Smith College, one of the largest independent women’s colleges in the country, seeks a strategic leader, skilled administrator, and collaborative campus partner to serve as its vice president for equity and inclusion (VPEI). Reporting directly to the president, Kathleen McCartney, serving on the senior cabinet and overseeing the Office for Equity and Inclusion (OEI), the VPEI will be a highly respected leader with a strong commitment to the liberal arts, to the mission of a women’s college and to the educational value of inclusive excellence. The VPEI will play a pivotal role in ensuring that the ideals of equity and inclusion espoused in the college’s broader mission are not only inherent in the relationships and activities of Smith’s students, staff, and faculty, but also sustained in durable and scalable institutional practices and processes.

The overarching goals of the VPEI will be to promote and implement the equity and inclusion strategic direction set for the college and to cultivate an environment in which all Smith community members thrive and feel a sense of belonging. Creating an inclusive environment is not the responsibility of one person or a single office alone. The new leader will play a critical role in advising the college leadership and providing them with the strategies, skills, coaching and training they need in order to foster a culture of equity and inclusion among staff, faculty and students. The VPEI will coordinate initiatives to develop the skills to bridge differences and to debate and disagree respectfully. The VPEI will lead and oversee the development and administration of all equity and inclusion related strategic plans, policies, initiatives, programs and assessments. The VPEI will collaborate with leaders across the institution to respond to emerging issues, ideas, and challenges and think proactively about how best to position the college in the decade ahead.

The job of the VPEI requires five main skill sets:

• expertise in equity, inclusion and diversity initiatives in higher education
• tactical skills to manage the day to day work
• strategic skills to develop and execute plans and to advise on difficult issues
• emotional intelligence and the ability to build strong relationships and rapport with students, faculty and staff
• the expertise to initiate assessment tools, evaluate data and make evidence-based recommendations

Sabrina Singh is leading this search with Joanna Cook.

Smith College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or veteran status in the recruitment and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations.

Smith College has retained the services of Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in conducting this important search. Confidential inquires, nominations/referrals, and resumes should be sent electronically and in confidence to Sabrina Singh, Managing Associate, Joanna Cook, Senior Associate Isaacson, Miller http://www.imsearch.com/6851

Smith College is an EO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer