PRESIDENT

Occidental College

President

Los Angeles, California

The Board of Trustees of Occidental College invites nominations and applications for the position of President of the College. The President is the chief executive officer of the College and serves ex officio on the College’s Board of Trustees. Occidental (Oxy) is a nationally recognized, independent liberal arts institution with approximately 2,000 students, located in Los Angeles. The Board seeks an experienced and accomplished academic leader who has gained distinction as a teacher, scholar, and executive, and will help Occidental achieve its ambitious goals. The appointment to the presidency is expected to take effect on July 1, 2020.

Occidental has distinguished itself as one of two top 40 ranked liberal arts institutions embedded in the heart of one of the nation’s major cities, and the only one in the West. In part because of its desirable location, the College attracts an exceptionally talented and diverse student body, who are served by an equally lauded faculty and staff committed to providing a superb education in an intimate setting. The College provides its students meaningful curricular and co-curricular experiences rooted in the complex, urban environs of Los Angeles, with the ultimate goal of preparing alumni who will solve society’s most pressing social, political, and technical challenges through engaged and committed leadership. The next President will join the Oxy community at a critical moment in its history; the College recently launched an ambitious $225M comprehensive Campaign and aspires to further grow strategic partnerships and academic programs of distinction, harnessing the creative power and energy of the region. The President will continue to build upon Oxy’s unique community and institutional assets, and further solidify its position as the most impactful urban liberal arts college in the nation. In doing so, the President will address the following key opportunities and challenges:

  • Be a leading advocate for the value of a liberal arts education in an era of economic uncertainty, and champion Occidental’s unique position as the liberal arts college of Los Angeles;
  • Advance the College’s recently announced comprehensive Campaign and bring it to a successful conclusion;
  • Work closely with the Board, campus constituents, and alumni to ensure full alignment around the College’s ambitions;
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  • Embrace and address climate and culture issues on campus to deliver on Oxy’s mission;
  • Enhance the student experience by focusing on student success, co-curricular opportunities, and career preparedness;
  • Further guide and support the leadership team to advance the goals of the campus community; and
  • Further embed Occidental into the fabric of Los Angeles as a dynamic, symbiotic partner to strengthen the civic infrastructure and functioning of the city.

Occidental College 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/7100.  Electronic submission of materials is required.

David Bellshaw, Regan Gough, Courtney Wilk-Mandel, and Ludi Chow

Isaacson, Miller

1000 Sansome Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA  94111

Phone: 415.655.4900  Fax: 415.655.4905

In addition to its commitment to a harassment-free educational and working environment, Occidental College is an equal employment opportunity employer. The College is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and complies with all applicable state and federal laws on the matter. The College does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, transfer, discipline, layoff, rehire, termination and social and recreational programs.