Assistant Vice President For Equity And Student Engagement

Department Student Engagement and Wellness

This position the Assistant Vice President for Equity & Student Engagement (AVPESE) exists to serve as a senior leader within the Student Engagement and Well-being (SEW) 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. In addition to serving on the SEW Leadership Team, the AVPESE will serve as a member of the Enrollment & Student Affairs Leadership Team (Huddle).

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Well-being & Dean of Students, the 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. Guided by the Student Engagement and Well-being (SEW) model and the socio-ecological framework, the AVPESE advances institutional goals related to recruitment, yield, retention, persistence, completion, and post-graduate success.

Through the intentional design of equitable, high-impact experiences, the AVPESE cultivates a vibrant campus environment that supports student well-being and fosters meaningful connections among commuter, residential, online, and place-based learners across academic, co-curricular, 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 carefully curates an inclusive student experience that recognizes the unique needs of a majority commuter institution while supporting an expanding residential population and increasing modalities of engagement, including online, hybrid, and place‑based learners.

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.

• Provides senior‑level leadership and supervision for the Equity and Student Engagement programs, including direct supervision of department leaders and indirect leadership of professional staff and student employees across multiple functional areas.
• Establishes organizational structures, staffing models, and accountability systems to ensure effective, student-centered program delivery aligned with institutional priorities.
• Hires, trains, develops, and evaluates department‑level leaders, administrative support staff, and student employees.
• Leads organizational effectiveness efforts, including staff development, performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensures alignment of all programs and services with institutional, branch, and strategic priorities, with a focus on student engagement, belonging, well‑being, and equitable outcomes.

• Provides strategic leadership for campus engagement initiatives designed to foster belonging, connection, and student success.
• Develops and implements engagement strategies that contribute to enrollment goals, including recruitment, yield, persistence, retention,…