Senior Consultant: Thomas Shandley
thomas.shandley@academicsearch.org
Associate Consultant: Tracy Bartlett Lively
tracy.lively@academicsearch.org
Muhlenberg College, located in Allentown, PA, invites nominations and applications for the position of Vice President. The College seeks a seasoned, enterprising, and strategic executive to serve as their next Vice President for College Life (VPCL). Reporting directly to President Kathleen Harring, the VPCL is part of Muhlenberg’s senior leadership team and is expected to provide vision in the leadership of all Student Affairs functions.
The VPCL will foster a student-centered campus environment that supports academic excellence grounded in diversity, inclusivity, belonging, and community. The ideal VPCL will also lead a collaborative and highly coordinated College Life team to meet the holistic needs of the student body and campus community, with oversight of athletics, campus safety, community engagement, conference services, disability services, equity and Title IX, health and counseling services, and housing and residence life, multicultural life, religious and spiritual life, student union operations, student conduct, and student engagement.
The new vice president must possess the collaborative skills, credibility, and knowledge to be a thought partner with the provost to build connections between academic affairs, and the faculty and student affairs professionals to maximize the potential for all students at Muhlenberg to engage and thrive. The vice president must develop a shared understanding of the academic mission and the role that student affairs contributes to that mission. The Vice President for College Life will be expected to work closely with the president and provost to strengthen the ties between the curricular and co-curricular areas of the College with the ultimate objective to maximize the success for all students. Demonstrated experience of successful collaborations with academic affairs, particularly as it relates to enhancing measures of student success and retention, is essential.
Required Qualifications
The successful candidate must have:
- A minimum of a master’s degree in higher education administration or a closely related field.
- Progressive leadership experience in student affairs or a related field.
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational, communication, leadership skills, and the ability to work collaboratively and effectively with students, faculty, staff, senior administration, and trustees.
- Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to liberal arts education, the College’s mission and purpose, high academic standards, and student success.
- Commitment to Muhlenberg College’s statement of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
- Ability to develop collaboration among diverse groups and to lead and manage change.
Benefits and Work Schedule
The College offers a highly competitive benefits package, including but not limited to generous holidays (including three days off for Thanksgiving and an extended winter break between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day), vacation (22 days per year), sick leave, eight weeks paid parental leave, Life Sports Center membership, tuition opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate level, medical, dental and vision coverage, flexible spending plans, College-provided short-and long-term disability, life insurance, and retirement. Waiting periods may apply. Relocation assistance is available for this position. In addition, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit institution, Muhlenberg is a qualifying employer under the federal government’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Anticipated Effective Date of Appointment is January 1, 2025.
Application Process
Academic Search, led by senior consultant Dr. Thomas C. Shandley, is assisting Muhlenberg College in this national search.
Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest can be submitted electronically, and in confidence, to: MuhlenbergVPCL@academicsearch.org. The position is open until filled, but only applications received by September 30, 2024 can be assured of full consideration.
Applications should consist of:
- a detailed letter of interest;
- a complete curriculum vitae (CV);
- a separate statement of no more than one page, that provides information about your commitment to Muhlenberg’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging goals and initiatives; and
- the names and contact information (phone and email) of five professional references, none of whom will be contacted without prior notification to the candidate.
Additional information about the institution may be found at https://www.muhlenberg.edu/
Muhlenberg College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employees are expected to support Muhlenberg’s commitment to function as a diverse, caring, inclusive community.
