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Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion



(posted 11/16/20)

Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (VPDEI).

About Hollins University:

Hollins is an independent, liberal arts university offering undergraduate education for women and selected graduate programs for men and women. Founded in 1842 as Virginia’s oldest chartered women’s college, Hollins provides abundant opportunities to students for research, study abroad, and leadership training, and provides access to real-world experience through internships around the globe supported by an extensive alumnae network.

Hollins is an equal opportunity employer, and is strongly committed to promoting diversity and inclusiveness at every level of the university. Persons of all genders, persons with disabilities, and persons of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

About the position:

Reporting directly to the President, and serving on her Cabinet, the VPDEI provides leadership to ensure Hollins University is continuously working toward a campus environment and student outcomes that foster belonging, and are inclusive, equitable, and reflective of its loftiest ideals as expressed in itsmission as a residential, liberal arts community.

While excellent visionary, facilitation, change management, and leadership skills are expected, this position will also directly engage with students, faculty, and staff to provide programming and create new opportunities for deep and sustained inclusive engagement and experiences. The ability to develop effective ongoing dialogue and collaboration with multiple and diverse constituents is an essential quality.

It is the expectation of the campus community that this position will:

Connect: The VPDEI will be someone who is able to proactively engage, communicate with, and inspire constituents across campus, from its most senior faculty to its newest staff members, from its diverse students to its highly visible trustees. The VPDEI will ensure Hollins provides an inclusive experience for all of the students and employees it serves. They will bring with them credentials, experiences, and a personal manner that facilitates this breadth of authentic engagement across the campus.

Build: The VPDEI will – in collaboration with the President, Cabinet, and the broader campus community – build the structures, processes, policies, and assessment measures necessary to center inclusion within the institution and to ensure all community members have the needed foundational knowledge and support to be inclusive in their daily work. The position will work closely with campus constituents to facilitate, benchmark, and implement an inclusion plan that outlines and achieves success for everyone in the Hollins community.

Facilitate: By developing needed structures and processes, along with a dynamic process of educating the community, the VPDEI will facilitate an environment that equips people across campus to lead with inclusive excellence at the forefront of their thinking and action. The community will learn from the VPDEI how to move the institution forward and then do the work alongside the VPDEI.

Advocate: The VPDEI will not only help the community to understand best practices as they relate to inclusion, diversity, equity, and justice, but they will also advocate for and lead change management initiatives in order to implement those practices across the campus. In addition, they will also advocate for those community members who need support, and be a trusted resource in the face of challenging moments.

Support and Lead Change: The VPDEI will support the community as a whole, as well as individuals, on their journey to become inclusive, actively work towards justice, and enable the institution to be equitable in action and will.

A visionary leader is needed to help Hollins become a transformative and inclusive institution:

The successful candidate must be an exceptional visionary and able to attend to the details of implementing multiple, complex strategies. Personally, this leader must be able to engage with all constituents openly, supportively, and with an eye toward how every encounter facilitates Hollins becoming a transformative and inclusive institution.

It is expected that the VPDEI will:

  • Be a passionate educator, able to lead all members of the community in an institution-wide professional development effort focused on inclusion, diversity, and equity.
  • Identify and support the implementation of best practices and the deconstruction of barriers to inclusion-related student success.
  • Partner with Academic Affairs to support inclusive faculty professional development that ensures the academic enterprise is a model of inclusive pedagogy.
  • Partner with Student Affairs to support inclusion in all areas of students’ experiences and to enhance student belonging.
  • Partner with administrative leadership, as well as Human Resources, to facilitate the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty and staff.
  • Oversee, support, and coordinate the work of several committees, programs, offices, and individuals currently addressing issues of inclusion and diversity on campus.
  • Provide leadership for their team, and ensure the DEI work and organizational structure are aligned in order to maximize impact.
  • Work with student leadership groups to develop their ability to advocate for inclusion and to lead inclusively.
  • Establish robust metrics to track progress in achieving inclusion goals.
  • In partnership with Institutional Advancement, identify and solicit external funding to support inclusion on campus and within the surrounding region.
  • Develop and supervise a team of student, faculty, and staff Equity Ambassadors to support the work of the VPDEI.


Required qualifications :

  • A master’s degree in a field related to the goals of the position
  • Proven success as a leader, with experience appropriate to a highly visible senior leadership role
  • Minimum of seven years of recent and relevant experience as an educator
  • Fluency in the principles and language of equity, inclusivity, diversity, justice, and anti-racism as they relate to higher education
  • Evidence of building and managing successful partnerships with faculty or other thought leaders
  • Experience working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders to facilitate change and as an organizational change agent and planner
  • Proven success at (1) engaging multiple campus constituents and (2) building strong, collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, and students
  • Demonstrated expertise in building an inclusive community that provides enhanced outcomes for all community members
  • Experience utilizing data to inform planning and decision-making with a results-oriented mindset
  • Impeccable interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written, and strong emotional intelligence
  • Ability to lead, manage, and motivate diverse constituent perspectives
  • Proven success at responding with compassion, care, and an educative lens during moments of crisis
  • Passion for the values of a residential, liberal arts education for students
  • Experience with large event planning in order to continue Hollins’ annual Leading Equity, Diversity, and Justice Day
  • Ability to manage confidential and sensitive matters
  • Ability and willingness to work evenings and weekends


Preferred qualifications :

  • Doctoral degree strongly preferred
  • Experience in a residential, liberal arts higher education institution
  • External grant writing experience


Hollins’ commitment to this position:

As a community, Hollins will ensure that the VPDEI is provided with the human and financial resources deemed necessary to do their job effectively. Similarly, the university will work to prepare its community members, physical space, and structures to enable the VPDEI not only to perform their duties but to thrive. A position profile, which includes additional information about the role and the university, is availableonline .

Application instructions:

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, salary requirement, and contact information for five references toinclusion@hollins.edu . Candidates should include in their cover letters a demonstrated interest in and understanding of Hollins University, and evidence of how their experience and skills can help make the institution a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus community. Review of applications will begin January 4, 2021, and will continue until the position is filled.

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