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Vice President for Equity & Inclusion/Title IX Officer

Job Details

Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a diverse, energetic liberal arts community where critical thinking and practical idealism go hand in hand.

Position Details
THE POSITION
Wesleyan University seeks a visionary, collaborative leader to serve as its next Vice President for Equity and Inclusion/Title IX Officer.

Reporting to the President, the vice president will provide strategic leadership, setting Wesleyan’s DEI agenda and implementing a university-wide DEI plan that is inclusive of the multiplicity and inter-relatedness of differences and appreciates the intersectionality of minoritized identities.

This leader will also create a data-informed culture of assessment to measure accountability and progress. The selected candidate will expertly lead the Office for Equity and Inclusion and partner with other university areas to effectively embed diversity, equity, and inclusion across the institution.

The vice president will collect and leverage DEI -related campus data to advance dialogue, initiatives, and actions and create a clear and comprehensive structure for the work.

This leader will stay abreast of DEI best practices and partner to provide relevant training for students, faculty, and staff and promote a culture of inclusion that helps to boost retention for all campus stakeholders. The vice president must also be nimble and responsive, with a firm appreciation for the changing landscape around affirmative action and title IX.

This leader must also bring energy, optimism, and persistence, identifying and overcoming barriers to success and understanding.

Above all, the successful candidate must embody a deep commitment to various forms of diversity, an appreciation for liberal education, and support the values and traditions of Wesleyan University.
THE OFFICE FOR EQUITY & INCLUSION

The Office for Equity & Inclusion provides leadership and guidance to address systemic inequities for all members of the Wesleyan community. Wesleyan’s culture of inquiry approach to enhancing the educational living and learning experience is designed to promote a healthy, thriving campus climate and a community of excellence predicated on respect for others.

The office supports:
TheResource Center, which advances broad campus engagement with complex issues of identity, history, and cultures as they affect intellectual, creative, and social life.

TheTitle IX and Title VII Office, whichworks to eliminate discriminatory harassment or sexual misconduct at Wesleyan. It also investigates complaints or notice related to discriminatory harassment, sex/gender bias, sexual misconduct and disability discrimination, and makes sure that we are compliant with government regulations.
The university’sPathways to Inclusive Excellenceprograms, which aim to ensure all students thrive academically at Wesleyan and beyond through programs that work to eradicate socio-economic and racial disparities in higher education.
The incoming vice president will provide comprehensive leadership to the office’s experienced and dedicated staff in support of these critical initiatives.
THE ROLE Reporting directly to President Michael Roth, and as a member of the president’s Cabinet, the vice president will provide strategic leadership and wise counsel to Wesleyan’s senior leaders around equity, diversity, and inclusion.

This leader will assess the campus climate, facilitate thoughtful conversations, and create mechanisms for monitoring shared accountability for these efforts.

The vice president will serve as a convenor, identifying opportunities for key campus and community stakeholders to invest meaningfully in DEI , remaining visible and accessible across the university.

The vice president will oversee the Office for Equity and Inclusion, managing and supporting an experienced and dedicated staff, providing a clear vision for the scope of the office’s responsibilities, and communicating this vision to the wider campus community.

This leader will provide oversight of the policies and initiatives that promote an inclusive and equitable learning and working environment for students, faculty, and staff.

The vice president will also provide guidance to the Office of Academic Affairs as it responds to ADA concerns and considers curricular innovations, partner closely with the Office of Student Affairs to support programming and student success initiatives, collaborate with Human Resources to enhance affirmative action, equal opportunity hiring practices, and partner across the institution to sustain Wesleyan’s non-discrimination and anti-harassment processes.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNTIES
To be successful, the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion/Title IX Officer will need to address the following key leadership opportunities:

Provide strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership
  • The vice president will design, coordinate, lead, and enhance Wesleyan’s DEI efforts and facilitate the creation and implementation of the university’s DEI strategic plan. To ensure success, the vice president must build trust with key constituents, listening to the needs of the campus community and identifying priorities that are collectively agreed upon.
  • The vice president will position the Office for Equity and Inclusion as a central repository of knowledge, taking into account the history of DEI work that has been achieved at Wesleyan and acknowledging the nuances of the work ahead.
  • This leader will also seek an institutional coordination of efforts, aligning unit-level strategies, streamlining efforts, and reducing redundancies.
  • The office will be the driver of change and the vice president will present clear expectations of shared responsibility for all community members, divisions, and units in actively engaging in DEI initiatives to ensure accountability and advancement.

Cultivate a culture of accountability and continuous improvement
  • The vice president will be committed to continuous improvement, establishing clear metrics and systems of accountability. Wesleyan’s DEI efforts are at times decentralized
  • The vice president will coordinate these efforts while promoting regular and rigorous evaluation of diversity and inclusion goals across the campus and using data-driven metrics to measure success.
  • This leader will also be responsible for disseminating data and reporting about office-level and institutional progress. Collaborating with the senior leadership team, the vice president will implement and support initiatives and programming that is universally accessible in its design and continually develops intersectional and nuanced DEI competencies amongst Wesleyan’s administrators, supervisors, administrative teams, faculty, and student leaders.

Partner across campus to support the recruitment, development, and retention of a diverse faculty, staff, and students
  • It is essential that the vice president cultivate and sustain strong, trusting relationships across campus as they serve as a strategic partner in the advancement of DEI and coordinate institutional efforts to recruit, retain, and develop a diverse faculty, staff, and student body.
  • The vice president will remain informed about best practices in pipeline and pathway building and retention for all campus stakeholders and cultivate a culture of belonging for all.
  • This vice president will position Wesleyan to serve as a national thought leader, advocate, and exemplar for DEI excellence.

Lead and inspire a high-performing, collaborative team
  • The vice president will supervise and support a dedicated and experienced staff, including the Assistant Vice President for Equity & Inclusion/Title IX Coordinator; Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion and Success; Director, Resource Center; and seven programmatic and faculty directors.
  • The vice president must be an inspiring leader who empowers their team and cultivates opportunities for career development.
  • This leader will be creative, thoughtful, and engaged – a clear communicator who can devise and share a clear vision for DEI at both a unit and university-wide level.
  • The vice president will inspire their team to challenge conventional thinking, fostering a sense of belonging through a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.

Minimum Qualifications
An advanced degree, terminal or with commensurate experience.

A minimum of 7 of years of combined DEI leadership, education, and training experiences with progressive responsibilities.
A strong record of accomplishment in developing, implementing, and championing strategic diversity and inclusion initiatives and plans
Successful record of experience in administrative leadership working collaboratively with administrators, faculty, staff, students, trustees, and other stakeholders to advance diversity and inclusion initiatives within higher education, or similarly complex institutions.
Proven executive experience providing visionary strategic leadership and establishing metrics, measuring progress, and adapting as needed.
Exemplary supervisory skills, and a track record of successfully recruiting, training, mentoring, and retaining staff who bring a variety of backgrounds, skills, and experiences.
Broad and contemporary understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion scholarship, as well as a working knowledge of related equal employment opportunity and discrimination issues.
A life-long learner with talent for designing opportunities for engagement across stakeholders (i.e., across generational and intersectional identities, etc.).
Crisis management experience, particularly related to DEI , and the ability to provide intellectual and emotional leadership bringing communities together during challenging and sometimes public or high-profile circumstances.
A strengths-based and developmental approach to the work, and ability to build, cultivate, and sustain trusting collegial relationships and coalitions that successfully advance and imbed diversity, inclusion, and equity within an organization.
Demonstrated and consistent behavior that follows the highest ethical standards and personal professional integrity.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in a higher education setting.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Isaacson, Miller has been retained to conduct the search for the Vice President for Equity & Inclusion/Title IX Officer at Wesleyan University.

Interested candidates should apply for the position and view the position description through the Isaacson, Miller link below:

https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/wesleyan-university/vice-president-equity-and-inclusiontitle-ix-officer.

Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged. Daniel Rodas, Partner Afi Tettey-Fio, Senior Associate Isaacson, Miller


Additional Information

All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a
pre-employment background check screeningto the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

WesleyanUniversity requires proof of COVID -19vaccination andbooster(if eligible under CDC guidelines) or an approvedexemptionprior to first day of employment.



Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator. Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University?s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at http://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/compliance.html.

Company

Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a diverse, energetic liberal arts community where critical thinking and practical idealism go hand in hand. 

Our student body of approximately 3,000 undergraduate and 200 graduate students is housed on a beautiful 316-acre historic New England campus that offers the comfort of an intimate and collaborative learning environment supported by renowned faculty, cutting-edge facilities, and unique research opportunities.

With our distinctive scholar-teacher culture, creative programming, and commitment to interdisciplinary learning, Wesleyan challenges students to explore new ideas and change the world. Our graduates go on to lead and innovate in a wide variety of industries, including government, business, entertainment, and science.

At Wesleyan, we are all educators. We welcome your interest in Wesleyan's diverse, energetic community of employees who, by their creativity, innovative thinking, and generosity of spirit, help make Wesleyan a great place to work. In this energetic and inclusive community, our talented faculty and staff foster a liberal arts educational experience characterized by boldness, rigor, and practical idealism. Genuinely open-minded, intellectually curious, and mission-driven, our employees invest their impressive talents in fulfilling careers.

Wesleyan offers a broad range of growth and wellness opportunities—comprehensive health benefitsfitness incentives, generous paid time offretirement plansflexible work schedules, and educational benefits, including free employee access to Wesleyan’s Graduate Liberal Studies program and undergraduate tuition reimbursement for dependents of eligible employees. Benefits-at-a-Glance

Campus life affords employees countless opportunities to experience general-interest, academic, artistic, and athletic events. Our location in scenic central Connecticut provides easy access to Boston, New York, and the many other exciting and culturally rich destinations of New England. Few workplaces are like Wesleyan, and we welcome your interest in learning more about us.

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