Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students

University of Puget Sound

Search for the Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Tacoma, Washington 

University of Puget Sound (Puget Sound), one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges located in the creative, urban city of Tacoma, Washington, seeks an engaging, strategic, and inclusive leader to be the next Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students (VP). With a visionary President, a dynamic and dedicated senior leadership team, passionate students, and exceptional faculty and staff, Puget Sound is at a turning point in its 130-year history. The university’s strategic plan, Leadership for a Changing World, challenges the university to be bold and forward-looking in the delivery of education and in meeting the needs of current and future generations of students. The VP will play a critical role in execution of the plan and ensuring the university adheres to its mission to develop students’ capacities for critical analysis, aesthetic appreciation, sound judgment, and apt expression that will sustain a lifetime of intellectual curiosity, active inquiry, and reasoned independence.

The VP will report directly to the President and lead a 28-person team of dedicated staff along with many students who help advance the work of Students Affairs. The VP will bring a track record in strategic planning and implementation of successful student programs as well as an appreciation for the use of evidence to measure the value of the student experience. The VP will address the following opportunities and challenges:

  • Create and implement a vision for the Division of Student Affairs that weaves it into all aspects of the Puget Sound experience
  • Galvanize a vibrant community that is welcoming to all students through inclusive, equitable, and accessible programming
  • Advocate for students’ sense of belonging in alignment with institutional equity and diversity efforts on campus
  • Position Student Affairs as a key partner in student success and the life of the university
  • Foster a community-centered culture where University of Puget Sound’s student life and the greater Tacoma region and alumni can gather
  • Contribute to student success, including retention and completion, with close collaboration with Academic Affairs

The successful candidate will be an innovative and collaborative student affairs leader with a distinctive record of achievement and qualities that come with thoughtful, yet engaging confidence. The successful candidate will be someone with a clear and strong student affairs background who will be a full partner in Puget Sound’s effort to offer an outstanding and integrated co-curricular program. The VP must have a master’s degree in higher education, education administration, counseling, psychology, or closely related field, with a doctoral degree highly preferred, and ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in student affairs leadership in higher education, preferably with experience in multiple areas – residence life, counseling, health and wellness, fraternity and sorority life, intercultural engagement, student leadership, student conduct.

University of Puget Sound has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For more details, including the full position profile and to submit inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications, please see the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: www.imsearch.com/8146. Electronic submission of materials is required.

Julie Filizetti and Sofia Vargas

Isaacson, Miller

1000 Sansome Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA  94111

Phone: 415.655.4900

The University of Puget Sound is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to recruiting, hiring, and retaining the most qualified persons based on job-related criteria. The university will not engage in or tolerate any discrimination or harassment in the workplace as prohibited by local, state, or federal law. More specifically, no applicant or staff member will be discriminated against or harassed on the basis of his or her race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, marital or familial status, national origin, creed, veteran and military status, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender identity and expression, genetic information, socioeconomic class, language spoken, documentation status, political beliefs or any other characteristic prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law.