Executive Director for Educational Excellence & Retention

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About Westfield State University:

In 1839, Westfield State University was founded on the ideals of Horace Mann who sought to improve society through education. We were the first public education institution without barrier to race, gender or economic class. The spirit of innovative thinking and social responsibility is forged in a curriculum of liberal arts and professional studies contributing to the development of knowledge, skills, and character essential for students to become responsible leaders and engaged citizens.


Westfield State is a highly residential campus with approximately 55% of our 3,100 full-time undergraduate students living on campus. The campus is ideally situated on the edge of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts just 30 minutes from the thriving cultural centers of Springfield, Northampton, and Amherst with a selection of museums, theater, collegiate and minor league sports, hiking trails, and restaurants. The University is within 1.5 hours of Boston and Albany and within 3 hours of New York City and the Green Mountain range of Vermont.


Thank You for Your Interest in Becoming a Westfield State Community Member


You are welcome here. You can advance your career and make a difference here. We invite you to bring your whole self and talents to Westfield State University. The University seeks applicants whose record of teaching, student advising, research, and administration positions them to contribute to the everyday practice of our institutional values.


Our Values


Westfield State commits to values that strengthen a common bond among all members of our community and promotes a rich campus environment.

• Embrace Diversity - We treat all members of our community with dignity and respect.
• Maintain Excellence and Integrity - We maintain excellence and integrity in all that we do.
• Collaborate with Each Other - We make decisions in a transparent and collaborative manner.
• Provide Accessible Education - We commit to providing an accessible, affordable public higher education for all.
• Build a Strong Community - We are inclusive and ensure equity, supporting the personal development of all community members, and embracing multiple perspectives.
• Engage the Outside Community - We support civic engagement in local, regional, and global initiatives.

Job Description:

Campus Title: Executive Director for Educational Excellence and Retention

State Job Title: Executive Director

Department: Academic Affairs

Job Code: HA6200

FLSA Status: Exempt

Funding: 1596-2439 SUCCESS Grant*

Bargaining Unit: APA

Job Type: Full-Time

Timeframe: 52 weeks/year

Shift: Standard business hours

Regular Days Off: Saturday and Sunday

Supervision Received: The Executive Director reports to the Provost.

Supervision Exercised: Student Support Offices in Academic Affairs

Salary: $110,000 to $115,000 Annually (salary commensurate with education and experience)


*This is a grant-funded position. Continued employment beyond the grant period is contingent upon the availability of funding and institutional need. Upon the grant's conclusion, the position will be evaluated for potential adoption and funding by Westfield State University.



INTERNAL JOB POSTING: This position is currently open to internal WSU employees only. External applicants are welcome to apply for other available positions as listed on our Careers page.


General Statement of Duties:
The Executive Director will focus their efforts on working with various offices to improve retention at WSU, with a particular focus on implementing and assessing institutional plans related to the SUCCESS funding program and supporting at-risk students.


Duties and Responsibilities:
Duties include but not limited to:

Essential:

• Advance the University's values-based culture by fostering academic excellence and integrity.
• Provide strategic leadership toward the goals of student success, academic quality, and institutional retention.
• Contribute to the creation and adoption of new and enhancement of existing high-impact academic practices.
• Oversee and ensure student access to academic support systems, networks, technologies, and campus resources.
• Provide leadership for the development of data analytics to serve in implementing strategies to attract and retain students in conjunction with partners in Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.
• Working with Institutional Research, lead efforts within Academic Affairs to increase student retention and graduation rates, including working with other offices to develop effective strategies and methodologies to assess the effectiveness of those strategies.
• Oversee the development, implementation, assessment, and reporting of initiatives related to the SUCCESS pilot program.
• Supervise student support offices in Academic Affairs, particularly the Course Achievement Center and Academic Advising and Transfer Transition.
• Serve as a University expert and thought leader on promoting the success of underserved students.
• Develop assessment plans to measure outcomes of the initiatives related to the SUCCESS pilot program and other student success initiatives, as well as conduct analysis of data related to those outcomes.
• Serve as the liaison between WSU and the Commonwealth, Department of Higher Education, and other involved parties, in implementing and assessing the SUCCESS grant.
• Prepare, as requested, reports for the Cabinet, the President and external stakeholders including the Board of Trustees and the Commonwealth. Communicate new initiatives and solicit input from the faculty.
• Understand and operationalize best practices in student success, outcomes assessment, and cognate literatures as they relate to student success initiatives.
• Utilize current institutional resources to develop models of student success at Westfield State, in particular the WSU 360 (Starfish) platform, and develop and execute plans to increase usage of these platforms across campus.
• Serve on University committees as assigned by the Provost.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Qualifications:

• Master's degree required.
• Significant and successful experience in higher education administration, including budgetary and personnel responsibilities.
• Ability to collect, analyze, and report data. Ability to develop and implement assessment plans.
• Experience working within a state system of higher education.
• Demonstrated commitment to student success in educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs, especially Excel.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Experience working both independently and within a team environment.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.

Additional Information:

Salary:


Salaries for current Westfield State University employees and individuals currently working for the state of Massachusetts must be calculated individually in accordance with collective bargaining agreements as well as state policies. State job specifications may be found on the Department of Higher Education's webpage .


Employee Benefits:


Benefits are an important component of an employee's total compensation package.

• Health Insurance: Westfield State offers a variety of HMO, POS, and PPO-type health insurance plans for eligible employees. Coverage is effective on the 1st of the month following the date of hire. Exceptions to employees hired on the 1st of the month, coverage is effective immediately.
• Retirement: the MA State Employee Retirement System provides eligible employees with a retirement pension following a 10-year vesting period. In lieu of the retirement pension, eligible employees may select the Optional Retirement Plan with a maximum 5% employer matching contribution.
• Tuition Waivers & Discounts: eligible employees, including spouses and dependent children, receive reduced tuition at MA state colleges, community colleges, and universities.
• Paid Time Off: employees receive 12 paid holidays and generous vacation, personal, and sick leave benefits.
• Additional information regarding employee benefits is available on the University's Benefits & Wellness webpage .

Disability Accommodations


Westfield State University is committed to the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and will ensure the availability of reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io or visit us in the Horace Mann Building, 1st floor.


Background Check


Employment is contingent upon the successful completion and review of a background check. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration.

Application Instructions:

An on-line application is required. The successful candidate must submit an official transcript at the time of hire. Interested candidates should electronically attach the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Contact information for three references *
• Copy of unofficial transcript of highest degree

* Provide the contact information for reference providers in the reference section of the online application.


Deadline: The job posting will be open a minimum of ten days and, if needed, will remain open until finalists have been selected.


Please Note: Each newly posted position includes a 90-day interval between the posting date and the anticipated start date. This allows time for the full recruitment process, including application review, interviews, and final hiring approvals .


If you need assistance completing your application please contact our online Help Desk . The link to the help desk can be found at the top of the page via Contact Us.
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