Vice Chancellor for Strategic Enrollment & Student Success

Position Details

University of Colorado | Denver

Official Title: Vice Chancellor

Working Title: Vice Chancellor for Strategic Enrollment & Student Success

FTE: 1

Salary Range: $250,000 - $275,000

Position #00350722 - Requisition #33999

**Applications for this position will only be accepted through Witt/Kieffer's Candidate Portal. Click here to see the full leadership profile for the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Enrollment and Student Success | WittKieffer**

Join the University of Colorado Denver

The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) seeks nominations, applications, and expressions of interest for a creative, collaborative, and inclusive leader to serve as the vice chancellor for strategic enrollment and student success.

Part of the University of Colorado system, CU Denver was officially founded in 1973. Located on the downtown Auraria Campus and stretching into Denver's central business district, CU Denver brings together innovation, research, and learning in the heart of a global city. CU Denver is the state's premier public urban research university with more than 100 in-demand, top-ranked bachelors, master's, and doctoral degree programs.

Throughout its history, CU Denver has supported students from all walks of life. The University educates approximately 14,000 students (70% undergraduate and 30% graduate) and is committed to supporting diverse learners for transformative educational experiences. Students of color make up 46% of the undergraduate student body, and 51% of undergraduates are first- generation college students. CU Denver is also a Hispanic-Serving Institution. In addition, the University became the first Rocky Mountain region campus to gain Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) status, which reflects efforts to increase access and opportunity for those underserved by higher education. Learn more at: About Us | The University of Colorado Denver.

Reporting to Chancellor Marks, the vice chancellor serves as the senior officer responsible for enrollment management, student success, student affairs, international affairs, and their related strategic initiatives. The vice chancellor has a dotted line reporting relationship to the provost and executive vice chancellor and serves as an active member of the chancellor's cabinet. The vice chancellor will set and oversee the strategic direction of the division, boldly co-creating and advancing initiatives that inspire stakeholders throughout the division and across the University to contribute to University-wide success in identifying, attracting, enrolling, retaining, developing, and graduating an outstanding and exceptionally diverse student body. While seeking leaders who have proven experience and strength in enrollment management, CU Denver also desires an individual who is appropriately well-versed in the full student experience, has worked directly with students, and has a proven commitment to students' success. Their leadership will build upon current momentum in strengthening cohesion and operational strength in the division as CU Denver aims to provide exemplary service for all its students. In addition, the new vice chancellor will proactively create collaborative partnerships with areas throughout the University.

CU Denver is eager to recruit a leader who will nurture a cohesive community of professionals who span a wide array of functions and who will model a collaborative approach that helps to empower creativity, service excellence, and leadership throughout the division. As such, the vice chancellor will be expected to be a leader of leaders and strategic thought partner; they will understand and have experience leading large, complex teams and subject-matter experts, and who can effectively draw upon experience and ideas across the division to advance shared goals for seamless student engagement, support, and belonging across the University. The vice chancellor will be expected to lead by example and come with a demonstrated track record of leading with unimpeachable integrity and care.

Role of the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Enrollment and Student Success

The vice chancellor for strategic enrollment and student success and the professionals they lead and work with influence every single stage of the student journey from pre-application through graduation. The vice chancellor serves as the senior officer responsible for enrollment management, student success, student affairs, international affairs, and their related strategic initiatives, reporting directly to the chancellor with a dotted line to the provost and executive vice chancellor and serving as an active member of the chancellor's cabinet.

The vice chancellor for strategic enrollment and student success will be a visionary and collaborative leader who can harness the strength of the interconnected nature of the division's people and functions and work with stakeholders across the CU Denver community - including faculty - to foster and support the optimal student experience, helping to define what is possible for students at an urban research university and the impactful work of the professionals who support the pursuit of their goals.

CU Denver and the CU Anschutz Medical campus enjoy a historic partnership, and a number of units and programs are consolidated between the campuses including some academic and student affairs functions, information technology, financial services, and facilities. The executive vice chancellor of academic and student affairs (EVC) for CU Anschutz has the authority over decisions affecting academic and student affairs at CU Anschutz. Given that some of the departments and services overseen by the vice chancellor also support the Anschutz campus, the vice chancellor, in partnership with the EVC and the CU Denver provost, will ensure the effective provision of the services to the Anschutz Medical Campus.

The vice chancellor will oversee a comprehensive, $32 million portfolio comprised of nearly 200 staff across enrollment, student success, student affairs, and international affairs departments and services.

Additional responsibilities of the vice chancellor include:

* Bring leadership, vision, expertise, integrity, inclusiveness, and energy to the overall enrollment strategy and function, partnering with the chancellor, provost, the executive vice chancellor for finance and administration, the deans, and other key University constituents to develop and deploy effective strategies to enroll and retain undergraduate and graduate students.

* Advance partnerships around data analysis to shape enrollment strategy and planning and make appropriate adjustments to ensure the implementation of an integrated and strategic enrollment effort.

* Regularly assess the effectiveness of various efforts - from recruitment activities to financial aid programs to mental health and wellness offerings - to make appropriate adjustments so as to lead an effort that is continuously proactive and responsive to student and University needs.

* Facilitate seamless integration of the student experience for both in-person and online students from the point of admission through registration, course enrollment, graduation, graduate school, and career placement.

* Provide leadership in the development and implementation of CU Denver's student success initiatives to ensure all students are offered the resources and relationships necessary for high-quality learning, academic persistence, degree completion, and post graduation.

* Act as the lead administrator for the University's student success roadmap to include goals, benchmarks, strategies, and deadlines.

* Leverage the University's investment in student success technology systems and processes to maximize its allocation of resources and provide relevant information for faculty, staff, and students to best support student retention and completion.

* Conduct strategic assessment of partnerships and pathways, including monitoring, evaluating, and adapting to best leverage existing enrollment pathways and partnerships as well as to build

new partnerships and pathways.

* Ensure quality delivery of shared services to CU Denver and CU Anschutz campuses.

* Support the engagement and development of faculty by advancing the use of evidence-based, learning-centered best practices in teaching and learning.

* Focus on strategies to promote even greater success by students from traditionally underrepresented populations, transfer students, first-generation college students, post-

traditional students, those eligible for federal Pell grants, and international students.

* Direct efforts to successfully complete initiatives of associated entities, e.g. Colorado Commission on Higher Education, APLU/USU, and others.

Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities

The vice chancellor for strategic enrollment and student success will be a strategic, innovative, and collaborative leader with an unwavering commitment to students, taking an authentic interest in the lives and development of pre-college and college students including undergraduate and graduate students, first-generation students, online learners, and adult learners. While CU Denver seeks leaders who have proven experience and strength in enrollment management, it also desires an individual who is appropriately well-versed in the full student experience, has worked directly with students, and has a proven commitment to students' success.

CU Denver is also eager to recruit a leader who will nurture a cohesive community of professionals who span a wide array of functions and who will model a collaborative approach that helps to empower creativity, service excellence, and leadership throughout the division.

* Leadership skills: A leader of leaders and strategic thought partner; someone who understands and has experience leading large, complex teams and other leaders and subject-matter experts; can effectively draw upon experience and ideas across the division to advance shared goals for seamless student engagement, support, and belonging across the University; and an expectation to lead by example and come with a demonstrated track record of leading with unimpeachable integrity and care.

* Mission alignment: A deep resonance with the mission and possibilities of a CU Denver education, including a drive that is constantly student centered; demonstrated impact in enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence; a strong understanding of faculty work and the faculty world in relation to supporting enrollment and student success efforts; and an eagerness to tie in to the academic and intellectual enterprise of the University with an understanding and appreciation of shared governance.

* Proven effectiveness and expertise: Successful experience within enrollment management and/or student affairs, as well as substantive and decisive evaluation of student success programs, learning outcomes assessment and accreditation, and the application of new technologies; track record of achievement in developing and implementing successful enrollment strategies and initiatives.

* Exceptional analytical and technological skills: Experience with appropriate technology and the use of sophisticated data analysis to inform strategic decisions and the assessment of opportunities and challenges; ability to produce forward-looking, transparent plans, and budgets that link expenditures to outcomes; and analytical capacity to assess the effectiveness of how funds are employed to achieve enrollment, student success, and student affairs goals.

* Commitment to retention and student success and a holistic understanding of student affairs: Demonstrated interest in the lives and development of pre-college and college students; an ability to recruit and support students to persist in their educational experience and a commitment to assuring the success of all students from widely diverse backgrounds.

* Knowledge of policy and best practices: Demonstrated success in shaping, influencing, and articulating institutional, state, regional, and/or national higher education policy; knowledge of and ability to use student success best practices; prior experience, professional standards, and the research literature to guide and support both enrollment and student affairs work.

* Management skills: Exceptional change management skills; ability to work with and supervise others, manage budgets and financial projections, plan and organize work, work effectively with colleagues across divisions, and make decisions aligned with strategic priorities; the embodiment of superior leadership skills: team building and collaboration, transparency in decision making, respect for other opinions and voices, and the ability to exercise creativity, vision, and an entrepreneurial spirit in developing and achieving goals.

* Communications skills: Exceptional as well as transparent communication skills; ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from internal and external audiences with grace and finesse; the capacity to formulate, articulate, and persuade a wide range of audiences around a shared vision; demonstrated skill in listening with care and working with others collaboratively to reach critical decisions; the ability to communicate effectively about issues, decisions, and developments large and small; and possess a style of communication that builds trust and mutual respect.

* Personal qualities: A demonstrated confidence and ability as a nimble senior leader with the humility to be an effective part of a collaborative and collegial senior team; a lack of ego and self- promotion together with the desire to partner with others in service of the strongest possible effort; an ability to listen and hear ideas and thoughts from a variety of interested parties and partners and to integrate the thinking and views of others into one's own; integrity and trustworthiness; flexibility and resilience; optimism; and a sense of humor are all desired qualities.

* Credentials: Demonstrated progressively responsible higher education experiences and expertise leading a large staff across a complex division, with a particular focus on enrollment management and the student experience; a bachelor's degree is required and an earned doctorate or terminal degree is preferred.

Procedure for Candidacy

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as two separate documents, a CV or resume, and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile. Professional references are not requested at this time.

WittKieffer is assisting the University of Colorado Denver in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by Monday, December 16, 2024. Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer's candidate portal.

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:

Amy Crutchfield and Corin Edwards CUDenverVCSESS@wittkieffer.com

Compensation and Benefit Information

* Compensation range: $250,000 - $275,000

* Benefits: The University of Colorado offers a full benefits package. Information on university benefits programs, including eligibility, is available at www.cu.edu/employee-services.

University of Colorado Denver is committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse student body, faculty and administrative staff. The university strives to promote a culture of inclusiveness, respect, communication and understanding. We encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and all veterans. The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.