Assistant Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs

The University of California San Diego seeks a student-centered, innovative leader to serve as its next Assistant Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs (AVC-SA).

Reporting to the vice chancellor of student affairs, the inaugural AVC-SA will shape and lead a new, centralized team lead dedicated to student advocacy, support and care. This individual will bring together three areas - Student Affairs Case Management Services (SACMS); Office of Student Conduct; and Assessment Evaluation & Organizational Development (AEOD) – to form a team similar to the dean of students model utilized on many campuses.

Since its founding in 1960 as a forward-thinking institution for graduate and undergraduate study, UC San Diego has grown to become one of the most prominent research universities in the world, poised to achieve Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) status this year and currently an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and possesses a culture of collaboration that sparks discoveries that advance society and drive economic impact. U.S. News & World Report recognized UC San Diego as one of the top 10 public universities. Washington Monthly ranked it as the sixth best public university in the nation for contributions to social mobility, research and public service. In the Fall of 2021, UC San Diego welcomed nearly 43,000 students with 33,343 undergraduates and 9,532 graduate and professional students across 10 divisions and professional schools. With a $16.5 billion economic impact in California, UC San Diego is an academic powerhouse and economic engine, committed to ensuring a dynamic ecosystem for collaboration.

The founders of UC San Diego had one criterion for the campus: it must be distinctive. The Undergraduate College system at UC San Diego is one of these unique differentiators in the personalization of the undergraduate experience. Upon admission, each undergraduate is matched to one of seven colleges, each with its own unique theme that extends to its General Education requirements and student life programming. Each college brings together aspects of academics, student affairs and residential life to deliver general education, advising, co-curricular programming and student support to approximately 5,000 students, about a quarter to a third of whom live in the college. Through the undergraduate colleges, students live and learn in a close-knit community similar to a small, liberal arts college with access to all the advantages of a large Tier 1 research university: internationally renowned faculty; tailored support services and advising; research opportunities; academic and professional internships; and state-of-the-art facilities, laboratories, libraries and amenities.

It is within this context that Student Affairs, a division of nearly 375 full-time professional staff and 2,400 student employees, provides wrap-around services, resources and opportunities to all UC San Diego students within the Undergraduate College system as well as across the Graduate and Professional Schools, striving to create an inclusive and collaborative student-centered university that champions student success and well-being within a global society. The new AVC-SA team will work in partnership with the Division of Undergraduate Education and the student affairs teams within each of the seven (soon to be eight) Undergraduate Colleges to deliver measurable outcomes that improve student health, well-being and overall undergraduate student experience through the co-creation and co-coordination of annual co-curricular initiatives, programs and activities. Toward these goals, the AVC-SA will facilitate ongoing communication, information sharing, program development, implementation, assessment and evaluation of identified partnership initiatives.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced, collaborative and student-centered individual with the creativity and innovative spirit to shape and lead a new, centralized team dedicated to student advocacy, support and care. The inaugural AVC-SA will be skilled in understanding and utilizing proven strategies to navigate complex organizational structures and hold a deep commitment to relational leadership, creative problem solving and thinking and commitment to continually enhancing a seamless student experience. The AVC-SA will demonstrate exceptional administrative, financial, managerial and political acumen and possess a broad knowledge of contemporary student affairs issues and trends. The AVC-SA will also display integrity, transparency and courage in behavior and decisions and demonstrate a deep commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion as a strategic priority. A doctoral degree and a proven record of broad and progressive leadership responsibilities in dean of students, student advocacy and/or crisis management roles are strongly preferred.

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as three separate documents, a CV or resume, a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile and a diversity statement (see Contributions to Diversity for more information). Professional references are not requested at this time.

WittKieffer is assisting the University of California San Diego in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by September 7, 2022. Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer's candidate portal:
https://candidateportal.wittkieffer.com/description?jobID=23806

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Jen Meyers Pickard, Ph.D. and Darrien Davenport, Ed.D. at UCSD-AVC@wittkieffer.com.

The University of California San Diego is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Diversity is a defining feature of the University of California, which embraces it as a source of strength. Differences — of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, socioeconomic status, abilities, experience and more —enhance the university's ability to achieve its core missions of public service, teaching, and research. UC welcomes faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and wants everyone at UC to feel respected and valued.

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