PRESIDENT

Highline College PresidentHighline College seeks an innovative, collaborative, and mission-driven leader to serve as its next President. As one of the most diverse colleges in the country, Highline College is deeply committed to social justice, student success, and creating equitable pathways that empower students to achieve their educational and professional goals. The President will lead this dynamic institution in advancing a vision of belonging, closing opportunity gaps, and strengthening partnerships that enhance the economic and social vitality of the globally diverse communities it serves. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the President will provide strategic leadership that advances Highline's commitment to access, learning, community engagement, and organizational excellence while ensuring the long-term sustainability and impact of the College.Highline College stands at a pivotal and exciting moment in its history. The institution is engaged in a comprehensive transformation designed to strengthen student success, advance equity, and position the college for long-term sustainability and impact. Highline is reimagining how it serves its diverse communities through intentional, institution-wide change.The next president will inherit an institution with significant momentum and a community eager to continue this important work. The successful candidate will embrace and accelerate these transformational efforts by leading with courage, inclusivity, and strategic vision, building trust across the campus community, and ensuring that Highline's commitment to equity and student success translates into measurable and enduring impact. The president will have a unique opportunity to guide a college that is not merely adapting to change, but intentionally redefining what an equitable, student-centered college can be.Highline College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the United States Department of Education.The Board of Trustees is a five-member board that is appointed by the Governor of the State of Washington and confirmed by the Washington State Senate. The role of the Board is to oversee all operations of the College. On behalf of the people of the state of Washington, the five-member Board of Trustees governs Highline College by providing strategic perspective and definitive leadership in determining the programs to be provided by the College and by specifying the guiding policies and principles the President will use in operating the College.As a South King County college striving for social justice, Highline College partners with global students as they envision, plan and achieve their educational and professional goals.Highline College creates anti-racist, equitable pathways in higher education to close opportunity gaps experienced by our students. We support employees to foster the conditions for student and workplace equity. We accept people as they are and honor the life experience they bring. We are cultivating a collaborative learning community that centers the well-being of the whole person and provides a sense of belonging. We highly regard the families and support systems that enable our success and acknowledge that by working together we are limitless.Highline College seeks to live out these values in everyday practice: Accessibility, Accountability, Cultural Responsiveness and Agency, Environmental Sustainability, Equity-First Focus, Life Long Learning, Partnership with local and global communities, Respect, Social Justice, Student Centered Approaches and Transparency.No matter who students are or where they come from, they are welcome at Highline College. As one of the most diverse colleges in the United States, Highline prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for all students, faculty, and staff, as evidenced through its Mission, Vision, and Values and its unwavering commitment to educational equity and social justice.Students come to Highline with unique personal experiences, beliefs, identities, and perspectives. Representing more than 100 countries and speaking more than 120 languages, Highline's vibrant and globally diverse community is one of the institution's defining strengths. The College celebrates this richness and intentionally creates an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.Highline has earned national recognition for its commitment to student success and equity, including multiple recognitions from the Aspen Institute as one of the nation's top community colleges. The College is also a statewide leader in Guided Pathways implementation and equity-centered institutional transformation, continuously redesigning systems and practices to eliminate barriers and improve outcomes for historically underserved students.Highline's commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond representation, it is embedded in the institution's culture, strategic priorities, and decision-making. The College is dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging for all members of its community and to ensuring that every student, regardless of background or circumstance, has equitable opportunities to achieve their educational and professional goals and contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve.The Strategic Plan for Equitable Student Success is a living document that guides the development of annual work plans. At the beginning of the 2022-2023 academic year, the College adopted a set of strategic goals and objectives to guide the College in accomplishing its mission.Aligned with Highline College Mission, Vision and Values, four broad goals anchor the Strategic Plan for Equitable Student Success to focus actions are:Access – Increase equitable and representative access to postsecondary educational and career opportunities that lead to social and economic mobility in Highline's service area.Learning – Increase equitable learning, retention, completion and transfer rates, and improve labor market outcomes using evidence-based innovation and high-impact practices in and out of the classroom.Community – Increase breadth and depth of partnerships with K-12, other postsecondary institutions, community-based organizations, employers and government that align with Highline's strategic priorities and contribute to economic and social vibrancy of communities it serves.Culture & Capacity – Become an anti-racist college through intentional development of employees, facilities, and systems that support student success and close equity gaps.Highline College offers over 100 degrees and certificates and eight career pathways. No matter where a student is headed, Highline gives them a place to start. Whether they want to earn an associate degree and transfer to a university, complete their bachelor's degree in King County, or gain hands-on training for their dream job, Highline offers them a place to start.Highline College operates with an annual institutional budget of nearly $90 million, providing the resources necessary to advance its mission of educational excellence, student success, and community impact. Approximately 52 percent of the College's operating revenues are derived from state allocations, reflecting both the institution's strong partnership with the State of Washington and the importance of effective advocacy and stewardship at the state level. The balance of revenues is generated through tuition, grants and contracts, auxiliary enterprises, and other self-supporting activities that collectively support the College's educational mission and strategic priorities.The President serves as the chief executive officer of the College and is responsible for the effective management and stewardship of institutional resources. This includes providing strategic oversight of financial operations, budgeting, enrollment management, facilities, technology, human resources, risk management, and long-range planning to ensure the College's sustainability and success. The President must demonstrate strong business acumen, utilizing data-informed decision-making to allocate resources effectively, improve operational performance, and maintain fiscal responsibility. Working collaboratively with the Board, executive cabinet, faculty, staff, and external partners, the President will identify opportunities for innovation, revenue growth, and operational efficiencies while ensuring that all business decisions support the College's mission, enhance student outcomes, and position the institution for long-term success.