Detailed Job Description
The Empire State College Council and the State University of New York (SUNY) invite applications for the position of president of Empire State College. The college seeks a uniquely qualified individual who will build upon its more than 40-year tradition of innovative education for adult learners and lead new initiatives to broaden the influence of the college and its distinctive model of education that includes individualized study and student-centered degree programs, assessment of prior learning and independent study options delivered at community-based learning centers and through online models. The college also will be directly engaged in the development and implementation of OpenSUNY, a SUNY systemwide initiative to encourage degree-completion, teaching and learning innovations, and responsiveness to workforce needs.
Empire State College is the fourth largest of New York’s state-operated institutions. It offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees and certificates, and currently serves an average of 20,000 students annually — the largest enrollment in the thirteen SUNY arts and sciences colleges. The college has consistently ranked first in student satisfaction in recent SUNY surveys. With accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a budget of approximately $100 million, a statewide presence with attendant property assets, rapidly expanding online programs and an academic culture dedicated to adult learners, Empire State College is unique in the SUNY system. The college is organized into seven regional learning centers providing 35 locations for mentoring and learning throughout the state. Saratoga Springs houses the college’s administrative offices along with the School for Graduate Studies, the Center for International Programs and the Center for Distance Learning, which serves students throughout New York and the United States and around the globe. Because the college has a history of strategic planning infused throughout the institution, the new president will lead a forward-looking staff and faculty. For more information about the college, please see www.esc.edu.
Qualifications: The next president will be a visionary and a skilled and collegial administrator committed to academic excellence, innovation, community engagement and partnership development across the state of New York, nationally and internationally — a president who is excited about leading an internationally recognized non-traditional institution that is ready for continued growth. The ideal candidate will be an effective communicator with the regional learning locations, SUNY system administration, state and federal legislators, and community and workforce leaders. He or she will be energetic, imaginative and provide thoughtful and effective leadership in an institution committed to shared governance and transparency. A doctoral or terminal degree is strongly preferred.
Location: Saratoga Springs is a small city with a vibrant atmosphere, a colorful history, a thriving downtown, a major performing arts center and a world-famous race course. The Saratoga and Adirondacks regions host an array of lakes and forests, parks, festivals, historic sites and museums. Albany, the state capital and the location of the SUNY central administration, is less than a 45 minute drive south, as is access to an international airport and the Amtrak rail system. New York City, Boston and Montreal are all within a 3.5-hour drive.
Application: Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume only to RPA Inc. at empirepres@rpainc.org. For a confidential discussion or to make a nomination, please call Kate Nolde, Associate Vice President, or Dr. Jim Heffernan, Senior Consultant, at 800-992-9277.
The first review of candidates will begin on Dec. 13, 2012. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Empire State College supports all efforts to enrich its community through a steadfast commitment to excellence through diversity. Empire State College is an AA/EEO/IRCA/ADA employer.
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