Presidential Search Prospectus

For more than five decades, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District has played a vital role in the social and economic development of San Diego’s East County by providing world-class, affordable education.

The district’s service area spans 1,138 square miles from the City of San Diego east to Imperial County and south to the Mexican border. Together, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges serve nearly 30,000 students with an operating budget of more than $133 million.

Duties and Responsibilities

With an over-arching focus on promoting student access, diversity, and success, the President fulfills the following duties:

• Institutional Leadership – Exercises strong, dynamic leadership to advance the College’s mission and values.
• District Leadership – Serves as a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet providing leadership for the District’s overall mission and strategic direction.
• College Relationships – Works with all segments of the College community to ensure effective and respectful relations.
• Multi-College District Relationships – Facilitates communication and understanding between the College community and the Chancellor, Cuyamaca College, District Services, and Governing Board.
• Community Relationships – Fosters strong partnerships with area schools, universities, employers, community organizations, city, and government entities.
• Shared Governance – Promotes a positive climate for and practice of collegial participatory governance.
• Budget – Provides oversight for the development and management of the College budget to ensure fiscal integrity and strategic alignment with goals and priorities.
• Learning– Ensures that the College meets the educational and training needs of the community and promotes learning for all students.
• Accreditation – Leads the College in maintaining continuous compliance with accreditation standards.
• Fundraising – Helps lead District advancement efforts and creatively seeks public and private funding resources to support the College’s goals.
• Long-Range Planning –Works with all segments of the College, District and community to create a bold, strategic framework for the College’s future.
• Organizational Leadership– Organizes and focuses College resources to maximize student and organizational success; motivates employee engagement and accountability; promotes leadership at all levels.

Leadership Qualities and Personal Attributes

• Commitment to Student Access, Diversity, and Success – A persistent drive to ensure diversity, student access, and success as evidenced by long-term work to create lasting change.
• Taking Strategic Risks – The willingness to take data-informed risks, such as identifying gaps in student success and reallocating resources that show a commitment to student-oriented change.
• Building Strong Teams – The capacity to develop and maintain outstanding leadership teams, foster innovation and professional development, and engage the college community to improve student access and success.
• Establishing an Urgency for Improvement – An understanding of how to make the case for change so that the entire college is motivated and has a healthy sense of urgency to improve student outcomes.
• Plan Lasting Internal Change – The ability to articulate a vision and strategically lead planning processes that result in significant college outcomes.
• Results Oriented – Success ensuring implementation, assessment of progress, and an institutional culture of data-informed improvement.
• Communicate Effectively – An articulate communicator and active listener who builds strong relationships, develops shared priorities, and inspires dialog, trust and action.
• Financial and Operational Ability – Proven experience to ensure the fiscal strength and sound operation of the college.
• Entrepreneurial Fundraiser – Experience raising resources from multiple sources and the ability to align fundraising to strategic goals.
• Develop Effective External Partnerships – Ability to forge partnerships to access resources, reach underserved populations, and respond to business and community needs; help the college achieve student success, improve college readiness, workforce preparation, transfer, and employment.

*These characteristics are modified from “Crisis and Opportunity” (2013, Aspen Institute and Achieving the Dream) and “Hiring Exceptional Community College Presidents” (2014, Aspen Institute).

Experience

• Minimum of five (5) years of management experience, including three (3) years upper level administrative experience in a community college/higher education environment.
• Demonstrated cultural competency and understanding of a diverse academic, socioeconomic, and cultural environment.
• Significant prior responsibility for budget and organizational planning.
• Demonstrated understanding of all facets of a comprehensive community college: instruction, student services, administrative services, and community engagement.

Educational Requirements

A master’s degree or higher, earned doctorate degree preferred, from accredited institutions.

Compensation

Salary, length of contract, and other terms and conditions of employment are competitive with those of similar California districts.  The posted salary for this position will be $207,105 which includes allowances for transportation and technology, plus discretionary funds provided for expenses.

Benefits

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District provides a comprehensive fringe benefit program including medical, prescription drugs, vision care, dental, life, and income protection insurance for employees and dependents, and membership in the State Teachers’ Retirement System. Successful completion of a pre-employment physical will be required for the recommended candidate.