Executive Director for Educational Excellence

Executive Director for Educational Excellence and Retention

In 1839, Westfield State University was founded on the ideals of Horace Mann who sought to improve society through education. We were the first public education institution without barrier to race, gender or economic class. The spirit of innovative thinking and social responsibility is forged in a curriculum of liberal arts and professional studies contributing to the development of knowledge, skills, and character essential for students to become responsible leaders and engaged citizens.

Westfield State is a highly residential campus with approximately 55% of our 3,100 full-time undergraduate students living on campus. The campus is ideally situated on the edge of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts just 30 minutes from the thriving cultural centers of Springfield, Northampton, and Amherst with a selection of museums, theater, collegiate and minor league sports, hiking trails, and restaurants.

The University is within 1.5 hours of Boston and Albany and within 3 hours of New York City and the Green Mountain range of Vermont.

Westfield State commits to values that strengthen a common bond among all members of our community and promotes a rich campus environment.

We treat all members of our community with dignity and respect.

We maintain excellence and integrity in all that we do.

We make decisions in a transparent and collaborative manner.

We commit to providing an accessible, affordable public higher education for all.

We are inclusive and ensure equity, supporting the personal development of all community members, and embracing multiple perspectives.

We support civic engagement in local, regional, and global initiatives.

Job Description:

State

Job Title:

Executive Director

Department:
Academic Affairs

Job Code: HA6200

FLSA Status:
Exempt

Funding:  SUCCESS Grant

Bargaining Unit: APA

Job Type: Full-Time

Timeframe: 52 weeks/year

Shift: Standard business hours

Regular Days Off:
Saturday and Sunday

Supervision Received:
The Executive Director reports to the Provost.

Supervision Exercised:
Student Support Offices in Academic Affairs

Salary: $110,000 to $115,000 Annually (salary commensurate with education and experience)

* This is a grant-funded position. Continued employment beyond the grant period is contingent upon the availability of funding and institutional need. Upon the grant's conclusion, the position will be evaluated for potential adoption and funding by Westfield State University.

INTERNAL JOB POSTING:
This position is currently open to internal WSU employees only. External applicants are welcome to apply for other available positions as listed on our Careers page.

General Statement of Duties:

The Executive Director will focus their efforts on working with various offices to improve retention at WSU, with a particular focus on implementing and assessing institutional plans related to the SUCCESS funding program and supporting at-risk students.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Advance the University's values-based culture by fostering academic excellence and integrity.
• Provide strategic leadership toward the goals of student success, academic quality, and institutional retention.
• Contribute to the creation and adoption of new and enhancement of existing high-impact academic practices.
• Oversee and ensure student access to academic support systems, networks, technologies, and campus resources.
• Provide leadership for the development of data analytics to serve in implementing strategies to attract and retain students in conjunction with partners in Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.
• Working with Institutional Research, lead efforts within Academic Affairs to increase student retention and graduation rates, including working with other offices to develop effective strategies and methodologies to assess the effectiveness of those strategies.
• Oversee the development, implementation, assessment, and…