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Job Summary

*All applicants must apply via the search firm.*

The Associate Vice President of Student Equity and Belonging (AVPSEB) reports to and partners with the Vice President for Student Affairs to develop the vision, direction and actualization of inclusive co-curricular learning environments. The AVP serves on the Student Affairs Senior Leadership Team and acts as the senior diversity advisor for Student Affairs by providing strategy, consultation, and guidance across all Student Affairs departments (including auxiliaries) concerning services and policies to ensure that they promote an inclusive out-of-class learning environment. The Associate Vice President of Student Equity and Belonging is a senior leadership role responsible for providing strategic oversight, vision, and management of programs and services to support marginalized student populations and close equity gaps. Departments reporting to AVPSEB: Education Outreach Program (EOP); TRIO (SSS/ASPIRE) Program; Guardian Scholars Program; Black Leadership Opportunity Center (The BLOC); Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment (CAPISE);Chicanx/Latinx Student Success Center (Centro); Gender Equity Center; MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center; Native American Indigenous Student Success Center (NAISSC); PRIDE Center; and, UndocuSparan Student Resource Center.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of strategies to support the success and retention of students from marginalized communities, including first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented students
• Champion efforts around diversity and inclusion in the division strategic plan
• Create an integrated approach amongst the portfolio that pursues shared goals and metrics
• Serve as a key advisor to the VPSA on matters of equity and belonging
• Additionally, serve as the Vice President's Division representative on various campus-wide standing committees as assigned
• Build a cohesive and interconnected team
• Recruiting, professionally developing, supervising, supporting, and evaluating departmental staff
• Provide oversight and direction to ensure alignment of these programs with institutional goals for equity, retention, and student success
• Develop and implement programs that improve retention and graduation rates for underrepresented student populations
• Advocate for resources and policies that promote an inclusive learning environment and reduce systemic barriers to equity
• Partner with Academic Affairs to design and implement initiatives that support the academic achievement of underrepresented students
• Work collaboratively to ensure that academic support services align with the needs of diverse student populations
• Work closely with the DEI office to develop inclusive policies, practices, and initiatives that address institutional barriers and foster an equitable campus environment
• Collaborate on campus-wide training and programming to promote diversity and inclusion
• Create evaluations and utilize pre-existing data to identify trends to inform decision making and direction of programming
• Lead efforts to analyze equity gaps and use evidence-based practices to reduce gaps
• Provide regular reports and recommendations to senior leadership
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, and community partners, to build a network of support for equity initiatives
• Represent the Division of Student Affairs in a liaison role with communities and organizations that represent the identities of SJSU's students including religious communities, campus and community diversity groups, and culturally based faculty-staff associations
• Oversee budgeting, resource allocation, and staff management for units under the AVP's supervision
• Ensure efficient use of resources to maximize impact on student retention and success outcomes

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated ability in developing and carrying out assessment of strategic goals and evidence of a strong background in data-informed decision making
• Demonstrated ability and commitment to establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships within a diverse, multicultural environment
• Demonstrated ability to hire, supervise and train director level staff
• Demonstrated expertise in contract review and development, fiscal cycle processes and operations
• Demonstrated knowledge of complex leadership, supervision and organizational theories applied at the unit, division and university levels
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, particularly in the areas of giving vision and direction to staff and working effectively with internal and external constituents
• Demonstrated knowledge of student development theories relevant to a metropolitan university with a diverse student population, appropriate best practices, and demonstrated sensitivity and understanding of the needs of a large and diverse student body
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriately handle sensitive communications within the university and with external agencies
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple work priorities, organize, and plan work effectively, in a professional manner, in a detail oriented and fast paced environment
• Demonstrated commitment to collaborative teamwork across academic and student affairs divisions, as well as other divisions, to build a sound campus environment for all
• Demonstrated ability to research, understand and apply a variety of state, federal, CSU, and SJSU policies and procedures
• Demonstrated ability to lead individuals in team effort to accomplish institutional and divisional goals and objectives
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant software applications including word processing, spreadsheets, and database management
• Demonstrated ability to be self-directed but work effectively as a collaborative team player
• Demonstrated ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, faculty, staff, students, media, and community members
• Demonstrated excellent customer service and public relations skills
• Ability to communicate with constituents in a professional and respectful manner

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion, or a related field
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in student services, equity, diversity, or a related field, preferably in higher education
• Demonstrated experience leading initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion and improve student success outcomes for marginalized students
• Strong understanding of higher education systems, student retention strategies, and issues related to access and equity
• Proven ability to collaborate with academic and administrative departments, including Academic Affairs and DEI offices
• Demonstrated ability to hire, supervise, train, and evaluate professional staff
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Experience managing staff, budgets, and institutional resources effectively

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree
• Familiarity with TRIO, EOP, Guardian Scholars, and other federal or state-funded support programs
• Experience working with culturally diverse student populations, including first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups
• Experience with data-driven decision-making and assessment of student outcomes

Compensation

Classification: Administrator IV
Anticipated Hiring Range: $14,583/month - $16,250/month
CSU Salary Range: $9,625/month - $30,896/month

The final hiring salary will be commensurate with experience.

San José State University offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary. For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary.

Application Procedure

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile. Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by January 29, 2025.

Please direct nominations and inquiries to SJSU-AVP-SEB@wittkieffer.com

Contact Information

Shelley Arakawa, J.D., Corin Edwards, M.Ed, and Jen Meyers Pickard, Ph.D.

SJSU-AVP-SEB@wittkieffer.com

CSU Vaccination Policy

The CSU strongly recommends that all individuals who access any in-person program or activity (on- or off-campus) operated or controlled by the University follow COVID-19 vaccine recommendations adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applicable to their age, medical condition, and other relevant indications and comply with other safety measures established by each campus. The system wide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ and questions may be sent to jobs@sjsu.edu.

Additional Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will issue a contingent offer of employment to the selected candidate, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was offered the position on a contingent basis.

The standard background check includes: criminal check, employment, and education verification. Depending on the position, a motor vehicle and/or credit check may be required. All background checks are conducted through the university's third-party vendor, Accurate Background. Some positions may also require fingerprinting. SJSU will pay all costs associated with this procedure. Evidence of required degree(s) or certification(s) will be required at time of hire.

SJSU IS NOT A SPONSORING AGENCY FOR STAFF OR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. (e.g. H1-B VISAS)

All San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Incumbent is also required to promptly report any knowledge of a possible Title IX related incident to the Title IX Office or report any discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation to the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and Campus Housing Fire Safety Notification: 

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is also available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.

Campus Security Authority - In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, this position is subject to ongoing review for designation as a Campus Security Authority. Individuals that are designated as Campus Security Authorities are required to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution and complete Clery Act training as determined by the university Clery Director.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University (SJSU) is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, race, religion or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, transgender, or protected veteran status consistent with applicable federal and state laws. This policy applies to all SJSU students, faculty and staff programs and activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus).