President and CEO

Position: The Commission seeks a forward-thinking and visionary President and Chief Executive Officer who can be a respected voice in the regional and national conversation for independent accreditation in a rapidly changing higher education landscape.

The Accrediting Body – WSCUC: One of the distinguishing hallmarks and advantages of American higher education is the existence of regional accreditation bodies that exist outside of federal and state agencies. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) is one of six regional accreditors of senior colleges and universities serving the national interest through advocacy and voluntary self-regulation.

Geographic Region: WSCUC accredits four-year higher education institutions in the states of California and Hawaii, the territory of Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and it is authorized to accredit such institutions in the territory of American Samoa and the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Its membership also includes a limited number of institutions outside the U.S. WSCUC currently serves more than one million students and accredits nearly 200 institutions. More than 30 additional institutions are at various stages of the process to seek and potentially achieve accreditation. Two-year institutions in this geographic area are served by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

Important Characteristics of the Next President/CEO: The commission seeks a thoughtful President who understands accreditation’s place in a rapidly changing postsecondary landscape, who can provide leadership for national and regional conversations about accreditation, and who will lead a committed and accomplished staff (21 fulltime) in the ongoing work of institutional review.

Responsibilities of the President/CEO: The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the organization, reporting to the Commission, which functions as the Board of Directors. The President is responsible internally for administrative leadership and effectiveness, provides strategic leadership to the Commission in matters of research and policy development in accreditation, and contributes at the national level to ongoing discussions on quality assurance in higher education.

In addition to an earned terminal degree and an extensive and respected record in higher education administration and accreditation, the next President of WSCUC specifically will have:

• A passion for the support of student achievement defined as both student learning and student retention and completion
• A broad and deep knowledge of the current higher education landscape
• Experience with accreditation and a grounded sense of student, faculty, and institutional interests in its enactment
• Experience in a senior-level administrative position at a regionally accredited institution
• An appreciation of the diversity of institutions within the WSCUC region and a demonstrated commitment to fostering equity and inclusion in higher education
• Familiarity with current U.S. statutes and regulations related to accreditation and a willingness and ability to stay abreast of and contribute to discussions related to the changing national and state legislative and regulatory landscape including the reauthorization of the HEOA
• The ability and willingness to lead and oversee changes needed in the Commission’s Standards and procedures in alignment with needs and demands of current and future students
• The ability to balance the leadership and management of internal Commission operations and engagement in national issues and activities
• The disposition and political acumen to provide leadership for national and regional conversations about accreditation’s role in quality assurance
• The tact, wit, and presence to represent the Commission before multiple audiences and constituencies
• Skills in advancing a commission-led association with institutional membership
• An ability to attract, keep, and inspire talented staff in the on-going work of institutional review; relatedly compassion, a sense of humor, and respect for co-workers at all levels of the organization
• The willingness and ability to engage in significant travel throughout the U.S and occasional international travel.

Application Procedure: Nominations, applications, and inquiries may be sent in confidence. Full consideration will be given to all applications received by September 4, 2017. Application materials (to include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the full contact information for five references – who will not be contacted without permission) must be electronically submitted to:

WSCUCPresident@academic-search.com.

Assisting WSCUC in this search are Ann Die Hasselmo (Ann.Hasselmo@academic-search.com) and Chris Butler (Chris.Butler@academic-search.com), consultants with Academic Search, Inc., Washington, D.C.

Further information about WSCUC is available at www.wscuc.org and from the profile of the position and organization at: http://academic-search.com/sites/default/files/WSCUCProfile.pdf.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The Commission is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. Commission policy prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, registered domestic partner, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, and medical condition (including pregnancy or childbirth), genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.