President Southwest Virginia Community College

President Southwest Virginia Community College

Job Description
The Virginia Community College System and Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) invites applications for the next President, to begin July 1, 2025. SWCC is one of the 23 comprehensive community colleges and 40 campuses that make up Virginia’s Community Colleges. The College operates under policies established by the State Board for Community Colleges, whose members are appointed by the Governor. The institution is financed primarily by State funds supplemented by contributions from the participating localities.

Founded in 1967, Southwest Virginia Community College campus sits on 90 acres with ten buildings, comprising nearly 250,000 square feet, plus four tennis courts, three basketball courts, one baseball field, one softball field, and one soccer field. The college also manages offsite locations in the cities of Bluefield, Lebanon, and Grundy. Southwest Virginia Community College is a two year institution of higher education established as a part of a state-wide system of community colleges with a physical service area covering the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson (partial), Russell, and Tazewell.

SWCC is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader to serve as President. The President is responsible for providing strategic direction, leadership, and oversight to ensure the college fulfills its mission of providing accessible, high-quality education and training to the community.

The Virginia Community College System aims to become a model institution for diversity and invites multicultural professionals from all backgrounds to contribute to its aspiration for building an inclusive community where everyone is given equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

Success Factors

Our college looks forward to finding our next president. The next president will have a proven record of building relationships and engaging the community and other external partners in fostering access and student success. The president will exercise strong leadership, seek continuous improvement, communicate openly and consistently, and foster positive change through transparency, integrity and collaboration both internally and externally.

The next president will be a skilled strategist able to envision, propose, and implement change with a proven record of engaging the college, community, and other external partners in improving student access and success. The president will develop and maintain strong leadership teams; seek continuous improvement; and foster positive change. This leader will build successful partnerships with highly diverse stakeholders and advance fundraising efforts. Internally, she/he will ensure operational efficiency, fiscal strength, and college affordability, while building sustainability of programs to meet the needs of the students and community at large. An understanding of the mission and goals of a comprehensive community college in the 21st Century and appreciation for rural colleges are essential characteristics, along with a clear commitment to instruction, student success, generating revenues and community involvement.

College Priorities

Southwest Local Advisory Board, whose members are appointed by the jurisdictions in the service region, and the community have identified specific priorities for its next leader. These priorities include:

• Fostering student success (e.g., retention, completion, transfer).
• Articulating and pursuing a clear vision for the college’s future.
• Providing programs that lead to enhanced job/career prospects for students and graduates.
• Providing convenient access to courses, programs, and services.

In addition to the local college board’s priorities, the VCCS will prioritize its strategic plan, Accelerate Opportunity 2030, student engagement, technology, K-12 and industry partnerships, and leadership that relies upon data to drive decisions.

KSA’s/Required Qualifications
Qualified candidates must have an earned doctorate and demonstrated successful senior executive experience at the highest levels.

Key Characteristics for Successful Candidates

• Significant responsibility for programs, budgets, personnel, facilities, and other appropriate administrative duties.
• Proven leadership abilities
• Excellent communication skills
• A collaborative administrative style
• A servant leadership perspective that focuses on building environments of high trust
• Demonstrated commitment to ensuring an inclusive environment and equitable access and success for students from diverse backgrounds
• Experience with taking data-informed strategic risks
• Ability to successfully navigate change
• Experience with building relationships with leaders from K-12, business, industry, government, and the community at large
• Ability to secure financial and program resources to increase student success
• Ability to communicate a vision for the college based on the identified priorities

Special Instructions to Applicants:
In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth’s Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly called a Certificate of Disability) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans may also apply via the AHP if they also provide an AHP Letter. To request an AHP Letter, use this link: https://www.dars.virginia.gov/drs/cpid/PWContact.aspx or call DARS at 800-552-5019, or DBVI at 800-622-2155

Link to Apply https://jobs.vccs.edu/postings/79882

Background Check Statement Disclaimer
The selected candidate’s offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background investigation, which may include: fingerprint checks, local agency checks, employment verification, verification of education, credit checks (relevant to employment). Additionally, selected candidates may be required to complete the Commonwealth’s Statement of Economic Interest. For more information, please follow this link: http://ethics.dls.virginia.gov/

The selected candidate’s offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background investigation, which may include: fingerprint checks, local agency checks, employment verification, verification of education, credit checks (relevant to employment). Additionally, selected candidates may be required to complete the Commonwealth’s Statement of Economic Interest. For more information, please follow this link:  http://ethics.dls.virginia.gov/

The VCCS is an EOE and Affirmative Action Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Acts (ADA and ADAAA), VCCS will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of access to the application, interviewing and selection processes.

VCCS uses E-Verify to check employee eligibility to work in the United States. You will be required to complete an I-9 form and provide documentation of your identity for employment purposes.