Assistant Vice President for Equity and Student Engagement

Assistant Vice President For Equity & Student Engagement

This position exists to serve as a senior leader within the Student Engagement and Well-being unit of Enrollment & Student Affairs, providing strategic direction, operational oversight, and organizational leadership for a portfolio of identity-based engagement programs, student leadership development experiences, and campus-wide engagement initiatives.

The Assistant Vice President for Equity & Student Engagement (AVPESE) is responsible for cultivating a vibrant, inclusive, and "sticky" campus environment where students are meaningfully connected to the institution and to one another across academic, co-curricular, residential, and community spaces.

The AVPESE is a systems and relationship-oriented leader who operates both strategically and operationally, balancing long-term vision with hands-on execution. This role requires the ability to lead complex, multi-unit operations while activating high-impact programs, events, and initiatives that shape the student experience across MSU Denver and the broader Auraria Campus.

The AVPESE plays a critical leadership role in advancing MSU Denver's identity as a Hispanic Serving Institution, Minority Serving Institution, and access-oriented university. This position ensures that engagement strategies are culturally responsive, equity-minded, and grounded in research and best practices that support diverse student populations.

The AVPESE operates within a highly complex, multi-institutional environment on the Auraria Campus and provides leadership in tri-institutional coordination across MSU Denver, the University of Colorado Denver, and the Community College of Denver. This includes collaboration with the Auraria Campus (AHEC) and alignment of shared programs, services, and student engagement strategies across institutions.

Job duties and responsibilities include:

• Supervision and leadership
• Strategy, program development, and student engagement
• Liaison, collaboration, and external partnerships
• Student leadership, governance, and advocacy
• Operations, events, and on-call leadership

Position competencies include:

• Championing CADRE values-based leadership
• Aligning operations across teams
• Translating university strategy into coordinated action
• Building cross-functional partnerships
• Creating a positive workplace culture of belonging
• Driving innovation

Required qualifications include:

• Master's degree
• Eight years of experience in student support, student equity, or student engagement in higher education
• Eight years of supervision and performance management experience
• Experience advancing student engagement, belonging, equity, and student success through policy, practice, and student development
• Experience advising, supporting, or partnering with student government, shared governance, or student leadership organizations
• Experience using assessment and data to evaluate and improve programs

Preferred qualifications include:

• Doctoral degree in a related field
• Experience co-developing programs and initiatives in partnership with faculty and academic departments
• Experience developing, implementing, or assessing programs that support student engagement, belonging, and success for diverse student populations
• Experience leading initiatives that improve student engagement, belonging, and success for diverse student populations
• Experience at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), or other mission-driven, access-oriented institution

Work hours are full-time, exempt (40 hours per week) with Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Evening and weekend work is expected based on operational and university needs. This position participates in an on-call rotation with other Assistant Vice Presidents to respond to student, facility, or campus emergencies.

Salary for announcement is anticipated to be placed between $112,131-$156,984. The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training.

Full consideration date is complete applications received by September 7, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST will receive full consideration; however, applications will be accepted after this date until the position is filled.

Application review will begin September 7, after the full consideration date.

Instructions to apply include submitting a resume and cover letter describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position. Official transcripts will be required of the candidate selected for hire.

For a brief overview of the university's benefits package, please see: .