Chief Diversity Officer for Institutional Equity and Inclusion

Company Description:

SUNY Empire State proudly serves 16,000 students through online, hybrid, and in-person instruction across New York state, the region, and the world. Established in 1971 as the innovative branch of the State University of New York, SUNY Empire is a recognized national leader in serving working adults - including parents, veterans, and military-affiliates - through flexible programs that meet workforce needs and provide support through mentoring and prior learning assessment. The institution offers a broad range of associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and certificate programs and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. SUNY Empire's 94,000 alumni are entrepreneurs, nurses, teachers, businesspeople, and leaders in their communities and their fields. Visit www.esc.edu and follow us on social media @SUNYEmpire. 

SUNY Empire is committed to creating a multicultural, inclusive academic and work environment. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We believe that having diverse faculty and staff is critical to academic excellence and prepares students to live and work in an increasingly global world.

Job Description:

SUNY Empire State seeks an accomplished, dynamic and visionary leader for the position of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) for Institutional Equity and Inclusion. Ours is an institution with an abiding commitment to educational access, diversity, equity, and inclusion. As such, we seek an individual with a deep understanding and appreciation of the role played by higher education to build an inclusive, equitable society and the challenges involved in doing the work of equity and inclusion within an educational environment. Reporting to the president and serving on the president's cabinet, the successful candidate will strategize and collaborate with stakeholders within the institutional community to ensure that we continue to make strides in building a healthy climate and culture in which the rich diversity of our students, faculty, professional employees, and staff is welcome, celebrated, and appreciated. 

The CDO will serve as an integrating partner with students, faculty, staff, college committees, and external stakeholders to support and enhance our college values of equity, inclusion, and respect. The CDO will have the opportunity to make a significant impact while leading the college in developing, executing, and evaluating a comprehensive strategy that supports faculty, staff, and student success through purposeful educational opportunities, initiatives, and inclusive hiring and retention practices.

To achieve inclusive excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion must be infused across the institution. As such, the CDO will collaborate with all functional areas, including academic affairs, advancement, communications, enrollment, human resources, IT, and marketing.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Chief Diversity Officer for Institutional Equity and Inclusion will lead a college community already committed to creating avenues that define, assess, and promote diverse and inclusive excellence, educational opportunity, and cultural proficiency. The CDO will work across the college to further enhance its vibrancy and consistency for all members of the institutional community and across all aspects of the SUNY Empire State experience. While it is expected that this work will be flexible and both proactive and reactive as opportunities arise, specific duties include:

• Serving as a strategist for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and building awareness of diversity and inclusiveness as an indicator of institutional excellence
• Serving as a leadership resource, promoting a healthy working, studying and learning environment for all SUNY Empire State constituents
• Collaborating with academic affairs, enrollment management and student services to continually improve the recruitment and retention of a diverse student population
• Working with the president and AVP of Human Resources on the appropriate alignment of the college's affirmative action and Title IX reporting and compliance efforts
• Partnering with human resources on workplace best practices for hiring, recruitment, development and retention efforts supporting diversity and inclusion for faculty, administration and staff
• Providing leadership and vision for diversity and inclusion initiatives to align them with college priorities
• Working with decision support, affirmative action, Title IX and ADA staff to develop metrics and procedures to track institutional trends and increase accountability through qualitative and quantitative assessments of diversity and equity programs, policies, and services
• Collaborating with academic affairs and faculty development to support the infusion of diversity across the college curricula
• Overseeing the strategic planning and implementation of formal and informal interactions and collaborative activities throughout the college community that nurture and cultivate diversity, inclusion, and pluralism
• Playing a leadership role in obtaining external funding in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives

Requirements:

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate degree from an accredited institution
• Progressive experience developing and executing programs and partnerships that enhance diversity, inclusion, and pluralism for students, faculty, and staff
• Three years of administrative experience that includes significantly influential decision-making
• Demonstrated knowledge of promising and best practices related to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in a higher education environment
• Demonstrated ability to lead collaboratively and to influence and inspire others

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated cross-cultural competencies, including a record of working successfully with diverse stakeholders
• Significant experience with federal and state laws, regulations, and guidelines related to affirmative action, Title IX and their trends within higher education
• Record of evidence-based decision-making and data-informed program delivery
• Knowledge of and experience with grant writing and external funding

Special Information:

• This position is located in Saratoga Springs, NY
• This position may involve occasional travel
• VISA sponsorship is not available for this position

Additional Information:

Rank/Salary: $110,000+, commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

Empire State College is an EOE employer.

We are pleased to offer our employees a generous compensation and benefits package. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff, as well as faculty-development opportunities that encourage pursuit of disciplinary and community-focused research, scholarship of teaching and learning, and leadership development. 

IF YOU NEED A DISABILITY-RELATED ACCOMMODATION, PLEASE CALL THE ADA COORDINATOR AT (518) 587-2100, ext. 2240. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TITLE II CRIME AWARENESS AND SECURITY ACT, A COPY OF OUR CRIME STATISTICS IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST BY CALLING (518) 587-2100, ext. 2800. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED ON-LINE AT THE SAFETY AND SECURITY WEBSITE AT http://www.esc.edu/safety-security

Application Instructions:

Applications Due By: The review of applications will begin January 25, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit the following documents, which are required for consideration by clicking on the APPLY NOW button:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Name and contact information of three references

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