Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence & Chief Diversity Officer

 

Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence & Chief Diversity Officer

Introduction

Georgia Southern University (Georgia Southern) invites applications and nominations for the newly created position of Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence & Chief Diversity Officer (AVP & CDO). The inaugural AVP & CDO will be asked to lead institutional efforts to implement and refine the strategies and action steps included in the Georgia Southern University Strategic Plan, “People. Purpose. Action: Growing ourselves to grow others!”, particularly those identified under the Pillar of Inclusive Excellence, and to empower the work of students, faculty, staff, and community partners as it relates to inclusive excellence initiatives.

Exciting New Leadership

Under the exciting new leadership of recently appointed President Dr. Kyle Marrero and Provost Dr. Carl Reiber, Georgia Southern is now poised to pursue ambitious and forward-thinking initiatives to promote an equitable, diverse, and inclusive institutional culture and to eliminate institutional barriers for underrepresented groups. These efforts will unify the Georgia Southern Community as one Eagle Nation.

The University

In 2018, Armstrong State University and Georgia Southern University consolidated creating an institution that retained the Georgia Southern University name comprised of nine colleges on three campuses: the Statesboro Campus, the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hinesville. With 141 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, Georgia Southern is the state’s largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta and has been designated a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution. The University serves more than 27,000 students from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico as well as 102 nations. Georgia Southern offers an attractive campus environment that encourages learning, discovery, and personal growth. Nationally accredited academic programs prepare diverse scholars for leadership and service as working citizens. A unit of the University System of Georgia, the University boasts 200-plus student organizations, outstanding Division I athletics, and state-of-the art residence halls and campus facilities.

Georgia Southern provides transformative learning opportunities to meet the needs of a diverse student population through its legacy of commitment to academic excellence and personal attention. Through the shared resources of its multiple locations, the University creates vibrant learning environments that foster an inclusive, student-centered culture of engagement designed to prepare students for lifelong service as scholars, leaders, and responsible stewards of their communities. The University enhances the quality of life and drives economic development in the Coastal Georgia region, the State of Georgia, and beyond by supporting collaborative efforts in technological innovation, scientific advancement, education, health services, artistic creativity, and cultural enrichment. For more information about Georgia Southern, please visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/.

Position Summary

In serving as Georgia Southern’s inaugural AVP & CDO, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to make a significant and profound impact on the University and its unique campuses. In their role, the AVP & CDO must serve as a confident consensus builder committed to the tenets of transparency, collaboration, and inclusive excellence as they lead the continued evolution of the newly created Office of Inclusive Excellence. The AVP & CDO will partner with Georgia Southern’s three culturally diverse campuses (Statesboro, Armstrong, and Liberty) each with very different histories, approaches to diversity and inclusion, and communities.

The AVP & CDO is responsible for coordinating executive efforts to cultivate a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive culture throughout all aspects of the University community, curricular, co-curricular, and business practices. Reporting to the President and serving as a member of the President's cabinet and advisory council, the AVP & CDO will lead the Office of Inclusive Excellence and work collaboratively with campus partners in Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, Human Resources, and other divisions across the University as well as community partners to elevate inclusiveness and implement best practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The AVP & CDO will serve as the chief administrator responsible for leading and coordinating efforts to recruit, develop, and retain diverse students, faculty, and staff and to create a more welcoming and respectful campus community that embraces diversity and inclusion as a dimension of institutional excellence. Furthermore ,the AVP & CDO will work with various Presidential Committees related to diversity and inclusion to continuously enhance the institution’s understanding of diversity and inclusion while assessing the University’s progress in achieving diversity goals outlined in the University Strategic Plan.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will be a strategic, innovative, and visionary leader with proven experience in leading diversity and inclusion initiatives. The AVP & CDO will have a successful record of advancing implementation strategies that demonstrate commitment to promoting a welcoming and inclusive environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Candidates should also have:

  • Advanced degree with substantial administrative and strategic planning experience;
  • Deep understanding of and passion for the work of inclusion and diversity; a willingness to be a leader, ambassador, and catalyst for change in a complex and dynamic environment, respecting all constituent groups using current and proven best practices for efficient and successful results; knowledge of current diversity issues with a clear understanding of the importance of an inclusive and diverse environment in a comprehensive university or similar setting;
  • Ability to lead with both a decisive and consultative style, foster open communications, and proactively build positive relationships with faculty, staff, students, and diverse constituencies;
  • Experience in working collaboratively and effectively with various constituencies on strategies around inclusion and diversity;
  • A strong and confident listener and communicator who brings a calm presence, establishes credibility with many and varied constituencies, builds consensus and engenders trust based on integrity, critical thinking and excellent interpersonal skills and transparency;
  • Ability to advise senior leadership and institutional action in the face of complex, highly charged & potentially emotional social community issues.

For a full position profile and list of qualifications, please visit https://www.storbeckpimentel.com/pd/GeorgiaSouthern/AVPCDO.pdf

Application Process

Screening of applications will begin immediately and will continues until the position is filled. A complete application consists of a letter addressing the qualifications cited above; a curriculum vitae; and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least three professional references. Other documentation may be requested. Finalists will be required to submit to a background investigation. Applications and nominations should be sent to:

Alberto Pimentel, Managing Partner

Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates

6512 Painter Avenue

Whittier, CA 90601

Email: apsearch@storbeckpimentel.com

Refer to code: “GSU-AVPCDO” in subject line

Georgia Southern University seeks to recruit individuals who are committed to working in diverse academic and professional communities and who are committed to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and professional service within the University and beyond. The names of applicants and nominees, vitae, and other non-evaluative information may be subject to public inspection under the Georgia Open Records Act. Georgia Southern University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity institution. Individuals who need reasonable accommodations under the ADA to participate in the search process should contact Demetrius Bynes, Director of Talent Acquisition, at dbynes@georgiasouthern.edu.