Human Resources

Lake Forest College seeks an Assistant Vice President for Academic Success (AVP) in Academic Affairs who will inspire and lead the Center for Academic Success (CAS) and advance the vision of creating a transformational student experience for our diverse student body, which is central to the college’s mission. Reporting to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, the AVP for Academic Success will join the leadership team in Academic Affairs and advance the vision of enhancing student development and support and excellence in academic advising. The AVP will lead an office in academic affairs that will emerge as a core collaborative area serving all academic needs of students and as a resource for various stakeholders at the College.

The College seeks a skilled, resourceful leader and content expert with management skills who is experienced in academic advising and developing advising structures, has built student success programs, and is adept at working with faculty and staff. The AVP must have the ability to work with students, families/guardians, and faculty, in addition to collaborating closely with the registrar, admissions, financial aid, and student affairs. In addition to leading a group of committed and skilled staff in CAS, the AVP will serve as a thought partner to the Provost/VPAA. Along with being an effective communicator, problem-solver, the AVP will have both academic and administrative experience including excellent management skills and the ability to build a cohesive, transformational student experience as envisioned in the strategic framework.

Lake Forest College’s total student enrollment is just under 1,800. The College has steadily grown in recent years with consistently strong, even record-breaking enrollment. The student body is geographically, socioeconomically, racially, and economically diverse. A hallmark of its strong student body and college community, Lake Forest College has recently been ranked number one nationally for social mobility, has ascended in major national rankings, and has been named together with top institutions in the nation in overall ranking, return on investment, and career support. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Forester community.

With a new Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and an inspiring new strategic framework being led by a visionary President, Lake Forest College seeks to continue advancing its academic life for students, with a focus on academic advising, consistent training and support to meet the needs of its strong, forward-looking position. 

Qualifications

Required:

1. Terminal degree with teaching, advising, mentoring, and progressive college/university academic/student success administrative experience.

or

2. Master’s degree with 8+ years of progressive college/university academic/student success administrative experience and undergraduate teaching, advising, and mentoring ability and knowledge.
3. Experience as Associate or Assistant Academic Dean or equivalent position with demonstrated evidence managing direct reports.

Strongly Preferred: Grant and budget management. Experience working with transfer students.

Job Description

• Leadership and Vision
  1. Maintain an understanding of current national issues in higher education and best practices in academic success, student development, and academic advising.
  2. Provide strong management skills to develop staff, including evaluating, identifying, and advocating for their training, upskilling, and professional development. Supervise and support a committed and hard-working staff.

• Responsibilities

Center for Academic Success (CAS) comprises Accessibility Services, Writing Center, Quantitative Resource Center, Science Resource Center, and Peer Tutoring.

1. Oversee key aspects of the First Year Student experience, including academic advising, course planning, and registration, starting the summer before students arrive and continuing throughout the first year. Oversee the Transfer Advising Bridge Initiative (TABI), including assigning and training TABI advisors, contributing to transfer student orientation, collaborating with admissions and the registrar’s transfer team, and overseeing all communication, guidelines, and procedures for transfer students.
2. Working with the Director of Academic Support Services, review outreach projects for members of the CAS staff, including outreach between terms and in the summer, for retention and graduation rate outcomes, the intervention calendar, and associated projects. Attention and support to students across all four years of their academic careers.
3. Communicate clearly and effectively with students and faculty on deadlines, policies, and changes to academic progress and general advising matters.
4. Develop data reports, analyses, and recommendations for strategic change. Meet with leadership as needed to review retention and graduation rate data and consider strategic initiatives. Convene and Chair the Student Success Committee
5. Oversee and manage website and internal communication platforms about CAS services as necessary.
6. Serve as an advocate for the CAS programs and staff within the faculty, Academic Affairs, and college in general. This may include presentations at faculty meetings, department meetings, or committee meetings.
7. Chair our College Studies program, which provides a small set of skill-based courses designed to support specific student success initiatives.
8. Reporting on existing grants and gifts that support Center for Academic Success (CAS) operations and programs.
9. Supervise the Director of Academic Support Services, departmental assistant for CAS, the Associate Director of Accessibility Services, and Director of Writing Programs.

Application Process

The search begins immediately and is open until the position is filled. The start date for the position is June 1, 2024. Please submit your resume and a cover letter expressing your interest in the position and addressing how you meet the qualifications described in the search priorities section of this profile to searchavpas@lakeforest.edu. Please also include a dedicated narrative in the cover letter sharing how your work as Assistant Vice President for Academic Success will be attentive to and strengthen Lake Forest College’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging of its students and their success.

About Lake Forest College

Lake Forest College is a private, residential, liberal arts institution that enrolls just under 1800 diverse students from 43 states and 100 countries. Located just 30 miles north of Chicago, the college resides in the suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois.

Lake Forest College embraces diversity and encourages applications from women, members of historically underrepresented groups, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.