Senior Consultant: Thomas Shandley
thomas.shandley@academicsearch.org
Associate Consultant: Kristin McClanahan
kristin.mcclanahan@academicsearch.org
Warren Wilson College (Swannanoa, NC), an institution known for its innovative programming and commitment to environmental sustainability, invites applications, expressions of interest, and nominations of candidates in the search for the Vice President and Dean of Student Engagement. Reporting to the President and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, the Vice President is a key leadership position and requires collaboration across stakeholders. The Vice President oversees the Student Life Division and is responsible for the strategy, management, and vision of the following programs and services: Athletics, Counseling Center; Health Center; Residence Life and Housing including student conduct oversight; Spiritual Life; Student Activities (includes Orientation programming); Public Safety (joint); the Center for Student Well-Being; and chairs the Emergency Response Team. The Vice President is expected to take office in July 2024.
Situated just outside Asheville, NC, Warren Wilson College is one of only nine federally designated “work colleges” at which student life integrates rigorous academics, on-campus jobs, and active engagement in the surrounding community. Through its Progressive Promise, it is reimagining liberal arts education for our times by:
- responsible utilization of our 1,100-acre campus, rich with biodiversity in the Swannanoa Valley, and expanding community partnerships across the greater Asheville region for hands-on, action-based education embedded in the real world.
- deepening our strengths in environmental studies, the arts, and human dynamics and social justice.
- empowering student learning in and out of the classroom through experiential learning, meaningful work supporting College operations, and credit-earning community engagement and career relevant courses across all majors.
Warren Wilson is a liberal arts institution grounded in social responsibility, where hard work and community are more than just words. Students are employed on work crews, which are the life force of the college in its day-to-day operations. Warren Wilson College is consistently one of the Fiske Guide’s top “Best Buy” colleges. The College was recently ranked in College Magazine’s “top 10 greenest campuses” and in the Princeton Review’s top 10 schools for “LGBTQ Friendly,” and “Students Most Engaged in Service.”
The Vice President and Dean of Student Engagement is a critical leadership position responsible for fostering a dynamic and inclusive campus environment that enhances the overall student experience. The individual in this position will advocate for student needs and contribute to the holistic development of students. The VPDSE is responsible for policy development, supervision of professional staff, budget development and oversight, and program planning and implementation for Student Life.
Required Qualifications
- Robust and increasingly progressive leadership roles in student affairs in higher education of 7 or more years.
- A master’s degree in student personnel, higher education administration, or related field.
- Demonstrated commitment to the values and opportunities espoused in a residential progressive education.
- Proven effectiveness in developing and delivering broad initiatives that advance inclusive excellence in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Application Process
Applications should consist of:
- A detailed cover letter addressing the candidate’s professional experiences given the expectations of the position.
- A current resume or curriculum vitae (CV); and
- A list of five professional references with contact information and a brief description explaining the working relationship of each to the applicant (will not be contacted until the semi-finalist stage of the search)
All documents should be submitted in PDF format.
Nominations and applications should be sent to WWCVPSE@academicsearch.org. The position is open until filled and applications received by March 22, 2024, will be assured full priority consideration. Assisting Warren Wilson College with this search is Dr. Tom Shandley, a Senior Consultant with Academic Search. For more information about the institution, position, qualifications, and application process, please review the search prospectus, available for download (see link above). Additional information about Warren Wilson College is available at https://www.warren-wilson.edu.
Warren Wilson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to developing a campus community that reflects the full diversity of the human experience and, as such, welcomes all applicants. Warren Wilson College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender or gender identity, age, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, recruitment or admission of students, scholarship, grant or loan programs, athletic or other College administered programs, employment procedures, training programs, promotion policies or other related personnel practices.