Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs

Job Overview

Clarke University seeks a visionary, integrative, and mission-centered leader to serve as Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs (VPASA). Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, the VPASA provides executive leadership for the integration of academic and student affairs, advancing a holistic, systems-based, and continuously improving approach to student learning, formation, and success now and in the future.

This role unites academic affairs and student affairs in a coherent, student-centered ecosystem grounded in the charism of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) and informed by Clarke’s Catholic identity. The VPASA serves as a principal partner to the President; a visible champion of integrated learning across generations, contexts, and communities; and a trusted steward of faculty excellence, student success, and institutional effectiveness through evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement.

Organizational Context

The VPASA leads a reimagined division intentionally designed to make Clarke’s mission operational and a distinctive differentiator. Central to this structure are a commitment to active and experiential learning, a Dean of Faculty, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Dean of Student Affairs reporting to the VPASA, and an integrated, data-informed student success framework. Direct reports include:

• The Dean of the Faculty
• The Dean of Academic Affairs
• The Dean of Student Affairs
• University Registrar
• The Executive Assistant for Academic and Student Affairs

The VPASA is expected to steward this model with foresight, clarity, disciplined execution, compassion, and a systems perspective that aligns strategy, assessment, and improvement across the institution in support of long-term agility and resilience.

Key Responsibilities

Mission and Executive Leadership
- Advance Clarke’s BVM Catholic identity and heritage through policy, practice, and culture
- Serve as a strategic partner to the President
- Model values-based leadership that integrates mission, academic quality, student success, and organizational performance

Academic Affairs
- Provide executive oversight of curriculum development, assessment of student learning, and accreditation as the University’s Chief Academic Officer
- Supervise and support the Dean of Faculty, Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of Student Affairs, and University Registrar
- Ensure academic quality and integrity through systematic assessment, use of evidence, and continuous improvement consistent with regional accreditation expectations

Student Affairs and Student Success
- Provide unified leadership for advising, retention, student life, and co-curricular learning
- Advance an integrated student success ecosystem that uses qualitative and quantitative data to improve outcomes and close equity gaps

Innovation, Integration, and Formation
- Collaborate widely and effectively to integrate formation, vocation, and learning
- Champion multigenerational and experiential learning models
- Participate in strategic planning processes informed by strategic foresight, environmental scanning, and scenario-aware thinking

Institutional Stewardship and Performance Excellence
- Collaborate with senior leadership to align goals with institutional strategy
- Advance a culture of continuous improvement, organizational learning, and performance excellence through systems-based processes
- Strengthen institutional agility and resilience by aligning planning, assessment, budgeting, and improvement cycles
- Lead effectively through complexity, transition, and change with transparency and care

Candidate Profile: What Success Looks Like

The ideal candidate will demonstrate integrative leadership; deep respect for Clarke’s BVM Catholic identity; support of presidential leadership through ongoing institutional change; and the ability to translate mission, strategy, and evidence into action through holistic, systems-based approaches.

Early success will be reflected in strong relationships across faculty, staff, and students; coherent and transparent leadership; strengthened faculty morale and trust; improved student engagement and outcomes; and demonstrated progress toward institutional agility, resilience, and performance excellence.

Required Qualifications

• Terminal degree (PhD or equivalent)
• Tenure-eligible academic background (or prior tenure)
• Progressive academic leadership experience (Dean level or higher)
• Deep knowledge of academic operations, including curriculum, faculty governance, accreditation, assessment,
• Demonstrated success in improving student retention and persistence

Application Materials:

The Vice President for Academic Affairs Search Committee will begin the review of applications immediately and continue work until an appointment is made. Applications must include:

• A letter of interest addressing the key responsibilities and qualifications identified in the profile;
• A current curriculum vitae; and
• The contact information (email and phone) for five professional references, including their relationship to the candidate. References will not be contacted without prior authorization from the candidate.