Vice President for Instruction and Learning

Dutchess Community College (DCC), part of the State University of New York, the largest comprehensive public higher education system in the country, welcomes applications for the position of Vice President for Instruction and Learning. The College, which was recently honored among Campus Pride's “Top 8 Community Colleges Leading the Way” for LGBTQ inclusion, is dedicated to respecting individuality, embracing diversity, and partnering with the community to achieve shared goals. The College seeks a Vice President who is eager to support the institution's values of excellence, access, diversity, collaboration and accountability, and who is passionate about engaging both students and the community.

 

 

 

The Position: Reporting to the President, the Vice President for Instruction and Learning is the College’s chief academic officer. This individual is responsible for all curricula and instruction matters, faculty, and personnel, as well as for managing the College’s academic budget. The position has broad responsibility across the College for delivering education at all levels and advancing the educational priorities of the College’s roadmap, “Our Next 10,” the strategic plan to achieve DCC’s greatest aspirations.

 

 

 

The Vice President injects innovation, distinctive pedagogies, and engaging models of teaching and learning to revolutionize the educational experience at DCC and provides leadership to academic initiatives, including Title III grant-funded projects. The Vice President provides the academic leadership necessary to achieve the highest standards of teaching, learning, scholarship, and student success at each of the College’s locations. The Vice President stewards organizational change that will improve efficiency with the delivery of academic programs as well as the sound integration of academic and administrative resources. All academic departments and the Associate Deans of Instruction and Learning report to the Vice President.

 

 

 

The Vice President is a strategic thinker in creating new opportunities for economic and workforce development, literacy and education for High School Equivalency, and English as a second language participants.

 

 

 

The Institution: Dutchess Community College enrolls approximately 3,000 full-time and 5,000 part-time students with a 21:1 student-faculty ratio. DCC, which has one of the lowest tuition rates in the state, awards A.S., A.A., and A.A.S. degrees and certificates through almost 60 programs in an enriching, student-centered environment. The College offers quality and value for students interested in starting a four-year degree at an acclaimed two-year school, as well as those pursuing a career track. DCC offers one of the best educational values of any college or university in the state: $2,225 per semester for full-time students. One-third of college-bound Dutchess County public high school graduates attend DCC and students who graduate in the top 10% of their Dutchess County high school may attend DCC tuition-free through the Charles and Mabel Conklin Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Students give the College high marks for helpful and accessible faculty and outstanding support services, and DCC students are consistently recognized for academic excellence by the Chancellor of the SUNY system.

 

 

 

Dutchess Community College’s main campus is situated on 130 acres in Poughkeepsie, NY. The College’s contemporary facilities, outstanding faculty, and abundant student activities create a lively, engaging, collaborative community that fosters personal and academic growth. DCC has been recognized for its beautiful campus, interior and exterior artwork installations, and impressive teaching and learning environment. An overwhelming majority of students give the College high marks for its academic facilities. Eleven buildings feature state-of-the-art technology and amenities for student comfort and convenience. Facilities include two television studios for communications students, a nursing laboratory, a 3D printing space, and a day care center and nursery school that provide field training for early education students. Additional facilities include a contemporary library, student lounge, dining hall, art gallery, theatre, gym, fitness center, athletic fields, and a 472-bed suite-style residence hall that offers a living and learning community for those seeking an on-campus housing experience.

 

 

 

In addition to the Poughkeepsie campus, DCC has three additional locations – DCC @ Fishkill, DCC @ HVR Airport, and DCC @ the Family Partnership Center.

 

 

• DCC @ Fishkill, opened in 2021 and located at the intersection of Route 9 and Interstate 84, is a 47,000 square-foot state-of-the-art learning environment. The cutting-edge location features a computational multi-purpose design lab, science labs, flexible office spaces, and digitally equipped “smart” classrooms.

 

• DCC @ HVR Airport, the College’s aviation education center, also opened in 2021 and is home to the College’s pilot, aviation maintenance, and aviation management programs. Located on the grounds of Hudson Valley Regional Airport in Wappingers Falls, the 31,800 square-foot center features advanced aircraft simulators, experiential and teaching laboratory hangars, and ample classroom space.

 

• DCC @ the FPC, opened in 2016 and located at the Family Partnership Center in the City of Poughkeepsie, provides convenient community access to essential programs and services including English as a Second Language classes and High School Equivalency programs, as well as information and guidance to those interested in the College.

 

 

Dutchess was the first college in the state to offer a comprehensive, jointly registered transfer program in teacher education (with SUNY New Paltz), covering birth through twelfth grade. The Falcons baseball team is the first community college team ever to go to the Division III World Championships for three years in a row. For more information, please visit www.sunydutchess.edu/aboutdcc.

 

 

 

Qualifications: The successful candidate will be a dynamic, visionary, and thoughtful leader with a clear and compelling understanding of DCC’s vision and the future of community colleges throughout the country. They will have experience in building, leading, and creating an inclusive environment as well as have a track record of positive outcomes in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The successful candidate will be experienced with accreditation and committed to leadership through shared governance and collaboration. The Vice President will have a strong planning orientation with the ability to serve as a strategic partner and advisor to the President and work collaboratively with other leaders on the team as well as the Board of Trustees. The Vice President will be able to think strategically, communicate effectively, and bring teams together around a shared vision for the future grounded in student success. An earned doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree from an accredited institution is required.

 

 

 

Location: Dutchess Community College is located in Poughkeepsie, at the center of New York’s beautiful and historic Hudson River Valley. Just 90 miles south of Albany and 80 miles north of Manhattan, the area is renowned for historic landmarks – including the home and museum of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-Kill retreat, and the Samuel Morse estate. The region also features scenic hiking and biking trails including the Walkway over the Hudson, restaurants, festivals, and educational institutions including Vassar College, Marist College, SUNY New Paltz, and the Culinary Institute of America. DCC is close to the majestic Hudson River and easily accessible by Metro-North and Amtrak train service. Shopping malls, movie theaters, an ice-skating rink, and other recreational activities are within a short drive. For more information, please visit www.cityofpoughkeepsie.com.

 

 

 

Application: Interested candidates should submit only a cover letter and resume to RPA Inc. at DutchessVPIL@rpainc.org. For a confidential discussion about this opportunity or to make a nomination, please email Isaac Karaffa, Vice President and Senior Consultant, or Dana John Cohick, President, at the email address listed above. The review of candidates will begin on October 3, 2022, and first-round interviews will commence thereafter.

 

 

 

 

 

Dutchess Community College is an AA/EOE employer. As part of the State University of New York (SUNY), in its continuing effort to seek equity in education and employment, and in support of federal and state anti-discrimination legislation, has adopted a policy to provide an educational and employment environment free from unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction.