Associate Dean of Academic and Student Services, Vail Valley at Edwards

About Colorado Mountain College

Imagine working at a college that welcomes everyone — students, faculty, staff, and community members — regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or traditions. An institution that is also integrally connected to, appreciated by, and supported by those same communities.

Envision yourself at a dynamic, innovative, forward-leaning college that has a highly entrepreneurial spirit and deep commitment to every learner – from first-generation college students and new-traditional and adult learners to academically motivated students seeking a more traditional liberal arts education – all within a robust and highly personalized learning environment.

Visualize applying your energy and skills for an organization that respects and cares about its employees enough to offer competitive compensation and benefits while encouraging every team member to renew and recharge in places of inspiration, reflection, and world-class outdoor recreation.

Welcome to Colorado Mountain College and its eleven campus locations sprinkled across a spectacular region of Colorado’s central Rocky Mountains.

Our vision

Colorado Mountain College aspires to be the most inclusive and innovative student-centered college in the nation, elevating the economic, social, cultural, and environmental vitality of its beautiful Rocky Mountain communities.

The college

CMC is a comprehensive, public, open-access dual-mission institution offering 136 academic programs ranging from specialized certificates to associate and bachelor’s degrees, a wide range of online, non-credit and lifelong learning courses, as well as extensive concurrent enrollment opportunities in close partnership with neighboring school districts.

Over 15,000 students attend CMC annually, and 40% of degree-seeking students earn a certificate or degree every year. The college’s Latinx enrollment has doubled in six years to 27%, making CMC eligible for federal Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status. CMC courses are highly personal and many are highly experiential by design, each with a maximum registration of 25 students.

Colorado Mountain College campuses are located in Aspen, Carbondale, Breckenridge, Dillon, Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, Glenwood Springs-Spring Valley, Leadville, Rifle, the Vail Valley, and Salida. Of these locations, three are residential—Spring Valley, Leadville, and Steamboat Springs — and students in Breckenridge have access to college-owned off-campus housing. CMC campuses are close-knit communities, on average serving between 1,000 – 2,000 students.

The majority of the college’s financial support comes from local property taxes, not tuition or state revenues. Consequently, CMC is uniquely positioned to be entrepreneurial, nimble, mission-focused, and responsive to community and workforce needs. The college’s Central Services administrative office, which provides administrative support to all campus locations, is located in historic downtown Glenwood Springs, the town from which CMC originally launched in 1965.

Colorado Mountain College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and authorized by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. For general information about CMC, its programs, locations, students, faculty, and offerings, go to: www.coloradomtn.edu .

Our commitment to an environment where everyone belongs

Our college and beloved mountain communities are enriched by a variety of voices and experiences.

At Colorado Mountain College, we continually work to improve learning and working environments that welcome everyone. We are deeply committed to promoting a free and open exchange of ideas, improving critical thinking, deepening mutual empathy and respect, and ensuring that every learner and team member has equal opportunities for personal and professional success.

The college prioritizes the recruitment, hiring and retaining of a highly engaged workforce that reflects and supports the backgrounds, characteristics and aspirations of the students enrolled at the college. CMC therefore values applicants who demonstrate prior accomplishments, training, and a commitment to the concepts of inclusive and equitable practices, as well as an understanding of historic and current social issues that impact groups of different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

CMC employees enjoy regular opportunities to raise their awareness about pressing societal issues, develop individual critical thinking skills, and expand their understanding of and empathy toward others regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or other factors. Our goal is to deliver highly personalized teaching methods and effective student support services that enable students to achieve their goals, regardless of academic or financial barriers.

Applicants to Colorado Mountain College must demonstrate a commitment and competence to work effectively with students, employees, and community members of all backgrounds.

For more information about CMC, go to: www.coloradomtn.edu .

The Position

Under the general direction of the Campus Vice President, the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Services is responsible for the delivery of services that provide support and guidance to students in accessing and successfully completing their academic goals. Creates and implements policies and system that fulfill the mission of the campus.

This position oversees faculty and staff, curricula, assessment outcomes and evaluation of student learning; coordinates degree and certificate programs with Academic Affairs; administers and evaluates faculty workload; develops and manages related budgets. The Associate Dean may serve as Campus Dean in his or her absence.

The position provides focused leadership of a team of student services professionals in student life, financial aid, academic advising, counseling, disabilities services and registration and enrolment. The Associate Dean is responsible for implementing the student affairs related aspects of the campus strategic initiatives and driving continual innovation in the way the campus serves its students. In particular the campus is focused on diversity goals and the Associate Dean must have the ability to add value to the work of increasing enrollment and retention of a diverse student body through both leadership and followership.

The position also works on projects across the college and must possess the knowledge and interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with students, administrators, faculty, facilities professionals and partnering agencies. The campus provides wraparound services for students with varying levels of academic preparedness, and finding ways to continually improve those services using researched models is a key competency of the position.

View/download job description including hiring salary range: Associate Dean of Academic and Student Services

Pre-Requisites for the Position (Qualifications Standards)

Education and experience sufficient to meet the rigors of the position, such as a Master’s degree from an accredited institution that meet Graduate level qualifications. Four years of combined experience in academic and student services. Including, but not limited to, combinations of experience in teaching in a higher education setting, supervision of academic programs and instruction, supervision of counselors/advisors, student adjudication, course scheduling. Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusivity are essential. Master’s degree and two years teaching experience in a higher education setting and two years of experience in academic administration or in a similar leadership position that includes curriculum design and implementation, faculty and program supervision, departmental management or other similar experience or equivalent education and experience that will provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the functions of the position.

Experience with a concentration in academic, student services administration, accounting, finance, personnel, or general administration; and four years of combined experience with a community college preferred. Academic and Student Services preferred.

Knowledge of: current principles, practices, and trends in higher education and business administration; state and federal laws, regulations and codes governing same; and trends and developments in technology that support areas of responsibility.

Ability to facilitate cooperation through discussion and consensus-building; analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions and implement recommendations in support of organizational goals; implement policy to effect afunctional administrative delivery system; ability to provide leadership in order to implement institutional and divisional goals; communicate effectively orally and in writing; establish cooperative working relationships in the course of performing assigned duties; manage and lead others; multi-task, problem solve, and make appropriate decisions.

Welcoming. Innovative. Focused on Student Success. These principles reflect the soul of CMC. They guide us in building our teams, cultivating leaders, and expanding our approaches and mindset. They guide us to be an institution of higher education that’s the right fit for every faculty member, staff, student, and community member in its trust. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to working effectively with students, employees, and community members of all backgrounds.

Bilingual (English/Spanish) or conversational language abilities are preferred.

To Apply: Please submit the required letter of interest, resume, and list of three professional references. CMC is an EOE committed to diversifying its workforce.

External Applicants: Apply Online

Internal Applicants: Please proceed to the HR page of Basecamp or by searching in Learning Hub for instructions on applying for a full time position as an internal applicant.

Review of application material will begin March 15, 2021.