Vice President for Business & Financial Affairs
Application deadline: February 27, 2024
Senior Consultant: Ann Die Hasselmo
ann.hasselmo@academicsearch.org
Consultant: Chris Butler
chris.butler@academicsearch.org
Associate Consultant: Kate Cusimano
Kate.Cusimano@academicsearch.org
California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) invites confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Vice President for Business & Financial Affairs (VPBFA).
CSUCI, the youngest campus in the California State University system, opened its doors to its first transfer and post-baccalaureate credential students in Fall 2002, and then welcomed its inaugural freshman class in Fall 2003. With an operating budget of approximately $135 million, CSUCI enrolled 5,127 students, including 168 graduate and post-baccalaureate students as of Fall 2023. The campus employs 180 tenured/tenure-track faculty, including department chairs and librarians. The campus also employs 260 lecturers, and 556 nonfaculty staff members and administrators. CSUCI has earned national distinctions because of its faculty, work environment, community service, student/faculty research, and efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2023, CSUCI was ranked among the top 30 “Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs” for the ninth year in a row. U.S News & World Report for 2024 ranked CSUCI 7th for social mobility for Regional Universities West; 14th for Top Public Schools; and 28th for the overall category of Regional Universities West, overall – and at 12th for Top Public Schools in that category and 11th for Social Mobility. CSUCI achieved the designation of Hispanic Serving Institution in 2009. In 2019, CSUCI was the first CSU campus and one of only nine institutions in the nation to receive the inaugural Seal of Excelencia, a prestigious, voluntary, and comprehensive certification granted by the Washington, D.C.-based organization, Excelencia in Education. The University was recertified with the Seal of Excelencia in 2022.
In keeping with the mission of the CSU system, CSUCI simultaneously provides a student-centered, world-class education while offering access to many groups traditionally excluded from higher education. Student demographics as of Fall 2023 include the following: Female (65.2%), Male (34.5%), Non-binary (0.3%); First Generation (63%); Pell grant eligible (48%); Hispanic/Latina(o) (61%); White (23%); Asian (6%); African American/Black (2%); Native American/Alaskan (0.2%); Pacific Islander/Hawaiian (0.2%); two or more ethnicities (4%); International (1%), and 3% of students not reporting ethnicity. Veterans and their dependents comprise 2% of CSUCI’s student body.
CSUCI is located 4.5 miles south of the city of Camarillo and within the Oxnard Plain in Ventura County, approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 40 miles south of Santa Barbara. As a regional central coast university in the CSU system, CSUCI serves all of Ventura County and the southern part of Santa Barbara County — a region that enjoys a rich mix of ethnic diversity. The local economy relies on six key industry sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, construction, health services, biotechnology, professional/scientific/technical services, and leisure/ hospitality.
The VPBFA provides executive direction, guidance and policy formation for campus financial and business management operations, human resources management including oversight for Title IX, ADA compliance, and navigating claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, physical facilities, information technology services, and public safety. In addition, the VPBFA carries fiduciary responsibility for all the campus auxiliaries in accordance with Executive Orders of the California State University and Board of Trustees policy and serves as the University’s and Auxiliary corporations’ Chief Fiscal Officer.
Successful candidates will have a proven record of serving as a change agent with demonstrated ability to courageously and effectively respond to the forces driving change in every aspect of higher education; extensive experience in strategic resource management, finance administration, and operations; relevant senior level experience within information technology and facilities management to include supporting and leading an organization with the development, implementation, and operationalization of its strategic goals, organizational review and optimization; demonstrated ability to formulate and implement financial strategies to meet institutional priorities; excellent interpersonal skills and a record of successful supervision; excellent verbal, written, organization and critical thinking skills; commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and experience navigating the complexities of a dynamic and ever changing organization. Candidates are expected to embrace the overarching commitment to the academic mission of the University and its work in advancing the goals of racial and social justice, as well as to the vision and mission of the CSU. Required qualities include integrity, trustworthiness, sensitivity, discretion, vision, collegiality, multicultural/multiethnic sensitivities, and the ability to build consensus and resolve conflict. The successful candidate must have a master’s degree with a concentration in finance, accounting, business administration or related field. A CPA is a plus.
More information, including an institutional profile with a full list of responsibilities, can be found at the link above.
How to Apply
The University is being assisted by Academic Search. Applications should consist of a substantive letter of interest specifically addressing the applicant’s background in relationship to the qualifications described, a resume, and a list of five professional references with full contact information. No references will be contacted without the explicit permission of the candidate. Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest can be submitted electronically, and in confidence, to:
The position is open until filled, but only applications received by Tuesday, February 27, 2024, can be assured full consideration. Confidential discussions about this opportunity may be arranged by contacting consultants Ann Die Hasselmo and Chris Butler. The expected annual salary range for this position is $280,000 – $303,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience.
California State University Channel Islands is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status or protected veteran status.