"President"

Columbia College is seeking a dynamic, innovative, visionary, and strategic leader to serve as the College's next President. Located in Columbia, MO, Columbia College is a private, coeducational, liberal arts and sciences institution that takes pride in its small classes, experienced faculty, and quality educational programs. Offering certificate programs, associate, bachelor's and master's degrees, the College features a traditional campus and active evening program in Columbia, Missouri; a national footprint of additional locations and centers that support all students; and a robust online presence.

Founded in 1851 as Christian Female College, Columbia opened its doors not just as a finishing school, but as a college for women. In 1970, the College evolved into a four-year, co-educational institution now known as Columbia College. In 1973, the military asked the College to extend its educational venues to military bases. In 1975, the College began offering evening programs to civilian adult learners. In 2000, the College further embraced the future of education by offering some of the nation's first online courses.

Today, Columbia College serves a diverse population of approximately 8,000 students, of which about 35% are military personnel. Approximately 46% of undergraduates self-identify as members of historically underrepresented groups, which includes more than 25% identifying as Black/African American and 11% identifying as Hispanic/Latino. More than 90% of students receive some form of financial aid. The College boasts in excess of 98,000 alumni worldwide and more than 37,000 military-affiliated alumni.

Columbia College participates in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a member of the American Midwest Conference. The College sponsors 17 teams: seven men's and 10 women's. The College also sponsors an Esports program. More than 50% of the traditional student population participates in athletics.

Columbia, MO offers small-town friendliness with big-city features and a high quality of life for people of all ages and interests. Although the city was founded on education, its location also makes it an attractive spot for businesses and travelers. Located in the middle of the state and the nation, Columbia is just a couple hours' drive from both St. Louis and Kansas City and serves as the County's largest population center with approximately 130,000 residents.

The President serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the College with responsibility for ensuring the success of the institution's mission, academic integrity, fiscal stability, enrollment, fundraising efforts, personnel development, and physical plant management consistent with the goals and objectives of the strategic plan. The President will provide dynamic and visionary leadership that ensures Columbia College continues to improve lives by providing quality education to both traditional and non-traditional students. In doing so, the President works closely with the Board of Trustees in developing, refining, communicating, and executing a strategy consistent with the overall mission and vision of the College. Overall, the President provides leadership for the College's approximately 70 full-time faculty members, 800 adjunct faculty members and 330 full-time staff members.

The ideal candidate will exhibit a passion and commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Columbia College, as well as demonstrate a belief in providing students with a strong liberal arts & sciences educational experience. This visionary, strategic, creative, and energetic leader will have a proven record of successful leadership and managerial skills, whether within or outside of an academic environment. He/she will also have an appreciation for, and desire to be part of, a student-centric community that is focused on the quality and value of all students and their success. With exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, this effective fundraiser with strong business management skills and financial acumen will exhibit a willingness to make decisions and take appropriate risks. The candidate should have appropriate academic credentials with a strong preference for a terminal degree; however, interested individuals with outstanding success in business, the military, or other professional career outside of academics are encouraged to apply. Compensation will be commensurate with experience including a competitive base salary, car allowance, comprehensive benefits package, and housing assistance.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to: CCPresident@buffkinbaker.com

At Columbia College, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds and belief systems to join our community. We are an equal opportunity institution that does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, citizenship status, veteran status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, parental status, marital status, age, disability, or any other protected status. Columbia College is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from underrepresented groups.