Shelton State Community College

Invites Applications and Nominations for

PRESIDENT

Shelton State Community College, one of Alabama’s largest community colleges, seeks a visionary and experienced senior administrator, who will provide exceptional leadership as the President. The President reports to the Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. Complete information is available in the Search Profile at http://www.myersmcrae.com/skins/userfiles/file/Shelton.pdf.

The college serves more than 4,800 students in west central Alabama. This presidency provides an excellent leadership opportunity for a well-experienced administrator who is committed to successfully preparing students for career paths that meet the area’s growing economic and workforce development needs.

Responsibilities - As the chief administrative and executive officer of the college, the President is responsible for administering and supervising the total college program of Shelton State Community College. The President will delegate authority and yet retain final responsibility for the effective operation of the college.

The President shall:

• Follow established policies and procedures of the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees and the Chancellor
• Follow established channels in relating the affairs of the college to the Chancellor and the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees
• Represent the needs of the college at the state and national levels by attending Presidents’ meetings, serving on special interest committees, and attending regional and national meetings as appropriate
• Appoint all faculty and staff of the institution in accordance with the prescribed procedures, assign their duties and responsibilities, and ensure periodic evaluation
• Report data and information in a timely and accurate manner to the Alabama Community College System office
• Manage the fiscal affairs of the college efficiently and economically
• Interpret the mission of the college to local business, industry, and civic interests
• Involve the community in planning programs and services to be offered at the college
• Promote the maximum utilization of the college’s facilities and resources to the benefit of the community
• Promote the articulation of the college’s programs with secondary and other postsecondary institutions
• Secure, as appropriate, governmental and other outside funding for the college’s projects
• Provide leadership for maintaining quality educational programs
• Create an atmosphere conducive to high faculty, staff, and student morale
• Effectively delegate responsibility and authority to appropriate administrative officers
• Maintain open channels of communication with faculty, staff, and students
• Direct long-range planning activities that include input from the faculty, staff, and students; support continuous professional development activities of faculty and staff; and develop annual and long-range goals for the college
• Provide effective leadership and management for the overall direction of the institution

Qualifications - The President will be expected to display high integrity and trustworthiness and to  provide the vision and courage needed to ensure the continuing success of the Alabama Community College System.

Candidates must have a minimum of five years of senior-level, full-time administrative experience in an applicable institution, government agency, or industry. A master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required; an earned doctorate degree from a regionally accredited institution is preferred.

Other requirements include:

• Experience and knowledge of the mission and role of public two-year institutions, particularly their role in academic preparation and in community economic and workforce development
• Experience in interpreting organizational needs, programs, and activities to the employees, the community organizations and agencies, the area school systems, and the legislature
• Experience providing services training for business and industry

Additionally, the successful candidate will possess:

Leadership

• The capacity to be an energetic and highly-visible leader who can articulate and communicate the System’s mission and vision to internal and external constituencies
• A clear commitment to the System’s statutorily defined purpose, including its special emphasis on academic preparation and on workforce training and supporting economic development
• An understanding of the System’s mission as defined by the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees and the ability to inspire the support of this mission by others
• An understanding of the global dimensions of the economy and workforce issues and the role of community colleges in meeting contemporary education and training needs
• Politically astute advocacy skills, with experience in working successfully with policy makers at the local, state, and federal levels

Management Expertise

• Skills to lead and manage a complex organization
• Financial/business systems
• Resource development
• Strategic planning
• Conflict resolution
• Consensus builder
• Team builder
• Bond issues and construction program support
• Fundraising experience

Commitment

• Strong student-orientation, recognizing that all aspects of the college exist to facilitate learning and student development, so that the student obtains the optimum level of competency and is informed of progress
• An understanding of and support for the System’s open door philosophy, including a strong commitment to access for all citizens
• Demonstrated sensitivity to and an appreciation of ethnic and cultural diversity, with an established record of building consensus and reaching out to various diverse groups
• A record of building partnerships and coalitions with business, government, schools, universities, and other community groups
• An established record as an innovative and creative leader who understands the importance of technology as it relates to economic development, institutional effectiveness, and administrative support
• Evidence of being an accessible leader with responsive listening skills and an active interest in the development of all employees
• Strong evidence of being open-minded, a good listener, and a persuasive communicator with appropriate pleasantry

Educational Philosophy

• Committed to the community college concept of quality education
• Committed to the professional development of faculty and staff
• Student-oriented in the sense of recognizing that all aspects of the college are to facilitate learning and student development, with the student obtaining a level of competencies and the student being kept informed of progress
• Committed to the offering of programs that are relevant to the current needs of business and industry
• Demonstrated knowledge of the academic transfer programs and evidence of ability to work with the four-year institutions
• Demonstrated knowledge of  technical programs and evidence of ability to work with business and industry

Personal Characteristics

• Demonstrated sensitivity to all facets of the community, including the needs of the various groups of which it is comprised
• Demonstrated ability to communicate well, both orally and in writing
• Demonstrated ability to work as a team member, which includes all segments of the college faculty, staff, students, and governing boards
• Demonstrated leadership, decision-making, and coordinating abilities in a complex organization
• Demonstrated ability to project a positive public image

Shelton State Community College is a two-year community college located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Operated by the Alabama Community College System, the college enrolls more than 4,800 students in some form of coursework.

Shelton State Community College was established by resolution of the Alabama State Board of Education on January 1, 1979. That resolution combined two existing institutions: Shelton State Technical College, established in 1952, and the Tuscaloosa branch campus of Brewer State Junior College, an institution whose main campus was located in Fayette, Alabama. The Tuscaloosa branch campus of Brewer State had been in operation since 1972.

In 1994, Shelton State Community College consolidated with C. A. Fredd State Technical College, another public two-year college located in Tuscaloosa. C. A. Fredd State Technical College was one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Today, the college has two campuses: the Martin Campus and the C.A. Fredd Campus. The Martin Campus is the college’s main campus. The C.A. Fredd Campus continues its specific HBCU mission of promoting educational access and opportunity for all students in a culturally diverse community.

In 1997, Shelton State was designated as the Alabama Junior College of the Fine Arts by the state legislature. The Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame is located here, and Theatre Tuscaloosa is based in the Bean Browne Theatre at Shelton.

The Alabama Fire College and Personnel Standards Commission also is located on the Martin campus of Shelton State. The Fire College is responsible for training paid and volunteer fire fighters and EMTs throughout the state.

The college has 91 full-time and 119 part-time faculty. The student-to-faculty ratio is 22 to 1. The second-year retention rate for first-time students was 65 percent for 2015-2016. The three-year average is 62 percent.

In addition to 25 long- and short-term certificate programs, Shelton State offers the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degree programs and 26 Associate in Applied Science degree programs. In the 2015-2016 academic year, the college awarded 503 associates’ degrees, 118 long-term certificates and 66 short-term certificates.

Shelton State fields four varsity sports teams in the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) in Division I of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Two of the sports are women’s (fast-pitched softball and basketball) and two are men’s (baseball and basketball). The college also has a coed competitive cheerleading team.

Shelton State Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and the Associate in Applied Science degrees.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama - The college is located in Tuscaloosa in west-central Alabama, along the banks of the Black Warrior River. The fifth largest city in Alabama, Tuscaloosa is home to more than 95,000 residents with a metro population reaching more than 235,000.

The city has a thriving business community, with the University of Alabama serving as the primary economic and cultural engine. One of the most internationally recognized companies in Tuscaloosa is Mercedes-Benz and its production facilities.

The city is known for a wide variety of cultural arts, including museums, plays, concerts, and events. The riverfront area offers recreational trails, businesses, restaurants, and a farmers’ market. A 7,470-seat amphitheater, the largest in west Alabama, hosts many major performances and special events.

Tuscaloosa County offers a more comprehensive range of medical and health care options than any other community of comparable size and population in the Southeast.

Application and Nomination Process - Confidential inquiries are welcomed and nominations are invited.

To Apply - Application materials should include: 1) a letter of interest; 2) a comprehensive résumé or curriculum vitae; 3) five references, including email addresses and phone numbers; 4) email and phone numbers of current and immediate past employers; 5) unofficial college transcripts indicating degrees earned; 6) answers to the questions at http://www.myersmcrae.com/skins/userfiles/file/MMQuestions.pdf

Finalists will be required to provide official college transcripts and submit to a criminal background check.

Submit application materials to Shelton@myersmcrae.com    

Review of materials begins immediately. For best consideration, submit application materials by March 3, 2017.

Nominations should include the name, current position, email address, and phone number of the individual being nominated. Submit nominations to Shelton-nominate@myersmcrae.com

Kenny Daugherty, Executive Vice President of Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting, is assisting Shelton State Community College with this search.

Shelton State Community College is an equal opportunity employer. It is the official policy of Shelton State Community College that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, gender, religion, creed, national origin, age, or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program, activity, or employment. Shelton State Community College will make reasonable accommodations for qualified disabled applicants and employees.

Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting

515 Mulberry Street, Suite 200, Macon, Georgia 31201

(478) 330-6222 | www.myersmcrae.com