y, Vice President for Institutional Advancement POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT Alvernia University invites nominations and applications for the position of Vice President for Institutional Advancement. The University seeks an experienced advancement professional who embraces Alvernia's identity as a "Distinctive Franciscan University," rooted in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions, to lead its constituent relations and fundraising efforts. THE UNIVERSITY True to its heritage, Alvernia’s Franciscan values have shaped its character and history since its founding. Service, humility, collegiality, contemplation, and peacemaking are institutional core values woven through the academic, co-curricular, and spiritual culture of Alvernia. The roots that were to become Alvernia University were planted in 1926 when the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis established a Teacher’s Seminary for the education of the Sisters. Thirty-two years later, in 1958, the institution was expanded into a four-year liberal arts college. Alvernia received its charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1960. Since that time, the University has grown in both educational opportunities and enrollment. Alvernia’s student population has blossomed from 23 freshmen and eight sophomores in 1958, to a current enrollment of nearly 3,000 students. Students come from diverse cultural, economic, and religious backgrounds, and the institution emphasizes interfaith and intercultural programs as an important element of its mission and identity. Alvernia grants the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Graduate programs were added in 1999 and have grown to include seven master’s degrees (MA, MBA, MED, MSOT, MA-Community Counseling, MALS, MSN). A Ph.D. program in leadership was added in 2008, and two additional doctorates are under development in physical therapy and in nursing. A key goal of the strategic and campus master plans adopted in 2007 was the attainment of university status. This was achieved ahead of schedule in 2008. Alvernia has flourished in its early years as a University, and now attracts 30% of its freshmen from the wider Mid-Atlantic region beyond Pennsylvania, to its beautiful campus and caring community. The university has established a strong reputation for its health care programs and its emphasis on “real world,” experiential education. Alvernia began a community service requirement over two decades ago and now features four annual days of service that attract hundreds of participants. In addition to other national and state recognitions for community service, Alvernia is one of only 119 colleges and universities cited by the Carnegie Foundation as a national model for community service and civic engagement. With Colleges of Arts and Sciences, and Professional Studies, Alvernia today offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors, and a range of graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral levels, through its School of Graduate and Adult Education. Satellite sites are located in Philadelphia and Schuylkill County. As one of only 24 Franciscan institutions in the country, Alvernia’s focus on caring for each other, the environment, and the community are joined with a challenging educational experience to provide an unparalleled environment to grow, develop and mature as a person and professional. LEADERSHIP Dr. Thomas F. Flynn is Alvernia’s sixth president, having served since 2005. During this time, he has overseen the development of new strategic and campus master plans, and the campus- wide process culminating in the achievement of university status. Under his leadership, Alvernia recently completed its first comprehensive campaign “Values and Vision,” raising more than $31 million. In addition to major capital projects already finished, endowed professorships and centers of excellence have been established, notably the O’Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Public Service, and the Holleran Center for Community Engagement. Prior to his arrival at Alvernia, Dr. Flynn served as Senior Advisor for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), preceded by nine years at Millikin University (IL), initially as Provost, and subsequently as President. He also spent fourteen years on the faculty of Mount Saint Mary's University (MD), where he was Professor of English and served as Dean of the College. Dr. Flynn is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU). Previously, Dr. Flynn has served on a number of national boards, including the American Council of Education's coordinating board for all sectors of higher education. He also currently serves as a board member for the state private higher education association and for the area’s major health system and other local organizations. 2 Alvernia University Position Announcement – Vice President for Institutional Advancement ADVANCEMENT CLIMATE The scope and pace of Alvernia’s philanthropic progress between 2007 - 2014 has been remarkable. Prominent among many highlights was the historic results of “Values & Vision,” Alvernia’s first comprehensive campaign. The campaign raised nearly $32 million, well exceeding its initial goal of $27 million. It relied in large part on the generosity of trustees, community members and foundations for much of its success. The absence of a strong fundraising tradition and the small number of alumni in targeted principal giving ranges presents fundraising challenges; however, the loyalty and appreciation of friends and business leaders from the local community propels significant success. Developing a stronger culture of philanthropy among alumni and friends to support current, ongoing, and emerging initiatives is key to the university’s success in the future. This includes expanding support of the Alvernia Fund, developing project campaigns and developing a robust planned giving program. With its location centered in Berks County, many of the university’s students are drawn from within that county or the counties bordering it. Many alumni also live in southeastern Pennsylvania, and much of the school’s fundraising has traditionally been concentrated there. Yet with a surprising number of alumni living beyond this area, and Alvernia’s emergence as a more regional Mid-Atlantic university, there is a need to engage alumni far more fully by creating opportunities for students and alumni to connect, and by ensuring that the connections between Enrollment Management, Institutional Advancement, Community Engagement, and alumni are strong. In the future, it is expected that Board, faculty and alumni leadership will enable Alvernia to make steady progress against fundraising priorities that in the short term include support for the innovative Reading Collegiate Scholars Program and other scholarships, and for the faculty excellence program. Long-term efforts will be focused on two major capital projects, including development of a new East Campus. THE REGION Alvernia is located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Berks County (population 413,824), just minutes from downtown Reading, Pennsylvania, which is the fifth most populous city in the state. Situated between the scenic Blue and the South Mountains, the region is known for its historic, national importance to the mining and railroad industries. It features a reasonable cost-of-living with high rates of home ownership, substantial healthcare options, and a number of high quality education choices. Reading offers a mix of cultural entertainment destinations, such as the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, the Reading Public Museum, IMAX Theatre, outlet shopping, minor-league sports (Reading Fightin Phils, Reading Royals, Pennsylvania Roar and Pennsylvania Steam) and concerts at the Santander Arena. The Greater Reading Area includes attractive places to visit: West Reading Penn Avenue, the Penn Corridor, First Energy Stadium, The Works and many other dining, shopping and entertainment locations. The beautiful Blue Marsh Lake is close to campus, offering biking, hiking, kayaking, swimming and more. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, French Creek State Park and plenty of great golf courses are also nearby. 3 Alvernia University Position Announcement – Vice President for Institutional Advancement The university is conveniently located an hour from Philadelphia and within an easy 2 - 3 hour drive of some of the world’s greatest centers of commerce, government, culture, sports, and entertainment: New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. CANDIDATE PROFILE The successful candidate will be a person with a record of responsible and successful advancement leadership. She/he will demonstrate a strong track record of building and managing a growing advancement program. She/he will be a person with a strong record of personal engagement and achievement in major/principal gifts and campaigns. The candidate should combine both relational and organizational talents: she/he should exhibit strong capability both internally and externally for relating with donors and managing an increasingly complex advancement program. Ten years or more of progressively responsible and successful advancement and fundraising experience is required. Experience in Catholic higher education, is desirable. Candidates with comprehensive experience building annual, major and planned gift programs, leading campaigns, and working c00peratively with a Board of