Academic Career & Executive Search is pleased to assist Kansas State University in their search for a Vice Provost for Student Success (VPSS).

 

This is a remarkable opportunity for a results-driven strategist and change agent to serve in this newly created position as the Vice Provost for Student Success within a public R1, land-grant, university comprised of four campuses and a foundation. The University serves over 22,000 students.

 

As the Vice Provost for Student Success the chosen candidate will design, develop and lead in this newly created position as the University engages in innovative approaches to enrollment management, university budget model, and data-driven decision-making. The successful candidate is a dedicated, student centric, team leader skilled in retention and advising. The new VPSS brings a proven history of successfully facilitating and leading through change to positively impact student success.

 

This position reports to the Provost and Executive Vice President. The new office is well supported and a critical role in the University.

 

Job Purpose:
 

The newly created Vice Provost for Student Success (“VPSS”) is charged with bringing vision and leadership to coordinate the efforts of units and programs focused on retention and student success, while bridging academic and student service operations and initiatives and improving communication across academic and student affairs at the University. Using national best practices and emerging research, the Vice Provost for Student Success will identify, develop and guide innovative initiatives to improve student retention, persistence, progression and graduation of K-State students.

The Vice Provost will seek to implement best practices and improved use of technology and analytics to enhance academic advising and student support efforts across the University.

The Vice Provost for Student Success will provide vision, leadership and administrative management to a broad range of academic support service offices charged with supporting student success. A detailed list of those programs and services is available here.
 

The VPSS will work closely with Student Life and the colleges to bridge academic and student service operations and initiatives and improve communication across the University. The Vice Provost for Student Success will create new opportunities to broaden and deepen academic and student life connections between and among departments and provide infrastructure and support for students to achieve their academic goals. The VPSS will work closely with deans, department heads, and others to resolve academically related student concerns.
 

The new Vice Provost for Student Success will assume this role during an exciting time when the campus is ready to engage in new and innovative recruitment and retention efforts and ideas. The VPSS will work closely with the Provost, Vice President for Student Life, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, and other senior leadership in a new leadership structure to implement retention and student success strategies within the context of the university’s comprehensive multi-year strategic enrollment management plan and enrollment management efforts.

 

Core Duties and Responsibilities:

• Organize, unite, and oversee the various programs and services under the VPSS’s purview to leverage resources, services, and programming to best meet student needs. Evaluate the effectiveness of current services, monitor national best practices as it pertains to student success initiatives, and ensure optimal resource utilization.

 

• Ensure alignment with the university’s mission, goals and objectives in fostering a culture of best-practice, evidenced-based support and intervention.

 

• Establish and monitor goals, objectives, and key performance indicators to determine effectiveness of outreach, opportunities for intervention, and potential improvements to practices.

 

• Foster partnerships to develop data-informed retention, persistence, change readiness, graduation, and employability plans for K-State students.

 

• Oversee university-wide retention and student success programs, to ensure a strong academic foundation for incoming first-year and continuing students.

 

• Lead the Student Success Collaborative to enhance student success. Collaborate with partners across the institution to leverage a coordinated student success network.

Required Qualifications:
 

• Master’s Degree required, PhD or terminal professional degree in a related field preferred

 

• A demonstrated record of excellence appropriate for leadership in an innovative and comprehensive model of academic and student affairs with the shared goal of student success.

 

• Proven success as a strategic leader with a record of excellence implementing best practices and developing innovative programs to support retention, progression, and success of a diverse student population.

 

• Data savvy with demonstrated experience with utilization of student progress data, curriculum success information and other data to design supports and interventions to assure student degree completion.

 

• Proven ability as a leader with the ability to articulate vision and to engage others in implementation.

 

• Demonstrated record of success administering and managing a complex unit with responsibility for guiding strategy, managing finances, motivating a diverse staff, and effective coordination of programs and personnel.

 

• Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills with a demonstrated ability to articulate matters of complexity and nuance to multiple and varied groups of stakeholders across campus.

 

• Demonstrated success as a collaborator and relationship-builder, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and the ability to forge effective partnerships and coalitions with students, academic affairs and advising faculty and staff, student affairs, university leaders, and others across a diverse university community to achieve results.

 

• Deep knowledge of national student success research, best practices and trends as well as knowledge of and appreciation for innovative uses and integration of technologies to support student retention, progression, and success

 

• Proven ability to initiate, lead, and facilitate change, be adaptable with changing conditions, and comfortable with the ambiguity that accompanies a large public university

 

Preferred Qualifications:
 

• Demonstrated success in fund development, external fundraising, and financial management

 

• Experience overseeing technology development or deploying tools such as the Student Success Collaborative to support student retention and progression

 

About the University:

Kansas State University is a comprehensive, research, land-grant institution serving over 22,000 students. The University provides some of the best global food systems and biosecurity research in the world and is progressing toward its goal of becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025.

 

The university has nine academic colleges and offers more than 250 majors and options. The Graduate School offers 73 master’s degrees, 44 doctoral degrees and 43 graduate certificates in multiple disciplines. The Princeton Review recognizes the university as one of the nation’s best colleges and the association of Public and Land-grant Universities designated Kansas State University as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University. Commonly referred to as K-State, the university is proud of its welcoming environment and considers all K-Staters family.

 

About the Area:

Nestled in the heart of northeast Kansas’ scenic Flint Hills, Manhattan’s 56,000 citizens enjoy a dynamic community filled with shopping, dining, entertainment and nightlife. Manhattan is affectionately known as the “Little Apple,” a nod to its East Coast namesake, but has a vibrant culture all its own. Here is just a sampling of what residents look forward to year-round:
 

• Shopping, dining and socializing in Aggieville, a local entertainment district with an energetic vibe.

   • A vibrant, revitalized downtown area with fine dining options and local boutiques.

• The Flint Hills Discovery Center, featuring exhibits about the beautiful surrounding region.

   • Beautiful outdoor life at Sunset Zoo and The Gardens at Kansas State University.

• Recreation opportunities at the Konza Prairie, Tuttle Creek State Park, Linear Park Trail and more.

   • Music festivals, including country’s brightest stars at the annual Country Stampede.

• The university’s McCain Performance Series, which hosts acclaimed Broadway musicals, comedians, musicians and other entertainers.

   • Exciting Big 12 athletic events (faculty and staff are eligible for discounted tickets).

   • Colbert Hills Golf Course, ranked as the top public golf course in Kansas.

• Excellent K-12 education. The local high school ranks among the top 5 percent of U.S. high schools, and the district is home to several Kansas Master Teachers.

 

To learn more about the Manhattan community, at manhattan.org

 

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Kansas State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and actively seeks diversity among its employees.
 

Background Screening Statement :

In connection with your application for employment, Kansas State University will procure a Background Screen on you as part of the process of considering your candidacy as an employee.

 

For full consideration applications should be received by June 19, 2019. Applications will be reviewed as they are received and should include a cover letter and CV.  

Please do not email applications. 

Inquiries, referrals and nominations are treated confidentially and can be sent to: Jennifer@ACESrch.com or call 860-740-2600.