Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs (VPASA) - Herkimer College

Location:

Herkimer, NY Category:

Administrative Job Type:

Full-time Posted On:

Thu May 7 2026

Job Description:

Reports To:

President Supervises:

AVP of Academic Affairs, Academic Deans, and Dean of Students Basic Function:

The VPASA serves as the College's chief academic and student services officer and is a key member of the President's leadership team. The VPASA provides integrated, strategic, and operational leadership across Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to ensure a cohesive, student-centered approach to teaching, learning, and student development. This position is responsible for aligning academic programming and student support services to improve student retention, completion, transfer, and employment outcomes. The VPASA ensures that all students, including traditional, non-traditional, and specialized populations, have equitable access to high-quality academic programs and comprehensive support services.

Major Responsibilities:

Provide strategic leadership for the integration of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, ensuring a unified and student-centered approach to institutional effectiveness, student success, and operational efficiency. Advise the President and senior leadership on academic priorities, student success strategies, and institutional planning, including recommendations related to program development, consolidation, or discontinuation. Provide leadership and administrative oversight for all instructional programs, including transfer and career and technical education, ensuring academic quality, relevance, and alignment with workforce needs and transfer pathways, including facilitating the development, implementation, revision, and assessment of the College's academic courses and programs consistent with applicable regulations of SUNY, the NYS Education Department, the US Department of Education, and MSCHE. Oversee student affairs functions, including student success, student conduct, and engagement, ensuring coordinated support systems that promote retention, completion, and student wellbeing. Strengthen alignment between academic affairs, student services, and enrollment management to support recruitment, onboarding, persistence, and completion by applying integrated, data-informed enrollment and student success strategies across the full student lifecycle, including pre-entry, enrollment, retention, completion, and post-completion, to ensure that the design, scheduling, and delivery of courses and programs align with student demand, learner expectations, and institutional strategic priorities. Collaborate closely with the Executive Director for Workforce to align credit and non-credit offerings, develop responsive training programs, and strengthen employer partnerships that support regional workforce needs and create clear pathways to employment and upskilling for students and the community. Provide strategic oversight of advising and academic support services, ensuring a coordinated, proactive model that integrates academic advising, tutoring, early alert systems, and student success interventions to improve retention, progression, and completion outcomes. Support faculty development, teaching and learning innovation, and the effective use of instructional technologies, including online and hybrid learning modalities. Ensure effective fiscal and operational management across all reporting units, including budget development, resource allocation, and identification of cost efficiencies while maintaining program quality and student support. Promote a culture of data-informed decision-making, continuous improvement, accountability, and collaboration across academic and student affairs functions. Serve as a visible and engaged institutional leader, representing the College internally and externally and supporting community and regional partnerships. Serves as liaison to SUNY's Office of the Provost and Council of SUNY Community Colleges Chief Academic Affairs Officers. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

Minimum Experience and Educational Background:

Master's degree from an accredited institution. Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership, including college-level teaching experience. Demonstrated leadership in adopting innovative academic programs (including career and technical education programs), student services, and integrated academic and student affairs functions. Experience in a community college or similarly mission-driven, open-access institution. Demonstrated commitment to shared governance in planning and managing change with the ability to reduce conflict and facilitate a shared commitment to excellence. Demonstrated experience with instructional models, accreditation, assessment of student learning outcomes, and program review processes. Experience managing complex budgets, personnel, and multi-unit operations. Experience using data to inform decision-making related to student success, enrollment, and program viability. Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and implement strategic initiatives in resource-constrained environments. Including, experience leading or contributing to institutional change initiatives at a college other than the candidate's current institution, such as restructuring, program prioritization, or organizational realignment. Demonstrated capacity to bring an external perspective to institutional practices, challenging existing processes and driving efficiency and effectiveness. Strong analytical, organizational, and critical thinking skills with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. Demonstrated experience with faculty evaluation, tenure, and promotion processes. Demonstrated ability to establish performance expectations, monitor progress, and ensure accountability and continuous improvement. High ethical standards, confidentiality, and sound judgment in complex and sensitive situations. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen and work effectively with faculty, staff, students, and community stakeholders.

Preferred Experience and Educational Background:

Doctoral degree from an accredited institution. Capacity to challenge institutional norms by introducing evidence-based practices. Experience working in a rural or small college environment with enrollment and resource constraints. Knowledge of SUNY systems, policies, and regulatory environment. Experience in collective bargaining environments.

Additional Information:

Salary:

$116,515 - $194,191