SEARCH FOR THE ASSOCIATE PROVOST AND DEAN OF STUDENTS

Worcester, MA

THE SEARCH

Clark University, a nationally ranked private liberal arts-based research university, seeks an accomplished, dynamic, and strategic leader for the position of Associate Provost and Dean of Students (DOS) to lead the Division of Student Affairs. Reporting to the Provost and serving as a member of the University’s Senior Leadership Team, the DOS will join Clark under energetic new leadership as the University also welcomed its 10th president and distinguished alumnus, David Fithian ’87, just last July, and welcomed a new Provost, Sebastián Royo, this summer. The DOS will foster a vibrant and rich campus culture in keeping with Clark’s strong tradition of liberal arts education and the evolving needs, passions, and experiences of Clark’s intellectual, entrepreneurial, increasingly diverse, and socially engaged student body.

As a key part of the senior team, the DOS is a member of the Provost’s Management Group and the President’s Leadership Group and will effectively prioritize the student experience with senior leadership on an ongoing basis. The new DOS will be a seasoned student affairs leader with an inspiring vision for campus life at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The successful candidate will play a leadership role in the University’s approach to Strategic Enrollment Management and student retention/persistence and with efforts to ensure diversity, equity, and a fully inclusive campus experience for all students. Regarding the latter, the next DOS will have the opportunity to develop, implement, and lead innovative student-focused initiatives that respond to students’ candidly expressed expectations that the University will enhance its efforts and become a leader in these areas.

Founded in 1887, Clark was one of the first all-graduate institutions in the United States. Today the University is a highly ranked, student-centered institution that teaches approximately 2,350 undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students every year to be imaginative and contributing citizens of the world and to advance the frontiers of knowledge and understanding through rigorous scholarship and creative effort. This commitment to scholarship and inquiry reflects the University’s dedication to addressing issues of critical societal importance. It is also reflected in Clark’s many national and international distinctions, including recognition for its diversity and inclusion efforts, innovation, community engagement, and impact; its ranking as a top green campus; its nationally ranked Interactive Media Design (Game Design) program; and its distinguished geography, psychology, and international development graduate programs. Clark has also been included in the groundbreaking Colleges that Change Lives guide since it was first published in 1996.

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ABOUT CLARK UNIVERSITY

A small, private teaching and research university, Clark is committed to scholarship and inquiry that addresses social and human imperatives on a global scale. Clark’s urban location and tradition of community partnerships place faculty and students in an ideal position to live the University's motto, “Challenge Convention. Change Our World.”

With an operating budget of $135 million and a $500 million endowment, Clark’s current financial position is strong. In addition to centering students, Clark has a strong tradition of faculty governance and engagement. Clark’s more than 230 full- and 150 part-time faculty are deeply committed to teaching and embrace Clark’s ethos of hands-on learning for all students. In addition, the University employs a diverse and dedicated cross-section of 470 full- and part-time staff. Clark’s 90-acre urban campus includes more than 1.6 million square feet of academic space, residence halls, and research and athletics facilities.

Clark’s programs are offered through the College of Arts and Sciences; the Graduate Schools of Arts and Sciences, and Geography; the School of Professional Studies; the School of Management; and the Department of International Development, Community, and Environment. The academic environment is enhanced by eight centers and institutes that play a vital role in enabling interdisciplinary collaboration. Most recently, Clark has announced the establishment of the Becker School of Design & Technology, allowing for the continuation of nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate programs in Interactive Media Design (Game Design), Interactive Graphic Design, and Esports Management after the closure of Becker College in Worcester.

At the undergraduate level, Clark provides a challenging liberal arts curriculum with many of the benefits associated with an excellent liberal arts college, including small classes, a strong sense of community, and extensive co-curricular opportunities, and staff and faculty that are passionate about teaching, mentorship, and student-support services. Clark’s Liberal Education and Effective Practice model of undergraduate education aligns all aspects of the undergraduate experience so that students are exposed to a broad and deep base of academic knowledge while also learning the key capacities of “effective practice” needed to translate ideas and values into action. This curricular model connects classroom learning across more than 50 majors, minors, and concentrations with world and workplace experiences. Today, 100 percent of Clark undergraduates complete at least one experiential learning opportunity.

At the graduate level, master’s degree and doctoral students represent one-third of the student population. The graduate professional programs are a source of campus diversity, exceptional teaching, and impactful and engaged scholarship. The doctoral programs are responsible for significant contributions in an array of fields and serve to enhance Clark’s reputation. Clark offers nine doctoral and 23 master's degree programs, including its popular Accelerated B.A./Master’s Program, knowns as the “5th-year program”. Graduate programs include degrees offered through Clark’s AACSB-accredited School of Management. Clark has received national attention for its accelerated-degree programs that allow students to complete both a B.A. degree and a master's degree in five years. The fifth-year of 14 of these programs is tuition-free for eligible students.

As a research university, Clark offers students the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge scholarship and creative work, beginning as early as their first year. Researchers who have held Clark appointments include A.A. Michelson, the first U.S. Nobel Prize winner in the sciences, and Robert Goddard, the father of the space age and the inventor of modern rocket technology. Clark has produced more geography Ph.D.’s than any other program in the world, and its doctoral

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THE UNIVERSITY AND CURRENT CONTEXT

As of fall 2020, Clark's student body is comprised of 2,242 undergraduates and 1,158 graduate and professional students. The undergraduate student population is 12.5% international, 19% first-generation college students, and 25% students of color. More than 50% of graduate students identify as international. Approximately 68% of the full-time faculty and instructors are white, 11% are Asian, 6% are Black or African American, 5% are Hispanic or Latinx, and 10% are foreign nationals. Approximately 77% of the full-time staff are white, 12% are Hispanic or Latinx, 4% are Asian, and 4% are Black or African American.

Over the past few years, Clark has undertaken institution-wide assessments of campus climate and culture intended to generate community conversations about diversity and inclusion-related pathways forward for the University. Clark’s community, like many other institutions of higher education, has recently experienced an increase in student activism that reflects and supports national and local demands for racial justice. The movement for racial justice and equity, alongside a pandemic that is disproportionately impacting racially underrepresented communities, has catalyzed strong calls for transformative action and institutional change from groups across the University. Students, in particular, are hungry for actions that will result in a stronger sense of belonging and inclusiveness at Clark. While there are differing views on the best way to approach the work, the Clark community is aligned around a shared vision for an environment where all students, staff, and faculty are valued and given opportunities to flourish.

President Fithian is deeply committed to making Clark a more just, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming institution and has taken action through a series of collaborative initiatives and commitment to new hirings. Clark is in the process of staffing or has recently filled positions in critical areas that support people of color alongside the ongoing national search for a Chief Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In the Division of Student Affairs, Clark has created the new position of Assistant Dean for Equity and Student Success who will work collaboratively with two other new Assistant Deans focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, one working for the Dean of the College and the other working for the Dean of the Faculty. Clark is currently searching for a new Associate Director of Multicultural and First Generation Student Support. Additional staff is being hired within Undergraduate Admissions to strengthen efforts to recruit and retain a truly diverse student body.

Clark recognizes the growing mental health challenges on college campuses, particularly the rising need for culturally competent care, which has been amplified by the events of the last year. The Center for Counseling and Personal Growth (CPG) has recently hired a new mental health specialist dedicated to supporting students of color. In addition, CPG was authorized to a hire full- time mental health specialist supporting neurotypical students as well as a generalist part-time counselor.

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Leadership

On July 1, 2020, Clark welcomed David Fithian, ’87, Ph.D., a proud alumnus and distinguished leader in higher education, as the 10th president in its 133-year history. Since 2007, Fithian was a central figure in the dramatic momentum underway at the University of Chicago, with roles spanning major operations, academic program development, support of the University’s Board of Trustees, executive recruitment, and fundraising. For the most recent five years, he served as executive vice president. Before joining Chicago, he spent 12 years at , holding increasingly elevated responsibilities. Early in his tenure, he oversaw the academic standing and personal well-being of more than 500 first-year and 400 upper-class students each year. In his last role at Harvard, he served as associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, coordinating all aspects of faculty governance, including the monitoring and coordination of faculty-related policies, procedures, and legislation. A New York City/Westchester County native, President Fithian graduated from Clark as a sociology major with a passion for art and architecture. He earned his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from Yale University.

Sebastián Royo, was appointed provost and vice president of academic affairs at Clark University and started July 1, 2021. In addition to serving as provost, Royo holds a tenured position as a professor in Clark’s Department of Political Science. Before joining Clark, he spent 23 years at where he held a variety of positions including associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, vice president for student success, a three-year assignment as acting provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, director of the Suffolk University Madrid Campus, vice president of international affairs, and professor of political science. He received the Student Government Association Outstanding Administrator of the Year award in May 2017 and the Student Journey Leadership Award for Outstanding Dedication to Students in May 2019.

Royo’s many accomplishments to date include the development of high-quality and innovative academic programs, the leadership of strategic planning processes and their implementation, collaboration on strategic enrollment and retention initiatives, budget development and management, and fundraising and alumni engagement. He also is a champion of university-wide efforts to advance diversity, access, and inclusion as evidenced by his leadership of initiatives to recruit, support and graduate underrepresented students and efforts to diversify faculty recruitment. Provost Royo holds a law degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, a Master of Arts in international relations, a Master of Business Administration, and a Ph.D. in political science all from .

Clark and the Worcester Community

Clark is located in the Main South neighborhood of Worcester, , about two miles from downtown Worcester and 40 miles west of Boston. Worcester is a dynamic, diverse city on the rise. The second-largest city in New England, with a population of roughly 186,000, Worcester is home to 10 institutions of higher learning including the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester State University, and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Worcester is increasingly recognized for its growing healthcare and biotechnology communities, for its thriving arts and cultural communities, and as a vibrant food hub with an abundance of new restaurants and craft breweries. In addition, the city has become the home for the Red Sox minor league baseball team, located in a new ballpark about a mile from campus.

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For more than three decades, Clark has been an active partner with the Main South Community Development Corporation and the City of Worcester to develop and implement initiatives that have significantly improved the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhood. This wide-ranging involvement has included housing and building renovation, education, economic development, social and recreational programs, and community engagement. The trusting, collaborative relationships that have developed from these efforts are both powerful and mutually beneficial. Students, staff, and faculty work together to contribute in meaningful ways to society in partnership with their neighborhoods and other Worcester communities.

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

As partners in the educational process, the Division of Student Affairs is committed to fostering an environment that encourages undergraduate and graduate students to become active, involved, and responsible citizens in the global community. To this end, the Division strives to shape a community that promotes mutual respect, support for growth, and a celebration of differences. It also empowers the development of balanced, caring, and reflective individuals committed to academic and interpersonal excellence.

Office of the Dean of Students

Recognizing that education is a process occurring both inside and outside the classroom, the Dean of Students staff is concerned with the students’ well-being as people living and learning within a community of scholars. The office provides essential information about leadership opportunities, emergency loans, student records, leaves of absence, withdrawals, and matters concerning students’ University status.

Counseling and Personal Growth

The mission of the Center for Counseling and Personal Growth is to promote the well-being of Clark students. The center recognizes and appreciates each student’s individuality, positionality, and intersecting social identities, and is honored to play a part in helping students succeed emotionally and intellectually. Although Clark does not offer a specialized program or learning center for students with disabilities, the University does provide support for qualified students who register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS), where the staff works with students to coordinate academic and residential accommodations and other serves on campus. Services are confidential and free of charge.

Wellness Education

Clark is committed to creating a campus culture of equitable wellness, resilience, and adaptability. Clark’s Wellness Education provides services and programming that aim to increase students’ education, skills, supports, and practices needed to build a holistically healthy lifestyle.

The Care Team

Developed three years ago under the Dean of Students office, the Care Team is composed of staff members from Student Affairs, Athletics, the Office of the Dean of College. The team

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Multicultural and First Generation Student Support

The Office of Multicultural and First Generation Student Support helps students of Black/African American, Asian/Desi/Middle Eastern, Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latinx, Native/Indigenous American, and multiracial descent, as well as first-generation college students, develop and implement their academic, leadership, and career goals through mentoring, training, and pre- orientation programs.

Residential Life and Housing

More than 1,750 undergraduate and graduate students reside in the University’s nine residence halls and 14 houses. Residential Life and Housing ensures these homes-away-from-home allow for academic pursuits, personal interactions, educational opportunities, and social events. The office encourages freedom of action and self-expression in these living and learning communities.

Student Leadership & Programming

The Office of Student Leadership & Programming works closely with student clubs and organizations to plan and implement activities and learning opportunities — including Orientation programming — to support students’ personal growth, character development, and interpersonal connections within the context of positive and engaging co-curricular experiences.

ASSOCIATE PROVOST AND DEAN OF STUDENTS

As the leader of the Division of Student Affairs, the DOS will be crucial in representing the interests of undergraduate and graduate students among University Senior Leadership, committees, and groups that are guiding initiatives across campus. The DOS will collaborate with campus leaders, including the Chief of Police and the Chief Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to enhance the student experience and build an inclusive community. The DOS will be a student-centered, compassionate leader responsible for creating and maintaining a campus environment that supports and sustains diverse and equitable student success through collaboration with Academic Affairs and other University and community constituencies. The new DOS will lead units in articulating plans and solutions through the lenses of equity and inclusivity that align with university-wide strategies.

The DOS has five direct reports: the Associate Dean for Engagement, the Associate Dean for Care, the Associate Dean and Director of the Center for Counseling and Personal Growth, the Associate Dean of Community Living, and the Assistant Dean for Student Equity and Success. They are ultimately responsible for four units with 27 employees. The DOS will oversee a budget totaling approximately $4.5 million.

THE OPPORTUNITY

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The DOS will join Clark University at a time of new leadership and change and will play a crucial role in shaping the campus culture for Clark’s engaged undergraduate and graduate student body. The next DOS will ultimately be responsible for all aspects of the student experience, including housing, residential life, new-student orientation, health services, student activities, personal counseling, wellness, identity-based supports, and student conduct with the opportunity to grow and strengthen these functions. Specific opportunities and challenges for the successful candidate include:

Serve as a visionary, resilient, and proactive leader of the Division of Student Affairs

The next DOS will be responsible for developing and implementing new strategic goals for the department, assessing existing programs and offerings to ensure they are meeting today’s student needs, and building programs and systems to serve future needs. The DOS will ensure these goals are in line with the Division’s vision and offer targeted contributions to Clark’s community. The DOS will be a motivational team leader and provide support, guidance, and accountability across all units. Strategic decisions will be informed by budget forecasts that the DOS will set in accordance with goals outlined by university leadership and pursued in concert with all members of the Division.

Manage, develop, and build a dedicated, talented, and diverse team

Overseeing a five-person staff, the DOS will engage team members to craft a shared vision for supporting the mission and the strategic objectives of Student Affairs, support and build partnerships throughout campus, and elevate awareness of office services and policies. The DOS will empower their talented staff by encouraging them to set personal growth targets and apply their expertise in ways that generate the most positive impact for the Division, the community, and their own professional development. The DOS will foster an environment that rewards staff for their fresh ideas and risk-taking, reduces inefficiencies, builds confidence, and inspires teamwork, collaboration, and trust.

Execute strategies in line with Clark’s goals of antiracism and social justice

As a proven advocate for social justice in higher education, the next DOS will support the strengthening of the community, culture, and climate through antiracist practices. The DOS will regard student success through an antiracist lens in partnership with colleagues across the campus and will assume a leadership role in developing and executing efforts that improve student satisfaction, retention, and time to a degree using an equity-focused approach. A successful DOS will foreground and establish key principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the operations of Student Affairs and ensure accessible and visible support for students and staff from historically underrepresented groups.

Serve as an essential liaison between Clark and the local community

The DOS will serve as a visible and active liaison between students, staff, administration, and faculty, maintaining a robust infrastructure for ongoing reports, updates, feedback, and collaboration. With inclusive excellence as a guiding principle, the DOS will meet the needs of all students and their fellow community members. The DOS will also facilitate a strong public presence for Clark students within the Worcester community, as well as build relationships with community-based agencies and organizations to promote student success and foster community enrichment.

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Integrate curricular and co-curricular student experiences

In coordination with the Student Affairs team, the DOS will work with student leaders to assess current social offerings and support robust programming by the 130 student clubs and organizations on campus. As a member of the Provost’s Management Group, the DOS will have a unique vantage point to effectively connect the curricular and co-curricular elements of the Clark experience with the University’s signature undergraduate curriculum, Liberal Education and Effective Practice. The incoming DOS will also have the opportunity to welcome transfer students from the recently closed Becker College to the newly established Becker School of Design & Technology at Clark and help envision what this new group of students and academic enterprise will mean for the Clark community. The DOS will also partner with Academic Affairs to ensure support and connections for students in all aspects of their lives on campus, both in and out of the classroom. It will be important for the DOS to build and support a robust set of services in response to the needs of graduate students in partnership with the deans, directors, and chairs of Clark’s graduate programs.

Build and maintain a vibrant and safe campus community for all students

The DOS will foster a positive campus culture in keeping with Clark’s strong tradition of liberal arts education and the changing needs of Clark’s student body. The DOS will deepen existing partnerships across campus with key leaders who are focused on the physical and mental well- being of Clark students, including the President’s Leadership Team and Campus Police. The DOS will facilitate initiatives across the Division, University, and with these partners that create an inclusive, vibrant, and safe campus for all students.

The DOS will be committed to providing students with the resources they need and then letting them take the lead in building a rich and engaging campus environment. The fall 2021 semester will be significantly different than last fall. Clark anticipates an emphasis on wellness to foster a culture of resilience amongst all students. The ultimate goal is to support diverse student communities and maximize opportunities for on-campus satisfaction as well as post-graduate success.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

The successful candidate for the Dean of Students position at Clark University will be a compassionate leader eager to engage with students and staff and clearly articulate complex and nuanced student needs to University constituents, including students’ families, the Board of Trustees, the University Senior Leadership, staff, and faculty. At the center of their work will be their understanding of the need for, and ability to articulate, a clear strategy for infusing equity into the Division and the University, including previously demonstrated evidence of their effectiveness in implementing policy and culture change at institutions of higher education. The DOS must have a proactive focus to lead the Division as it endeavors to promote health and safety, nurture the growth of personal values, and integrate the residential and academic aspects of students' lives.

The successful candidate will bring a thorough understanding of best practices in student affairs, the enthusiasm to shape new strategies, and the creativity to meet the particular challenges facing higher education today. The DOS will be an innovative and collaborative student affairs leader.

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The successful candidate will be a full partner in Clark’s effort to offer an outstanding and integrated curricular and co-curricular program.

The ideal candidate will possess many of the following:

• Proven student affairs leadership and an appropriate advanced degree; • Appreciation for Clark’s culture of intellectual engagement, and the ability to help students manage its pressures and access resources; • Demonstrated commitment to the fostering of a diverse and inclusive student community characterized by a culture of open, thoughtful dialogue and related action, in line with Clark's mission to develop contributing citizens of the world, and demonstrated effectiveness in working with members of the staff and faculty to enable each student to succeed in these areas; • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, especially a track record of individual action and institutional leadership in this area. These include demonstrated prior success in recruiting, retaining, and championing racially diverse students and staff, addressing structural racial inequities, and weaving appropriate resources into student and staff support, engagement, and care; • An understanding of current research and national trends related to student mental health and a record of successfully implementing responsive programs, policies, and structures to serve student needs; • An understanding of the differences and commonalities that will be necessary for a Student Affairs Division that serves both undergraduate and graduate students; • An understanding of the complexity and contributions that Clark’s international student population brings to the campus, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; • Demonstrated sensitivity, imagination, and effectiveness in responding to challenging student and University community issues; • Experience in crisis management and emergency situations; • Facility in analyzing data to develop and assess programs to drive change and innovation; • High degree of accessibility and openness to students, and demonstrated record of earning and maintaining the trust of the student body; • A genuine, authentic, and contextualized written and verbal communication style across audiences, particularly when it comes to making and communicating difficult decisions; • Proven ability to inspire, lead, support, and mentor a team of skilled and dedicated professionals, effectively manage talent, and develop processes for effective teamwork; • A consultative, collegial style and the ability to inspire trust in others; • Creativity, humility, deep reserves of empathy and compassion, and a genuine sense of integrity. • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with different constituencies and departments within and outside the institution.

TO APPLY

Clark University has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with this important search. Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please direct all inquiries, nominations, and application materials including a letter of interest and resume, in confidence, to:

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www.imsearch.com/7965 Natalie Leonhard, Partner Ponneh Varho, Partner Tiffany Weber, Senior Associate Isaacson, Miller, Inc.

Clark University embraces equal opportunity and affirmative action as core values: the University believes that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, its employees, and its community. This commitment applies to every aspect of education, services, and employment policies and practices at Clark. Clark’s commitment to diversity informs its efforts in recruitment, hiring, and retention. All positions at Clark share in the responsibility for building a community that values diversity and the uniqueness of others by exhibiting integrity and respect in interacting with all members of the Clark community to create an atmosphere of fairness and belonging. Clark strongly encourages members from historically underrepresented communities, inclusive of all women, to apply.