Vice President for Advancement

Opportunity at Rhode Island College

 

Rhode Island College, a public, comprehensive liberal arts college, seeks a dynamic administrator with experience in fundraising, communications, and marketing to serve as Vice President for Advancement. Applications and nominations are invited.

For complete information, see the Search Profile (http://myersmcrae.com/skins/userfiles/files/RIC-VPAdv18.pdf)

The Opportunity

Rhode Island College is a highly respected institution of higher education that is dedicated to preparing students through rigorous academic programs, thoughtful service, and enriching opportunities. The new Vice President for Advancement (Vice President) has an opportunity to build a new brand for the College and position it for future success in marketing, development, and external relations.

Reporting to the President, the Vice President has a key role in supporting and advancing the College’s mission and goals and provides leadership through a creative, efficient, and integrated approach that creates a climate of strong support and understanding of the College. Primary areas of administrative responsibility include alumni affairs, media relations, marketing and branding, communications, and public affairs.

This administrative officer collaborates with and supports the Rhode Island College Foundation and the President of the College in accomplishing the goals of fundraising and resource development initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Advises the President in the areas of alumni relations, media relations, internal and external communications, marketing, community relations, and development
• Provides leadership, strategic vision, oversight, and administration of the College’s communications and marketing plan
• Coordinates and provides oversight for all internal, external, and community relations
• Oversees and administers Alumni Relations, Media Relations, Communication, Marketing and Branding, and Public Affairs
• Works with the President and the Foundation to develop and implement a strategic plan for development, fundraising, donor relations, and resource development initiatives
• Coordinates alumni activities and alumni relations
• Advises and assists the President in external relations with Rhode Island, including state government, local communities and organizations, and the private sector
• Evaluates and reports to the President on public and media perceptions of and reactions to the issues and challenges confronting the College
• Oversees, reviews, and coordinates institutional promotional campaigns
• Works closely with the President, Vice Presidents, and Deans on their communications, marketing, media relations, alumni relations, branding, and public affairs needs

Qualifications

Candidate must have a master’s degree from an accredited institution, with a doctoral degree from an accredited institution preferred. Administrative experience in communications and marketing, public affairs, development and fundraising, and/or alumni relations and showing progression to a senior-level of responsibility is required, and experience in higher education is strongly preferred. 

Rhode Island College

Since its founding in 1854, Rhode Island College (RIC) has been delivering a low-cost, high-quality education in innovative ways. As Rhode Island’s first institution of public higher education, the College has grown from its origins in teacher preparation to becoming a leading regional comprehensive college, with particular strengths in teacher preparation, social work, nursing, business, STEM, and liberal arts disciplines.

With the goal of preparing students to be engaged citizens as well as meeting the state’s and region’s needs for today’s workforce and tomorrow’s leaders, RIC ensures that students have the support, skills, and opportunities necessary to learn and thrive. The College offers an extraordinary collegiate experience with top-notch academic programs, active learning in the classroom, significant experiential learning opportunities beyond the classroom, and state-of-the-art facilities.

Nearly 90 majors and programs are offered through its five distinct academic schools: Arts and Sciences, Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, School of Business, School of Nursing, and School of Social Work. With an enrollment of approximately 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the College student body is 68 percent female, 32 percent students of color, and approximately half are first-generation college students.

The College has 328 full-time faculty, 89 percent of whom hold terminal degrees in their specialization. With an average class size of 20 students and a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the College has a friendly, close-knit community that results in lifelong friendships and mentors.

Students have the opportunity to participate in research and internships to advance their learning and goals. Study-abroad and domestic study-away programs allow students to pursue their education in different institutions and setting for a semester, year, summer, or during the short January term.

One of RIC’s key initiatives is to provide a high-quality student experience. The College is investing more than $310 million in facility and infrastructure improvements over a five-year period.

The College also is committed to building community, equity, diversity and cultural competency for its faculty, staff and students and the regional community. Inclusive excellence is one of the five pillars of the new strategic plan, “Affirming our Strength and Building our Future,” along with learning innovation, student success, community partnerships and institutional effectiveness.

Approximately 375 students participate in varsity sports. A member of the Little East Conference, the RIC Athletics programs are NCAA Division III with 12 varsity teams for women and 9 for men. The intercollegiate athletics program ranks in the top 30 percent nation-wide. 

Providence, Rhode Island

The College is based in the vibrant capital city of Providence. The city has a population of 175,000 people and is an hour from Boston and three hours from New York City. Rhode Island has a population of approximately 1 million people and is rich in diversity, culture, and history. Providence has been ranked as one of the top “hippest cities” in the U.S. and has a growing and diverse high-tech economy.

The area offers a wide variety of cultural, entertainment, and recreational venues. The RISD Museum of Art has more than 80,000 works of art, and the Roger Williams Park Zoo is considered one of the finest zoos in New England. Broadway shows and plays, festivals, over 700 restaurants, minor league Triple A baseball, and more than a hundred public and private beaches are only a sampling of what this great city and state offer residents and visitors.

Application and Nomination Process

Confidential inquiries are welcomed; nominations are invited.

To Apply - Applications must include:

• Letter of interest
• Current resume or curriculum vitae
• At least three references with full contact and e-mail information (References will not be contacted without applicant’s consent.)

Submit applications to RIC-Adv@myersmcrae.com.

The search will remain open until the position is filled. For best consideration, submit application materials by March 26, 2018.

Submit nominations to RIC-Adv-Nominate@myersmcrae.com with the individual’s contact and e-mail information.

Kenny Daugherty, President, and Emily Parker Myers, CEO, of Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting are assisting Rhode Island College with this search.

As an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution which values and is committed to expanding the diversity of its faculty and staff, the College invites members of protected classes, including minorities and persons with disabilities, to identify themselves as such at the time of application.

 

Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting

515 Mulberry Street, Suite 200, Macon, Georgia 31201

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