"Provost & Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs"

The Institution

Onondaga Community College (OCC), a comprehensive community college in Syracuse, New York, and a member of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, invites applications and nominations in the search for its next Provost & Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. The College is financially healthy and experiencing remarkable enrollment growth. It has also positioned itself to continue to grow as the population of Central New York is expected to double over the coming years. The next Provost will help lead the College through this critical period of growth.

Onondaga Community College was founded in 1961. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and operates under the SUNY System. It has two locations: a 280-acre main campus in Syracuse, New York, which includes four residence halls, and a nearby satellite location in Liverpool, New York. OCC is one of 30 community colleges throughout New York State and is locally sponsored by Onondaga County. The College serves the educational and economic development needs of the region and proudly boasts more than 40,000 alumni. Through its four academic Schools, OCC educates over 13,000 students and offers 39 two-year degree programs that serve as transfer opportunities to baccalaureate degree programs at four-year institutions or for direct entry to the workforce. OCC also offers six certificate and nine microcredential training programs that can typically be completed in one year. OCC has transfer agreements with 14 four-year institutions and offers more than 20 2+2 dual admission programs. The College employs 131 full-time and 447 adjunct faculty who are dedicated to student success and providing transformative education. Over the last three years, OCC has realized considerable year-over-year enrollment increases and expects this trend to persist as the semiconductor industry in New York state continues its rapid growth. OCC currently enjoys a strong partnership with Micron Technology Inc., which is building the largest semiconductor fabrication center in the history of the United States in Onondaga County. This partnership has led to paid internship opportunities; responsive academic programming that prepares students for careers within the semiconductor and related industries; the construction of the Micron Cleanroom Simulation Lab; an annual Micron-sponsored Chip Camp for 6th graders; and a new Pre-college Summer Semiconductor Program. Helping students succeed is a key element of OCC’s Strategic Plan, and the College partners with Achieving the Dream, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all students succeed, regardless of income or race. OCC is annually recognized nationally as a Military Friendly School for its commitment to Student Veterans, and the College’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility has helped it earn recognition as one of “The 10 Best Green Schools in America 2018” by The Knowledge Review, a “Green College” by the Princeton Review, and a “Cool School” by the Sierra Club. Additionally, athletics continue to be a pillar of student involvement on campus and OCC’s 17 athletics teams, The Lazers, have won 16 national championships including men's lacrosse, men's basketball, track and field, and women's lacrosse.

Onondaga is a diverse educational learning community and is committed to creating and maintaining an atmosphere where individuality is not only recognized but also encouraged to contribute to the fabric of the campus environment. For more information about OCC, visit https://www.sunyocc.edu.

The Position

Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the Executive Council, the Provost & Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs has broad responsibilities for the planning, development, assessment, and administration of OCC's educational programs and student support services. They serve as the Chief Academic Officer and also supervise the Dean of Students. They must provide effective leadership and management to ensure the quality of the educational experience. The Provost is expected to provide leadership, vision, direction, and advocacy for faculty and for all members of the Academic Affairs staff. The Provost will ensure clear direction for the leadership team of Academic & Student Affairs and will promote collaborative efforts and ensure highly effective communication and cooperation among all departments. The Provost will assume a key role in strategic planning and outcomes assessment; program review and program development; faculty development; academic and student support services; and resource allocation. The Provost will promote academic excellence and integrity and will lead innovations in programs and services that respond in a timely manner to a rapidly changing environment. The Provost will provide vision, support, and direction for a comprehensive array of support services designed to enhance students' success in meeting their educational goals. Major responsibilities include the following:

• In support of the College's strategic plan, work with faculty to plan, develop, execute, and assess academic programs, including appropriate non-credit and workforce development programs.
• Oversee the creation and implementation of annual operational plans for each area of supervision, and provide administrative oversight to each.
• Oversee the systematic and routine assessment of all academic programs and student services to ensure continuous improvement. Work effectively with faculty to implement necessary improvements.
• Facilitate clear, cohesive, and effective working relationships between and among all Academic & Student Affairs departments and employees in the interest of student success.
• Guide activities of the Academic Deans in achieving institutional objectives, evaluate progress toward goals and objectives, and promote continuous improvement.
• Effectively and accurately communicate interests and needs for academic and service areas to the administration, and institutional interests and needs to faculty, staff, and students.
• Serve as the primary contact for local, state, and federal agencies, including SUNY, in matters pertaining to the academic program and support services.
• Oversee the systematic and ongoing evaluation of divisional and relevant institutional policies to ensure consistent application thereof, and, in cooperation with the Academic & Student Affairs leadership team, formulate and update policies, subject to presidential and trustee approval as needed, concerning all facets of the division.
• Actively work with grants and development staff to secure additional support of educational programs.
• Maintain compliance with employee bargaining unit contracts and participate in the negotiating process as needed.
• Serve as or appoint a designee to hear grievances as defined within the bargaining unit contracts, as applicable.
• Work collaboratively with the College's Middle States liaison, acting as Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO).
• Maintain highly effective communication and working relationships with other Executive Council members and employees of the College, keeping them informed of current activities and working collaboratively with them to achieve institutional priorities in a spirit of joint endeavor.
• Perform other related duties as assigned within the scope of the position.

Qualifications

Minimum requirements include an earned doctorate from a college or university accredited by a Regional Accrediting Organization; two academic years of full-time faculty undergraduate teaching experience at a college or university; and progressively responsible academic administrative experience at a college or university, including two years of experience at or above the level of Dean or Division Chair.

Additional preferred qualifications include the following:

• Demonstrated commitment to the community college mission.
• Community college teaching experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to shared governance and a collegial environment.
• Demonstrated successful experience in curricular and program development and assessment, as well as development and assessment of support programs.
• Experience with and/or knowledge of student success activities (i.e. tutoring, TRIO programs, etc.) or student affairs.
• A strong record of commitment to meeting student needs, including the effective use of online learning and other alternative teaching methods to optimize course delivery, student engagement and innovative scheduling.
• Demonstrated successful experience in strategic planning, fiscal management, resource allocation, and supervision of personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to work with all employees and students as well as community groups of diverse academics, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.
• Demonstrated commitment to the employment and development of an ethnically and culturally diverse workforce.
• A sense of humor and leadership style that emphasizes collaboration, team building, accessibility, and open communication.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish; English and other languages considered.

Additional Information

The salary range for this position is $117,691 - $170,000, commensurate with credentials and relevant experience. Onondaga Community College offers a generous and competitive benefits package including New York State Local Retirement System (pension) or an Optional Retirement Plan 401(a) and excellent health, dental, and vision insurance plans. Onondaga Community College also participates in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program for eligible borrowers.

Application

To be considered, please submit a resume and cover letter via OCC’s job portal: https://sunyocc.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=191449&CNTRNO=7&TSTMP=1755536886287. The three (3) references listed on the application must be professional references, one of which must be a current or former supervisor. Finalists will be contacted prior to references being checked. Offers are contingent upon the completion of a background check, and official transcripts are required upon hire. All finalists will be required to complete a personality assessment, Pondera Virtual Advisor, as part of the interview process. If you have any questions or wish to schedule a confidential conversation to discuss the position, please contact RPA Inc. executive search leads, Isaac Karaffa, Vice President and Senior Consultant, or Dana John Cohick, President, at OnondagaProvost@RPAinc.org. Applications will be accepted until the role is filled; however, to ensure full consideration, we ask candidates to apply by September 30, 2025.

The College prohibits, and will not tolerate, discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics or carrier status*, military status (including U.S. Veteran status), domestic violence victim status, prior criminal conviction that is unrelated to the employee's job, or any other characteristic protected by law. The College will comply with all applicable equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training.