[C22-064] Associate Vice President for Marketing & Communications

Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) seeks an innovative, knowledgeable, and experienced marketing and communication leader to be their next Associate Vice President for Marketing & Communications. CCSU invites expressions of interest, nominations, and applications.

Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, this management-level position serves as a trusted partner and strategic advisor to the President and her executive team. The Associate Vice President oversees the development and implementation of a comprehensive and collaborative communications, marketing and public relations programs including the coordination of both internal and external press, advertising, print, television and radio promotions, website design, social media, as well as the production of marketing materials.

The Associate Vice President manages both the President’s communications as well as the University’s profile, serving as the point of contact to the public and the media regarding high profile, current events, and general university issues. In collaboration with the Board of Regents for Higher Education, internal and external stakeholders as well as other Executive Branch officials, this position coordinates and strengthens external relations with the University’s various constituencies, including current and prospective students, corporate and community leaders, legislators, and government officials, alumni, parents, and the media.

The Associate Vice President provides leadership in planning, developing, and implementing new and innovative marketing and promotion strategies, advertising and outreach campaigns as well as establishing guidelines and standards for use of the University’s images, logos and other mediums and platforms. This position supervises Institutional Marketing, Communications, Media Services and other professional and support staff.

The ideal candidate will have broad demonstrated experience in public relations, marketing and strategic communications in executive, higher education or public service-governmental settings.

The incumbent will be required to work in person, on campus and may be required to work evenings, weekends, and some travel.

Required Qualifications and Characteristics

The Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications will be a bold and energetic individual with a proven record of progressively responsible leadership in marketing and communications, preferably with some experience in public higher education.

The Associate Vice President must possess significant knowledge, skills and abilities in communications, marketing and public relations including media in all forms present and emerging, data analysis and budget management. The incumbent must possess the demonstrated ability to manage strategic marketing and communications plans and to both supervise and direct the work of professional and support staff as well as independent contractors and vendors. The incumbent must possess a comprehensive understanding of the role played by marketing and information technology in effective recruitment and advancement of programs

Most importantly, the Associate Vice President must possess the passion and commitment to the current and future success of the University, its students, faculty and staff. Other key qualifications include:

• A Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, administration, communications, or other closely related field;
• Seven (7) years professional experience in marketing, communications, and public relations;
• Supervisory experience in marketing, communications, and public relations;
• Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communications, organizational and presentational skills; and demonstrated organizational skills.

Preference will be given to candidates who have the following:

• An advanced degree in marketing, public relations, administration, communications or other closely related field;
• Professional experience in marketing, public relations, recruitment, or enrollment management in a higher education setting;
• Demonstrated success working in a collective-bargaining environment.

Central Connecticut State University

CCSU is a campus community focused on students and their educational development. The low student/faculty ratio allows for close interaction with faculty and individual attention to students. The average class size is 25; no classes are taught by graduate students. The faculty serve as teachers, mentors, advisers, and research partners with students.

The University offers a four-year interdisciplinary honors program to eligible students in any of the undergraduate schools. The program requires two four-credit courses per semester during the first two years and a capstone honors thesis during the junior year. All honors courses are team-taught. Honors students are eligible for a $4500 scholarship which is renewable for up to three years.

CCSU students have a variety of opportunities to do individual research with the guidance of a faculty member, both during the year and over the summer. The University has an annual research day where students of all disciplines can present their research or creative activity. The University awards travel support for the best work in each academic area so that students can present their work at national meetings such as the National Council for Undergraduate Research.

CCSU also has a robust commitment to community service. The University provides a variety of service opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. Options include service-learning courses, service projects, and volunteering. The Office of Community Engagement works collaboratively with the Community Engagement Committee, a standing committee of the Faculty Senate consisting of faculty and staff committed to community engagement. In 2016, the Community Engagement Committee was awarded the first CT Campus Compact Campus Leadership Award in recognition of its efforts to foster more community engagement activity by CCSU faculty and students. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized CCSU’s work by designating it a Community Engagement Institution; CCSU was also selected for the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Reflecting the growing diversity of Connecticut, CCSU is an increasingly diverse campus. The largest minority groups in the student body are Hispanic/Latino (15.7 percent), Black/African-American (11.8 percent), and Asian (4.6 percent). Hispanic/Latino students and Black/African-American students have both increased significantly in number over the past several years. Seventeen per cent of the faculty are people of color: Asian 4.7, Black/African American 5.6, and Hispanic/Latino 3.7. Twenty-three percent of the staff are people of color: Asian 3.3, Black/African American 9.1, and Hispanic/Latino 9.3. CCSU offers a variety of academic and co-curricular programs that support diverse students and offer them opportunities to explore the many cultures and issues that are important to our increasingly multicultural society.

Adding to campus diversity are the University's international programs and activities supported by the George R. Muirhead Center for International Education (CIE). Founded in 1987 as a state-wide center for excellence in international education, the CIE has established a number of community and university partnerships around the globe. It also offers both short-term, faculty-led programs, as well as semester- and year-long programs. The CIE is also home to the Intensive English Language Program. CCSU enrolls international students in both degree- and non-degree programs. During the past ten years, CCSU has become a more residential campus. Fifty-seven percent of first year students live on campus. CCSU offers its students a full range of clubs and activities, including musical groups; academic, honorary, and special interest clubs and societies; dance and theatre groups; student government; various student-run media; campus ministry; and social fraternities and sororities. As CCSU has become more residential, the level of student activity has increased, making the campus more vibrant.

At the same time, a large portion of CCSU’s students are commuters, many of them balancing their academic work with family obligations and full-time employment. CCSU values its commuter students, recognizes their special needs, and makes every effort to integrate them into campus life.

The Central Connecticut Blue Devils, an NCAA Division I athletics program, competes in the Northeast Conference, offers intercollegiate competition in seven men's sports and nine women's sports. CCSU students are offered a variety of recreation, fitness, and wellness options, including 25+ intramural activities and club sports, a C.J. Huang Recreation Center and a variety of wellness and fitness classes.

For more information about Central Connecticut State University, please visit www.ccsu.edu

Application and Appointment: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Priority review will begin on September 16, 2022.

To begin the application process please visit the CCSU HR Job Opportunities at https://www.ccsu.edu/hr/faculty-management-admin.html. Select job [C22-064]
Associate Vice President for Marketing & Communications and click on the Apply button and submit the following documents:

• Letter of Interest addressing the qualifications for this position
• Current résumé
• Names of three current professional references with title, email addresses and telephone numbers

Candidates selected for interview may be asked to provide additional information.

Compensation and Benefits

The Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications is compensated at the Executive 1 salary level in accordance with the CSCU Human Resources Policies for Management and Confidential Professional Personnel. Salary ranges from $128,862 to $193,294.

Incumbent salary is commensurate with education and experience as administered in the above noted policy. For additional information regarding compensation procedures, please select the above link.

The State of Connecticut and CCSU are proud to offer its employees competitive wages and a wide range of fringe benefits including voluntary and supplemental benefits.

Fringe benefits include personal, vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, medical, dental, and prescription plans, group life insurance, a choice of retirement plans, retirement health care, tuition waiver for employee and eligible dependents at any of the Connecticut State Universities (CCSU, Eastern, Southern or Western), as well as an array of voluntary and supplemental benefits, such as Deferred Retirement Compensation plans, Dependent Care Assistance and Medical Flexible spending accounts, long term and short term disability plans.

For more detailed information, please visit CCSU Human Resources

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Mailed applications will not be accepted.

Please redact any personally identifiable information (i.e., Social Security number, date of birth, marital status, country of origin) from any documents submitted. Please ensure your Social Security Number is not listed on any documents submitted.

For more information, contact Dr. Carmen Veloria, Search Committee Chair, at 860-832-2225 or veloriac@ccsu.edu.

As an affirmative action employer, Central Connecticut State University actively seeks and encourages applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.