Presidential Search-Las Positas College
President Search Announcement, Position Profile and Application Procedure
The Position
The President of Las Positas College serves as the Chief Executive Officer and reports to the Chancellor of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, a two-college district. The President will be expected to provide strong leadership and advocate for the College in a growing and changing community. The President must demonstrate a high degree of integrity, innovation, and commitment to shared governance.
Las Positas College and the Community
The Chabot-Las Positas Community College District is in its 49th year of providing higher education opportunities to residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. Las Positas College was designated California’s 107th community college by the State Board of Governors in 1988. The College began in 1963 as an extension center of Chabot College. Located on a 147-acre site on the northern edge of the city of Livermore, overlooking the Livermore-Amador Valley, the College’s principal service area includes the Tri-Valley communities of Dublin, Pleasanton, Sunol, and Livermore located in Southern Alameda County.
The Tri-Valley combines the charm of a small community with the advantage of easy access to the cultural richness of the San Francisco Bay Area and the natural beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The Tri-Valley is one of the state’s regions gaining recognition for its science and emerging technology industries. The economic identity incorporates a mix of business specializations fueled by entrepreneurship and a strong agricultural emphasis based on a rapidly growing wine industry.
At Las Positas College, students approach their studies in a diligent and dedicated manner and are supported by competent, student-centered faculty and staff. Academic rigor is maintained in a friendly, personal atmosphere through a variety of degree and certificate programs. The College offers 24 Occupational Associate Degrees, 17 Transfer Associate Degrees, and 44 Certificate Programs. The College enjoys strong supportive partnerships with industry leaders such as Safeway, General Motors, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories.
During the 2009-10 academic year, the campus community embarked on the journey of writing its future history and is beginning to implement the dynamic, five-year Strategic Plan it developed. This strategic planning process-involving faculty, staff, students, administrators, and community members-set the foundation for future directions, as well as the development and assessment of programs, services, and facilities at the institution.
The Strategic Plan is designed to serve a projected student population growth to 12,000 over the next five years, while recognizing that a climate for development is created by community and work force needs, innovation, and leveraging resources. As a part of its previous Master Plan process, Las Positas College developed a Facilities Modernization Program which-together with funding from a Bond approved by local voters-provided the roadmap and resources for the College build-out. This expansion of the campus covered state-of-the-art facilities, including the now-completed Physical Education Complex, housing a gymnasium and instructional areas; the Multi-Disciplinary Building, providing more than 36,000-square-feet of classrooms, lecture hall, and lab space; the Aquatics Center, featuring two swimming pools for instruction, competition, and recreation; a multi-use athletic field; a new parking lot, bringing 500 more parking spaces to campus; and the recently-opened Barbara Fracisco Mertes Center for the Arts, with a 500-seat main theater, 1,500-seat amphitheater, and classroom space. In addition, slated for completion in 2010 is the Child Development Center, followed by a new Student Services and Administration Building and expansion of the Science Building. The campus is fully equipped with “smart” classrooms, and faculty and staff embrace the use of technology to support delivery of programs and services.
Las Positas College has 95 full-time faculty and more than 300 adjunct faculty, all of whom are supported by an active Academic Senate. These individuals bring expertise to the campus, exude energy, and pursue professional growth opportunities to provide excellence in the instructional experience. The Classified and Student Senate, staff development programs and advisory committees, support the many academic and student services programs. Innovation, a welcoming environment, and pride in the institution are hallmarks of the campus. The staff is distinguished by its vitality, creativity, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of the students it serves. The College’s student population reflects the diversity of the greater Tri-Valley Area: 4% African American; 11% Asian; 17% Hispanic; and 53% Caucasian.
Challenges and Opportunities
In addition to the multiple roles and responsibilities of all excellent campus presidents, the new Las Positas College President must be able to:
· Support new and existing innovative programs and services which continue the college's reputation for excellence and lead to student success.
· Create a campus climate characterized by inclusiveness, participatory government, and respect for all constituents.
· Be skilled, creative, and efficient in the acquisition, allocation, and management of the college's fiscal resources.
· Implement the college's recently completed Strategic Plan.
· Sustain smart enrollment growth in a time of diminishing resources.
· Recruit, retain, and promote the success of a student body, staff, faculty, and administration that is reflective of the communities' diversity.
· Be highly visible in the community, expand the strong links between the college and the community through a variety of partnerships, and promote the value of the college through community.
· Build a cohesive and highly functional senior administrative team, delegate responsibility appropriately and hold individuals accountable.
· Support the continuing development, implementation, and sustainability of
state-of-the-art instructional technologies.
· Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of leading a college campus within a multi-college district and advocate for the college while being a key member of the Chancellor's Cabinet.
Ideal Characteristics
The successful new President will:
· Be passionately committed to the mission of the comprehensive community college within a multi-college district.
· Champion innovative teaching and learning with a focus of student success.
· Relate well and interact regularly with students and student leaders.
· Practice shared governance, collaboration, and collegiality and make decisions transparent in a timely manner.
· Possess superb knowledge and skills related to fiscal management and the ability to acquire new resources.
· Demonstrate excellent management, organizational and planning skills and processes.
· Build partnerships with leaders in business and industry, P-16 education, and community-based organizations.
· Model and encourage a high level of energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and innovation.
· Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and a sense of humor.
· Encourage open respectful dialogue among campus constituencies.
· Be visible, approachable, and accessible on campus and in the community.
· Operate ethically and with a high level of integrity and expect the same of others.
· Inspire, empower, and delegate.
· Be an experienced and politically savvy leader.
· Commit to the college district and community, and provide stability and continuity.
Required Qualifications
1. An earned doctorate from an accredited institution.
2. A minimum of four years successful senior-level administrative experience in an institution of higher education.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of effective teaching and learning processes at the college level
4. Demonstrated sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students
Application Procedure
Nominations and applications will be accepted until the position in filled. However, to ensure full consideration, individuals should submit a complete application prior to April 22, 2011. This is a confidential search process.
To apply, please submit these four (4) separate documents:
- A letter of application that succinctly addresses the challenges and opportunities identified and how your experience and professional qualifications prepare you to serve the needs of the college (nottoexceed5pages).
- A current professional vitae including an email address and telephone numbers.
- A reference list with the name, home and business telephone numbers and email address of eight (8) references: three (3) supervisors (including one board member), two (2) direct reports, and three (3) faculty members from current or former institutions.
- Candidate Cover Sheet which is a one-page synopsis of your professional career.
You will find the Candidate Cover Sheet template posted at: www.clpccd.org
Salary and benefits are competitive with similar positions in California Community Colleges. The successful candidate should be available for employment in July 2011.
Submit electronic application to:
AND
Additionally, send a hard copy of the entire application packet to:
Presidential Search Committee, Attention: Ms. Audrey Ching
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District
5020 Franklin Dr., Pleasanton, CA 94588
For additional information about the position, visit the district's website at: www.clpccd.org
For confidential inquiries or to make a nomination, please contact:
Dr. Pamila Fisher, ACCT Search Consultant
or (406) 570-0516
or
Dr. Narcisa Polonio, Vice President
Board Leadership Services, ACCT
or (202) 775-4670 or (202) 276-1983 (cell)
It is the policy of this District to provide equal opportunity in all areas of employment practices and to assure that there shall be no discrimination against any person on the basis of sex, ancestry, age, marital status, race, religious creed, mental disability, medical condition (including HIV and AIDS), color, national origin, physical disability, family or sexual preference status and other similar factors in compliance with Title IX, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, other federal and state non-discrimination regulations, and its own statements of philosophy of objectives. The District encourages the filing of applications by both sexes, ethnic minorities, and the disabled.
Selection Process
All completed applications and materials will be screened by the search committee which includes faculty, staff, administrators, students and community members to ensure that the minimum required qualifications stated in the job announcement are met.
Those candidates who meet the minimum required qualifications and most closely reflect the desired job related priorities and ideal characteristics will be invited to the District for an interview.
The Chancellor will interview the finalists and public forums will be held at Las Positas College.
The new President will be expected to assume duties on or about July 2011.
Salary and Benefits
Salary, length of contract, and other terms and conditions of employment will be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Las Positas College has been fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1991.
Mission Statement
Las Positas College is an inclusive, learning-centered institution providing educational opportunities that meet the academic, intellectual, career-technical, creative, and personal development goals of its diverse students. Students develop the knowledge, skills, values, and abilities to become engaged and contributing members of the community.
Vision Statement
Las Positas College meets our students and community where they are and creates experiences for them that build their capacity, speak to their potential, and transform their lives.
Values Statement
Las Positas College thrives as a teaching and learning community committed to integrity and excellence. To nourish this environment and enrich the communities that the College serves, we:
Promote and celebrate lifelong learning;
Anticipate and meet the needs of the ever-changing workplace;
Demonstrate social and environmental responsibility;
Promote tolerance and mutual respect in a diverse community;
Foster a climate of discovery and creativity and;
Hold firm to the belief that each of us makes an astonishing difference.
* AN ACCT SEARCH *