Durham Technical Community College announces a national search for its new Vice President, Chief Student Services Officer (VP, CSSO) and invites nominations for, and applications from, those interested in leading this enterprise at Durham Tech.

This is a particularly exciting time at Durham Tech, with the recent appointment of President John (J.B.) Buxton and the opportunity to strategically transform the College’s involvement with employers and the workforce development community in the College’s service area, which includes Research Triangle Park. Durham Tech supports the socioeconomic mobility of its students and assists employers with filling current and future workforce needs by developing high-skill talent pipelines.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, Durham Tech partnered with leadership from Achieving the Dream, The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, and North Carolina State University’s Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research to develop the College’s 2021-2026 Strategic Plan. The collaborative summarized its outlook on Durham Tech’s future as follows: “President Buxton and the Board [of Trustees] see the current moment as a critical inflection point—and opportunity. In 2019, the Durham area was ranked the 23rd best place to live in the U.S. by Livability. The Triangle is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation; the potential for connecting local residents to good careers is huge. Yet, economic mobility among the region’s low-income residents, a large proportion of whom are people of color, is weaker than that in most U.S. metro areas. Of the nation’s 50 largest commuting zones, the Research Triangle area ranked 48th in absolute upward mobility for those born in 1980 through 1982, according to a 2014 study by Raj Chetty and his colleagues.”

“The time is now, Durham Tech leaders feel, to accelerate the College’s efforts to help students succeed and the community rebound.” The College is well-respected in the community and has a strong foundation to build upon. The new leadership of the College brings with it new opportunities and energy. Durham Tech is well-positioned to respond vigorously to the urgency of the moment: to be bold and pursue transformative solutions that put the College on the path to providing excellence and opportunity for all its students and the local community. This is the exciting opportunity, and challenge, facing the Vice President, Chief Student Services Officer.

Challenges and Opportunities for Leadership

There are significant challenges and important opportunities awaiting the next Vice President, Chief Student Services Officer (VP, CSSO). Under the leadership of President Buxton and given the simultaneous searches in progress for other significant leaders, the VP, CSSO will be a member of a newly developed leadership team for the College. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to re-shape Student, Engagement, Development, and Support and create a collaborative culture amongst the units in the division and across campus. The goal is to prioritize customer service, increase student success and retention, and transform student support services to a 21st century model representative of best practices.

The next VP, CSSO will have an extraordinary opportunity to develop and achieve goals and objectives that are transformative, forward-thinking, innovative, and complementary to President’s Buxton’s vision. The next VP, CSSO should be a proven leader capable of evaluating, assessing, and re-thinking Student, Engagement, Development, and Support to determine what is working and make changes that support greater staff effectiveness and optimize student success.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

The Vice President, Chief Student Services Officer (VP, CSSO) provides leadership for Student, Engagement, Development, and Support and plans, organizes, and directs the College’s enrollment, first-year experience, transition, student services, financial aid, public schools programs, community service, adult basic education, adult high school, high school equivalency, and developmental education programs. The VP, CSSO ensures that assigned functions fulfill College goals and objectives; supervises assigned staff; and provides executive-level support to the President and Board of Trustees. The VP, CSSO promotes student access, success, and persistence by providing senior leadership, direction, and coordination of all Student Engagement, Development, and Support activities and interests.

The VP, CSSO’s specific charge will include the following:

1. Vision and Direction: The VP, CSSO will provide vision and direction in developing, implementing, assessing, and revising strategic plans for policies and procedures that advance the College's mission and priorities to support a diverse body of students as they pursue their educational goals; lead the formulation and implementation of annual and long-range plans for student services, community service, public schools programs, student transitions, developmental education, and adult education, including program planning and assessment activities.
    
2. Collaboration: The VP, CSSO will work collaboratively with other senior leaders to provide leadership that fosters an environment focused on strategic goal attainment and success for all students.
    
3. Leadership: The VP, CSSO will provide leadership in the development and administration of annual budgets for assigned areas and will lead forecasting efforts for long-range resource needs; select, mentor/coach, motivate, and evaluate administrative staff; establish and monitor employee performance objectives; prepare and present employee performance reviews; provide or coordinate staff training; and work with employees to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with the College’s Core Values.
    
4. Enrollment Management: The VP, CSSO will supervise the coordination of student enrollment services, including registration and advising; and will develop, monitor, and maintain effective enrollment management and retention processes and procedures.
    
5. Administration: The VP, CSSO will maintain awareness of current developments in enrollment management, student services, adult education, higher education, and fields related to assigned functions; oversee the resolution of student grievances; administer student disciplinary procedures in accordance with College policies and procedures; interpret and analyze pertinent educational laws, legislation, policies, regulations, and procedures to ensure compliance and accurate reporting; serve on a variety of councils, committees, and task forces; and represent the College at community and external functions.
    

The College seeks a proven leader who:

• Understands and is committed to the role of student development in a learning environment;
   
• Develops and articulates a vision for enrollment management, student development, and support services and is able to motivate staff to achieve that vision;
   
• Collaborates with the College’s leadership team, especially the Vice President, Chief Academic Officer, to develop, sustain, and improve integrated systems that support student success;
   
• Develops, sustains, and improves a comprehensive and effective student services program for typical students at an urban community college, including at-risk and nontraditional students, minorities, students from low-income backgrounds, international students, and first-generation college students;
   
• Analyzes problems, identifies alternative solutions, predicts consequences of proposed actions, and implements recommendations in support of goals;
   
• Promotes cooperation through discussion and collaborative decision making;
   
• Identifies, selects, energizes, supervises, and evaluates effective administrative and support staff;
   
• Possesses strong interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and public relation skills;
   
• Manages multiple tasks, prioritizes effectively, and meets critical deadlines;
• Thinks creatively and puts ideas into action;
   
• Communicates clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, and makes effective presentations to a variety of audiences;
   
• Demonstrates understanding of and experience with integrated student information systems;
   
• Possesses high personal and professional integrity, discretion, and the ability to maintain confidentiality;
   
• Demonstrates understanding of and commitment to the philosophy, mission, and purpose of the North Carolina Community College System;
   
• Has at least five years of senior leadership experience in student development, student support services, or student affairs at a community college; and
   
• Has a master's degree in a discipline or program area offered by the College; a terminal degree in a related field is preferred.