Vice President of Student Engagement

Mary Baldwin University (MBU) seeks a dynamic and seasoned Vice President of Student Engagement to join the institution’s executive leadership. The vice president will be accomplished and committed to the University’s focus on providing high quality education that empowers leaders to pursue lives of purpose in a changing world. This is a new position that will impact student success across all colleges. 

Located in Staunton, Virginia, Mary Baldwin recently grew from college to university status reflecting its growing range of bachelor’s, master level, and doctoral programs. MBU is an entrepreneurial institution with a record of innovation aspiring to meet the evolving higher education needs of society. The vice president for student engagement will play an instrumental role in ensuring that MBU continues its development as a small university responsive to changes in society and the role of higher education within that society. 

The new vice president of student engagement will lead change to refashion the student experience on campus with energy, vision and goals to enhance student satisfaction and increase retention while effectively supporting undergraduates, graduate students and the online student community at the university. The new vice president will possess analytic depth and strong leadership; an eye for the possible; an eagerness to engage in meaningful interchange about retention challenges with university leadership, faculty, and others; and a proven capacity for embedding responsiveness to the student experience within institutional values and aspirations. 

The vice president will bring deep knowledge of best practices in student affairs, creative and innovative thinking, and an appreciation for the essential link between diversity and excellence. The successful candidate will have significant leadership experience in student life and a particular interest in and commitment to working in partnership with faculty, students and staff colleagues. The vice president will have served in progressively more demanding supervisory and administrative positions, and will understand the culture of a university that is undergoing transformation. The vice president will demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between academic and co-curricular engagement; have strong academic values and a willingness to consider new possibilities; and possess the diplomacy and leadership skills to work effectively with a team. An earned doctorate is preferred; however, candidates with a depth of experience in the field and appropriate professional credentials will be given full consideration. A Master’s degree is required. 

Inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by no later than June 29, 2018. Candidates should provide a resume or curriculum vitae, a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the leadership profile, and the names and contact information for five references. The leadership profile can be found at www.wittkieffer.com. 

This recruitment will move forward with the utmost respect for candidate confidentiality. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. These materials should be sent electronically via e-mail to the Mary Baldwin University consultants Greg Santore and Charlene Aguilar and at MBUVPSE@wittkieffer.com. The consultants can be reached by telephone via Candice Jones at 630-575-6929. 

The Mary Baldwin University values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by law.