Vice President for Student Affairs Search Prospectus

Vice President for Student Affairs Search Prospectus

The Search for a Vice President for Student Affairs at Howard University Howard University in Washington, DC, announces a national search for its Vice President for Student Affairs position. As the chief student affairs officer at Howard, the Vice President for Student Affairs is responsible for a large and dynamic student affairs division while also serving as a key member of President Wayne Frederick s senior management team. The new Vice President for Student Affairs will be expected to assume office in January 2016. 1

OVERVIEW OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY Established in 1867, Howard University is one of the nation s leading research universities dedicated to educating students from diverse backgrounds, with a particular focus on African-American students, as well as those of all other racial and ethnic groups from the United States and the world. The University received its first accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 1921 and has had its accreditation reaffirmed at every required interval thereafter. Howard s campus contains 89 buildings, and covers 256 acres in Washington, DC, and includes a 108-acre research facility in Beltsville, Maryland. Today, Howard is only one of 48 U.S. private, doctoral/research-extensive universities. Its 10,500 students enjoy academic pursuits in more than 120 areas of study leading undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. These students come from virtually every state, the District of Columbia and nearly 70 countries. Howard s academic programs are offered by 13 schools and colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences; the School of Business; the School of Communications; the College of Dentistry; the School of Divinity; the School of Education; the College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences; the Graduate School; the School of Law; the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences; the College of Pharmacy; and the School of Social Work. The University competes in 17 varsity sports including basketball, football, bowling, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, both indoor and outdoor track and volleyball. 2

Under the leadership of President Wayne Frederick, Howard University has launched numerous recent initiatives to improve the student experience and enhance Howard s role in the local community: The development of a DCPS Dual Enrollment Partnership This partnership with the District of Columbia Public Schools allows high school students to enroll in free college courses and receive dual credit at Howard University. OVERVIEW CONTINUED Howard is a unique university with a special mission that addresses the higher education needs of the nation and the world. Since its founding, Howard has been open to men and women from all racial and ethnic groups. The University has awarded more than 100,000 degrees in the arts, sciences and humanities. Howard ranks among the highest producers of the nation s Black professionals in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, nursing, architecture, religion, law, music, social work and education. The University has long held a commitment to the education and advancement of disadvantaged persons in American society and throughout the world. The goal is the elimination of inequities related to race, color, social, economic and political circumstances. Howard s motto, Veritas et Utilitas, or Truth and Service, is woven throughout its academic, student, faculty and research programs. More information is available at www2.howard.edu. Obtaining commitment through the Howard University community to the Got 15/15 to Finish Campaign This campaign encourages bachelors degree-seeking students to enroll in 15 credits per semester in order to complete degree in four years, and provides them with resources and support to achieve this goal. Recognizing that students should not bear the brunt of rising operational costs Howard University has instituted a Tuition Freeze To ensure that cost of attendance does not bar talented students from attending Howard University, the institution has frozen tuition for undergraduate and select graduate programs for 2015-2016. Establishing a Technology and Innovation Hub in partnership with Washington D.C. This partnership between Howard University and the city of Washington will make D.C. a world-wide hub for technology and innovation by leveraging Howard s space and resources to support medium to latestage startups. For more information about President Frederick, please visit https://www2.howard.edu/about/president. 3

Leadership Agenda for the Vice President for Student Affairs The Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) will be responsible for strategically shaping, operationalizing and integrating student affairs programs and services into the holistic academic experience of both undergraduate and graduate students at Howard University. The VPSA will report to the president, Dr. Wayne Frederick, and will serve as a member of the President s senior management team. There are over 45 staff persons in the Division of Student Affairs who are responsible for the successful operation of the office of the vice president and the following functional areas: Armour J. Blackburn University Center Intramurals and Club Sports Off-campus Housing and Community Engagement Residence Life Student Health Center Student Life and Activities Student Services University Counseling Services The VPSA will be charged with balancing lean staffing, financial, and technological structures against maintaining and creating dynamic, 21 st century approaches to engaging and serving students, faculty, and the Washington, DC community in successfully achieving the mission of Howard University-- both its legend and its future-- in and out of the classroom. Understanding and implementing the president s major priorities will be key to the improving student access and success for the future. Ever the major student advocate, the VPSA must also balance this charge with successfully partnering with all other divisions of the university, but especially Academic Affairs, External Affairs, Human Resources, Finance, Administration and Athletics. The VPSA will serve on various university committees, community boards and advisory groups, engage with national and international professional organizations, and interface with the Howard University Board of Trustees as required. Reporting directly to the VPSA are the assistant vice president of student affairs, office support staff and the heads of the functional areas listed above. 4

DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS AND ATTRIBUTES The successful VPSA will be: A seasoned, senior professional who is hard working, energetic, charismatic, and committed to creating a culture of excellence in the student affairs area; A person comfortable with a nationally recruited, diverse student body with characteristics of both traditional and non-traditional college going persons; A proven leader who has demonstrated his/ her leadership prowess through the successful use of creative approaches and models in providing effective oversight of a student affairs structure; A person capable of hiring, supervising and leading staff who will proudly represent and serve the student affairs area; A person with already developed strategic planning skills, responsible financial acumen, and demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit; A person who has excellent communication skills both written and verbal; A person who is comfortable with 24-7 responsibility, and who will inspire trust and confidence from their colleagues, the students and their families, and the community at large; A person who can be an effective member of a team and has demonstrated high standards of ethics, integrity, authenticity, and sound judgment; A person who is nationally active and engaged in the field of student affairs. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS In addition to the aforementioned desired attributes, the successful candidate will minimally possess the following characteristics: A Master s Degree required; doctoral or other advanced degree in related areas preferred; Progressively significant line responsibility and experience in student affairs or related areas; Collegiate supervisory and fiscal management experiences; Evidence of student-centered leadership, including a commitment to excellence in student programming and support; A demonstrated understanding of the most significant issues in the student affairs arena and with diverse student communities; An understanding of the history and support for the mission of Howard University. 5

APPLICATION AND NOMINATION PROCEDURE Nominations and applications will be received until the position is filled but, in order to receive full consideration, candidates are encouraged to submit their materials by September 30, 2015. All nominations, applications, and inquiries will be held in full confidence. Application materials should include curriculum vitae, a cover letter addressing attributes and experiences, and a list of five references. References will not be contacted without explicit permission from the candidate. Applications should be submitted to: HowardVPSA@academic-search.com. Howard University is being assisted in this search by Academic Search, Inc. Inquires or questions may be directed to Senior Consultant Jacqueline Woods at jacqueline.woods@academic-search.com or Consultant Eric Richtmyer at eric.richtmyer@academic-search.com. Howard University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, marital status, religion, or disability. Inquiries regarding provisions for persons with disabilities, equal employment opportunity and Title IX should be directed to the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Human Resource Management at (202) 806-5500. For more than three decades, Academic Search has offered executive search services exclusively to institutions of higher education. Academic Search was founded on the principle of strengthening higher education leadership through professional search services. We are the only search firm in the nation with a formal relationship to a premier leadership development program. As the subsidiary of the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), Academic Search provides substantial financial support to a number of leadership identification, development, and support programs across all sectors of public and private higher education. For more information, visit www.academic-search.com. 6