Dean of Students

Dean of Students

Colgate University, Hamilton, NY

Colgate University, one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country, seeks an energetic, motivated, and highly visible Dean of Students to serve as a trusted resource for students on campus. Reporting to the Vice President and Dean of the College (VP), the Dean of Students (dean) takes an active leadership role in developing students into balanced mature adults. The dean oversees a robust portfolio and has direct responsibility for several key functional areas within the division, including wellness; diversity and multicultural affairs; student leadership and development; religious and spiritual life; LGBTQ+ initiatives; and fraternity and sorority advising. Beyond these core areas, the successful candidate will be a key partner for the VP, serving as a senior leader in the division.

This is a distinctive opportunity for an accomplished professional with a strategic approach to student affairs to elevate the breadth and depth of resources available to Colgate students. It is a time of exciting transformation as Colgate enters its third century. President Brian W. Casey is leading the campus through a comprehensive Third-Century Plan to raise the institutions profile as a distinctive and strong undergraduate liberal arts institution to even higher levels of achievement. Under the leadership of the VP and Dean of the College, Paul J. McLoughlin II, there has been an enhanced commitment to enriching the student experience. The energy on campus is palpable as four Residential Commons living/learning communities have been developed over the last five years, and long term goals have been established for further developing the residential college system through the development of an upper-level residential system, career services, and integrated wellness. The next dean will provide leadership for a number of direct and indirect reports and serve as a collaborative partner to the VP and Dean of the College; ensure that issues are addressed and resolved across campus; further develop students’ ability to be resilient; and add to Colgate’s ongoing efforts to be a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable institution.

Having just completed its bicentennial year and forging into its third century, Colgate has distinguished itself as one of the finest residential universities and has sought a special purpose among institutions of higher learning. The next dean will have an understanding of and appreciation for a residential liberal arts education; a passion for providing support and opportunities for Colgate’s students; an authentic appreciation for Colgate’s history and traditions, as well as a vision of its potential; a deep understanding of the educational value of a diverse community; and a firm but fair approach to the resolution of conflict.

A search committee composed of students, staff, and faculty has been assembled to identify a new dean. Colgate will be assisted by the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. Inquiries, nominations, and applications, which will remain confidential, should be directed to the search firm at www.imsearch.com/7200

Colgate University is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages individuals of all backgrounds and cultures to consider this leadership position. The university’s commitment to inclusivity encompasses, but is not limited to, diversity in nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and disability.