, and workforce development, and the college s first student center.) Projects currently under construction include: the Higher Education Center at the Loudoun Campus (41,584 sq.ft.) scheduled for completion Spring 2015; the Workforce Development Building at the Woodbridge Campus (55,881 sq.ft.) scheduled for completion Summer 2015; the expansion and renovation to the Brault Administration Building at the Annandale Campus (49,760 sq.ft.) scheduled for completion Fall 2015 and the Tyler Academic Building at the Alexandria Campus (80,420 sq. ft) scheduled for completion Spring 2016. Community Northern Virginia Community College is the largest institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of America s largest community colleges. Northern Virginia Community College, also known as NOVA, serves a 1,200 square mile region and a total population of 2.1 million residents. NOVA enrolls more than 75,000 students from 170 nations at its six campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield and Woodbridge, and through its online learning program, the Extended Learning Institute. NOVA S surrounding communities are experiencing unprecedented growth: Loudoun County is the fastest growing county in the United States. Prince William County leads the nation in business growth. Fairfax County annually adds more jobs than any other county in Virginia. With NOVA strategically placed in the midst of these growing communities, the next president must be a visionary leader who can help position the college and its graduates to step into critical roles within the burgeoning industries of defense, technology, healthcare and science, as well as federal government and non governmental organizations that present employment opportunities to NOVA s graduates. Just moments from Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia reflects great energy and rich cultural diversity with people from all over the world calling it home. Northern Virginia is one of the most economically vibrant, affluent, highly educated and diverse regions in the nation. The larger community surrounding NOVA s six campuses offers every possible amenity, including excellent schools, easy access to airports and mass transit, rich cultural heritage and an unparalleled historic foundation. Page 6 of 8
Foundations The Foundation is governed by a board of directors whose members come from both the public and private sectors in Northern Virginia. The Northern Virginia Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. was established to provide additional financial support for the College s students and programs. Created in October 1979 as a nonprofit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, it strives to obtain resources from private individuals, businesses, and other foundations to enhance the College s mission. Grants & Sponsored Programs The College recognizes the importance of grants development and has committed resources to seek funding. The director of Grants and Special Projects assists administrators, faculty, and staff in identifying funding sources targeted to particular areas of interest; interacts with program officers; and assists in the preparation of grant proposals and in the administration of funded projects. Accreditation NOVA, a part of the Virginia Community College System, is approved by the State Board for Community Colleges and by the Virginia Community College System. The associate degree curricula of the College have also been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Reporting Relationships The President of the College reports to the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System and is also advised by a local college board. The president s senior staff consists of an Executive Vice President, six vice presidents (VPs for Finance, Information Systems, Institutional Effectiveness & Student Sucess, Institutional Advancement, Administration & Chief Operating Officer, and Workforce Development), six campus provosts, and campus directors. Qualifications for President While this leader will have an earned doctorate their experience will include senior higher education and/or business, governmental, or professional assignments, and positional responsibilities at the president, chief executive officer, general manager, provost or vice Page 7 of 8
president of a large, multi site highly complex organization. An understanding of the mission and goals of a comprehensive community college in the 21 st Century is essential along with a clear commitment to instruction, student success, and community involvement. The candidate should have proven leadership abilities, excellent listening and communications skills, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as a strong belief in a collaborative administrative style. The candidate must also have a broad vision for the College together with the skills and energy for implementation in addition to the demonstrated ability to work with business, industry, government and the community at large. Page 8 of 8