Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Washington University in St. Louis

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), one of the nation’s premier private institutions of higher education, seeks a visionary and collaborative leader for the position of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (VCSA). Reporting directly to the chancellor, the VCSA will lead and continue to inspire a first-rate, complex student affairs organization to support students across the university. WashU prides itself on knowing its students by name and by story, and this student-centric mission has been the foundation for excellence and investment in student affairs over the years.

This search is underway as Lori S. White, the former Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at WashU, assumed the presidency at DePauw University on July 1, 2020. The next VCSA will be a student-centered leader, a builder of community and culture, an advocate for student needs and success, and a gifted and data-driven administrator and manager. Success in the role will require a deep understanding of the current issues and best practices in student affairs, the needs of an increasingly diverse student body, the role the university plays in creating and sustaining a safe learning and living community for students, and the interdependence of the academic and non-academic aspects of the student experience. Moreover, the next VCSA will need to focus on how to help WashU maintain a best-in-class residential experience in a post-pandemic society. In order to sustain excellence, the VCSA must inspire a culture of constant innovation and aspire to better serve all students, particularly those from traditionally marginalized communities.

The VCSA oversees an expansive portfolio including campus life, the office for student success, athletics and recreation, residential life, student career development, the center for diversity and inclusion, and student health, wellness, and community standards. The VCSA has 9 direct reports and is ultimately responsible for over 300 staff members and $52M budget.

This is a tremendous opportunity for an accomplished and innovative student affairs leader to join the senior officers of Washington University, to serve its students as an inspiring and respected ally, and to lead the university’s efforts to continue to provide the very best student experience. The position requires a leader with strategic vision, a clear and unwavering commitment to racial equity and confronting systemic racism, and a thorough understanding of best practices in student affairs. The successful candidate will be the students’ advocate first and foremost but will also bring the skills and experience necessary to manage senior staff, a large budget, and an appreciation for the aims and needs of the university community as a whole. 

Washington University in St. Louis has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Confidential inquiries, nominations, referrals, and resumes with cover letters should be sent in confidence to: 

Ponneh Varho, Partner

Sabrina Singh, Managing Associate

www.imsearch.com/7737

Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing equal opportunity to all qualified individuals in its employment and personnel practices. The university practices affirmative action by taking assertive steps to recruit, hire and promote minorities, females, individuals with disabilities, and veterans.