Vice President of Academic Affairs

Our urban Lawrence campus is centered around the new, state-of-the-art $27 million El Hefni Health and Technology Center, as well as the recently renovated Dimitry classroom building, the Haffner-Fournier Education Center, and "The Hub," home to the Lawrence Partnership and Revolving Test Kitchen for aspiring restauranteurs.

NECC has also recently completed construction of the Lupoli Family Culinary Arts Institute at The Heights in downtown Haverhill, has become one of the largest providers of police education and training in Massachusetts through our NECC Police Academy, and is exploring a possible shared campus with Whittier Regional Vocational School.

Both campuses are a short drive to Boston and to the beaches and state parks along the coast and to nearby mountains, lakes, and ski resorts in Maine and New Hampshire.

NECC is a college with an organizational culture that prizes initiative and innovation, and seeks to identify and develop the strengths in students, faculty, staff, and programs in order to grow and improve. We are also committed to using evidence to guide our planning and decision-making, and to closing equity gaps in student success, wherever they exist.

These values are reflected in our Equity Imperative, the most important of our strategic plan goals; in our decade-long affiliation as a leader college with Achieving the Dream; in our work using Appreciative Inquiry for planning; and in the recent successful completion of our ten-year NECHE comprehensive self-evaluation for accreditation.

NECC offers comprehensive programs of study leading to an associate in arts degree, an associate in science degree, an associate in applied science degree and certificates of program completion. Students can select from over 60 different academic programs of study and a wide array of non-credit corporate and community education offerings.

NECC is an innovative college known for leading large-scale initiatives such as Massachusetts' statewide SUCCESS (Supporting Urgent Community College Equity through Student Services) program and helping to pass the state's new Tuition Equity Bill. We are also known for a number "firsts," like becoming the first federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in New England, the first community college in Massachusetts to offer Competency Based Education (CBE), and the first public school in the nation to offer a CBE degree in Early Childhood Education.


Job Description:

POSITION: Full-Time Vice President of Academic Affairs (Vice President): Academic Affairs; Haverhill and Lawrence Campuses; 37.5 hours per week; Non-Unit Professional Position

SUMMARY: The Vice President of Academic Affairs is the chief academic officer of the college and is responsible for the quality and administration of all certificate and degree instructional programs at all college locations. This position reports to the president and is a member of the president's leadership cabinet.

LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES

In the midst of significant challenges and changes confronting American higher education, NECC's vision, values, and strategic plan remain the foundation for our work, and we have more work to do.

Leadership and collaboration opportunities for the college's next Vice President of Academic Affairs include:

A Focus on Academic Affairs: After celebrating the naming of NECC's former provost to a presidency at another New England college and seeking feedback from faculty and staff about future leadership needs, Northern Essex is concurrently seeking a Vice President of Academic Affairs and a Vice President of Student Affairs to provide focused leadership and advocacy for both critically important areas of student experience and success.

Implementation of MassReconnect and MassEducate: Through MassReconnect, which provides free tuition and additional financial supports for students over 25 without a degree, and MassEducate, which offers similar benefits to nearly every other resident of the state, Massachusetts has joined more than thirty other states in the nation in offering Free Community College. As a result, after more than a decade of steadily declining enrollment, the state's fifteen community colleges have collectively seen a 20% increase over the last two years. While a tremendous benefit for students, Free Community College is also creating challenges and opportunities to improve recruitment and admissions systems, academic advising, financial aid processes, faculty and staff hiring, course scheduling, and a myriad of other important college operations.

The Equity Imperative: NECC's strategic plan is named "Success for All," because each and every one of our students deserves our full attention. And, like most community colleges across the country, NECC serves a large proportion of low-income, first generation, students of color. We were New England's first federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution in 2001, and half of our students are Latino, largely from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Although we narrowed equity gaps between our Latino and white students through our work with Achieving the Dream, Title V grants to improve Hispanic student success and other initiatives over the years, we never eliminated them. The COVID-19 pandemic widened the gaps again, and we are striving to close them.

Improving Degree Attainment in Our Gateway Cities: NECC has two campuses in two Massachusetts "Gateway Cities," Haverhill and Lawrence. While nearly half of adults in the state have a bachelor's degree or more, Making Massachusetts the most educated state in the nation, both cities, particularly Lawrence, lag significantly behind. A key priority in the college strategic plan is working with community partners to improve degree attainment in both Lawrence and Haverhill.

Employee Engagement: Like organizations everywhere, after a few years of significant pandemic-related workforce changes, NECC is focused on creating a strong sense of belonging among employees and across our campuses. As a strengths-based college, for the past two years we have been using the Gallup organization's Q12 Employee Engagement Survey to help assess and guide our work. Leaders across the college have the opportunity and are provided with resources to build strengths-based, engaged teams.

The Integrated Student Experience 2.0: Like many colleges across the country, several years ago NECC committed to implementing strategies from "Redesigning America's Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success," such as Guided Pathways, Meta Major Centers, reforms to developmental education and advising, and more. Some of these changes have led to important improvements, while others, confronting post-COVID expectations for expanded remote learning and support services and rapidly changing technological innovations, are being reconsidered as part of our "Integrated Student Experience 2.0" initiative.

Cross-College Collaboration: The most effective leaders at Northern Essex Community College are the leaders who are capable collaborators; the ones able to think and work flexibly toward the greater good, to be out in front and on point for a project one day and rolling up their sleeves to support someone else the next.

The opportunities for cross-college collaboration include working closely with NECC Student Affairs leadership and staff on the implementation of Free Community College and Integrated Student Experience 2.0 strategies; partnering effectively with NECC's Center for Corporate and Community Education on emerging new microcredentials and other non-credit offerings that can seamlessly articulate into credit certificate and degree programs; and contributing collegially as part of the college's senior leadership team to budgeting and resource development activities, including fundraising, grant writing, and strategic community partnerships.

Academic Innovations: As a college known for innovations and "firsts," NECC is constantly trying new things to improve the student experience and student success. Just a few of the new academic innovations underway that the next Vice President of Academic Affairs will have the opportunity to help shape include:

• Ensuring work-based learning opportunities in every degree program.
• Continuing the college's conversion from mostly Fall/Spring course scheduling to year-round offerings with more than ten starting times and a growing emphasis on 7.5 week semesters.
• Developing a comprehensive strategy for the college's growing Competency Based Education (CBE) offerings.
• Exploring apprentice degree offerings.
• Launching new certificate and degree programs based on demonstrated workforce needs, such as the emerging Surgical Technology Program.
• Solidifying non-credit to credit pathways.

VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

The characteristics listed below describe the ideal next Vice President of Academic Affairs at Northern Essex Community College. They are based on the Leadership and Collaboration Opportunities expressed above, as well as feedback from college faculty and staff:

The next Vice President of Academic Affairs will possess the following strengths:

• Be an experienced student-centered educator who recognizes the primary role of the teaching-learning process at a community college.
• Understand and embrace the comprehensive community college mission, including the importance of the Liberal Arts and transfer purpose, as well as professional credentialing, Early College opportunities, adult basic education, and more.
• Have a record of accomplishment as a teacher and a leader in higher education.
• A commitment to ensuring all students succeed.
• A commitment to the mission and needs of a Hispanic Serving Institution.
• Understand the "bigger picture" including how instruction and academic support relate to student services, finance, facilities, human resources, and other parts of the college.
• Demonstrate a positive leadership style and be a team builder who recognizes the multiple strengths and work styles in others and appreciates faculty and staff for their contributions.
• Ability to recruit and select an outstanding faculty and staff and foster ethical styles of leadership by demonstrating integrity, honesty, directness, humility and flexibility.
• Strong planning and budgeting skills.
• Highly collaborative.
• Action-oriented, data-driven, change agent.
• Experience with developing and effectively using learning outcomes at the course, program, and institutional level.
• Understanding of current classroom, online, and other forms of instructional technology needs and best practices.
• Demonstrated commitment to community involvement, including activities that maintain and strengthen NECC's image. Show success in maintaining existing relationships and strengthening new partnerships with businesses and community leaders.

Qualifications

PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT REVIEW APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED THROUGH MASSCAREERS. PLEASE APPLY VIA THE LINK BELOW:

https://necc.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=185641

Requirements:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• An advanced degree from an accredited college or university.
• Teaching experience in a higher education setting.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible leadership experience in a higher education setting.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience managing in a Collective bargaining environment.
• Bilingual (Spanish and English)
• Experience working with and supporting a culturally diverse population

BACKGROUND CHECK: Candidates will be required to pass a CORI and SORI check as a condition of employment.

Please note: This is a full-time, in-person position, with offices on Northern Essex Community College's Haverhill and Lawrence campuses. While the college offers some limited remote work opportunity, regular campus presence is expected for this visible, vital leadership role.


Additional Information:

SALARY: Anticipated starting salary commensurate with experience with complete fringe benefit package including competitive health insurance, dental insurance, basic life insurance, long-term disability insurance, paid sick, vacation and personal leave, educational benefits for employee/spouse/dependents, and excellent retirement benefits.

ANTICIPATED START DATE: ASAP


Application Instructions:

TO APPLY: To be considered for this position click on the "Apply Now" button, you will be prompted to set up a new account or login to an existing account. You will be able to upload the following required documents for consideration:

• Cover Letter, describing your qualifications and/or how you may be best suited for the role
• Resume/CV

Applicant screening will begin on March 7th and will continue until the position is filled.

Please note that finalist candidates will be asked to provide contact information for three (3) professional references, including current supervisor (or at least two previous supervisors)

DEADLINE: Open until filled

Northern Essex Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statues and college policies. The College prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual violence. Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or sexual violence shall be referred to the College's Affirmative Action Officer/Title IX Coordinator, Elizabete Trelegan (Assistant Director of Human Resources, B-219,978-556-3928/ etrelegan@necc.mass.edu), the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. Northern Essex Community College will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Prospective employees are encouraged to review the College's Annual Security Report (ASR), in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which can be found on the disclosure page of the College's website at: http://www.necc.mass.edu/clery