Vice President for Student Affairs and

Dean of Students

 

THE INSTITUTION

Founded in 1842, Roanoke College prides itself on providing the classic college experience to its students. Roanoke combines a focus on firsthand learning with an environment that encourages strong personal connections. The College is a Phi Beta Kappa institution. As an independent, coeducational, four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Roanoke honors its Christian heritage while also welcoming and reflecting a variety of religious traditions within its student body and faculty.

Situated against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the College occupies a spacious 80-acre, tree-lined campus in the heart of historic Salem, Virginia, a city of 25,000 located in the scenic Roanoke Valley. The population of the Valley metropolitan area, including the cities of Salem and Roanoke, totals 290,000 and is served by a regional commercial airport adjacent to the two cities.

The mission of Roanoke College is to engage students in their development as whole persons through an integrative learning approach that stresses intellectual, ethical, spiritual and personal growth and prepares our graduates for responsible lives of learning, service and leadership in a diverse and changing world.

Roanoke College entered the 21st century with unprecedented strength and institutional momentum. This strength is due to a sound fiscal foundation supported by record gifts and a growing enrollment, a picturesque campus, a talented faculty of quality and devotion, a vigorous administration that encourages the use of new educational ideas and technologies and many generous and loyal alumni and friends.

The Roanoke College campus maintains excellent campus facilities for students, faculty and staff. Fintel Library holds 300,000 volumes in a modern environment including the recently endowed Goode–Pasfield Center for Learning and Teaching. The Olin Hall of Arts and Humanities annually attracts 30,000 guests for music, theatrical and artistic events. In the last five years, four new residence halls have been constructed and several academic buildings and residence halls have undergone extensive renovation. Planning for a $30 million recreation center is underway.

With over 2,000 students enrolled from 41 states and 22 countries, Roanoke College employs 120 tenure-track faculty members, more than 95% of whom hold a Ph.D. or other terminal degree. The average class size is 17, and the student/faculty ratio is 14:1.

Roanoke College offers an innovative curriculum that combines a core program in the liberal arts with strong major fields of study. The College offers 34 majors, 30 minors and 20 concentrations leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Business Administration degrees. The College also has professional and pre-professional programs as well as dual-degree engineering programs with Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

The College boasts nine men’s Division III varsity programs, 10 women’s varsity programs and 11 intramural sports. The College has been named the 19th “Fittest” college in America and “best in the Southeast”. The annual report published by U.S. News and World Report, rates Roanoke College as a national liberal arts college.

The College is located in the Roanoke Valley, just south of the Shenandoah Valley, and is easily accessible to Interstate 81. The Allegheny Mountains and the Appalachian Trail are six miles to the north and the renowned Blue Ridge Parkway is accessible fifteen miles to the South. This provides Roanoke Valley residents easy access to a variety of outdoor activities including skiing, hiking, camping and canoeing.

The Roanoke Valley boasts a lively and historic Farmer’s Market and a rich and varied cultural scene, including the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, the Roanoke Ballet and the new Roanoke Art Museum. Additionally, both the Roanoke and Salem civic centers offer venues for performing artists from around the world. Neighborhood theaters add to the cultural opportunities.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Roanoke College seeks an experienced professional to serve as Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. This Vice President will be responsible for the leadership ofa comprehensive student affairs division, which is fully integrated into the educational mission of the College. The divisionincludes these areas of student life: student development/co-curricular learning,residence life, student activities,Greek social organizations, athletics, safety and security, student health servicesand non-academic discipline.

This Vice President and Dean will report directly to the President and will serve as an integral member of the President’s Cabinet. The annual budget for Roanoke College is over $70 million, supported in part by an Endowment of over $100 million. Total enrollment has been steadily increasing, with 65% residential, moving steadily toward its goal of 75% as residence halls are added.

The Vice President and Dean is supported by an administrative assistant and a team of specialized managers that currently includes an Associate Dean for Student Life, an Assistant Dean of Student Activities/Director of the Colket Center, an Assistant Dean of Residence Life, a Director of Student Development and Co-curricular Learning, a Director of Campus Safety, a Director of Student Health Services and a Director of Athletics. As a senior leader, this Vice President must be an effective decision maker, accessible for necessary consultation, responsible for regular evaluation and planning, and sensitive to the morale of colleagues.

THE CANDIDATE

The Vice President and Dean for Student Affairs will be a proven academic leader with sound judgment and extensive experience in the management of college or university student affairs-related matters. The ideal candidate will have a proven record of addressing the needs of the student body and the ability to successfully develop and maintain positive relationships with the student community. Outstanding communication and mediation skills are a must.

The Vice President and Dean will be an energetic and visionary senior student life officer who will provide leadership for all areas of student life. A commitment to student development, experiential learning and a high level of student interaction is essential. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to lead a talented professional staff, relate well to a diverse student body and provide leadership for strategic planning and assessment of learning outcomes. Experience in formalizing educational partnerships and developing effective relationships with academic departments is desired.

The Vice President and Dean will be familiar with and supportive of the educational mission and goals of a liberal arts college either by having attended a college of this kind or by having worked for a significant period of time in such an institution. The candidate will be an effective and positive team leader who can work with the President, other Cabinet leaders and staff in an open and professional manner.

The Vice President and Dean will view the student affairs division as a service center facilitating the educational mission of the College. Enhancing the quality of student life on a diverse campus with a strong sense of community is a primary objective. This leader will be inclusive yet decisive, a good moderator and facilitator, flexible and approachable with a healthy sense of humor, value diversity, and exhibit strength of character and a commitment to a high level of student interaction.

The successful candidate will be a leader who relates easily with members of the Board of Trustees and earns their respect as a sophisticated, responsible fiscal manager and decision maker. The Vice President should assume an active role within the Roanoke Valley metropolitan area.

 

Letters of interest should be submitted with resume and names of three references to jma@jonmcrae.com.

Roanoke College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.