Founding Vice President of Education and Learning

Central New Mexico Community College

Founding Vice President of Education and Learning

Academic Career & Executive Search is pleased to assist Central New Mexico Community College in its search for its founding Vice President of Education and Learning.

For full consideration, please apply by April 10th.

Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) shines as an exceptionally strong and innovative institution well-positioned to meet the demands of the changing higher education landscape. This newly created position reflects the College’s continuing transformation in providing all learners, whether they enter seeking degrees or upskilling training, with the services they need to excel and employers a direct pipeline to hiring a qualified workforce. The Vice-President of Education and Learning (VPEL) leads the Central New Mexico Community College’s efforts to be a regional and national leader in meeting education and workforce development needs.

The position serves as the College’s Chief Learning Officer, responsible for degree and certificate program quality and integrity, college and program accreditation or licensing standards, and assessment of learning outcomes and competencies.  This leader works closely with administrators, faculty and instructors across education and training programs to provide an exceptional learner experience.

The VPEL works closely with Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success and Vice President of Workforce and Community Success to lead and implement cross-college efforts to improve student success.  This focuses on improving student persistence, program, and certificate completion; increasing relevant work-based learning opportunities and job placement for students; and increasing the number of students who transfer and earn bachelors’ degrees within six years. The collaboration also focuses on ensuring that degree and training programs are responsive to employer demands for competencies and skills and are provided in ways that satisfy varying student demands across platforms and schedules and demonstrate value.

As a member of the President’s Executive Team, the VPEL must be committed to eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps for all students, and particularly students historically underrepresented in postsecondary education, no matter the program or modality students choose for their education or training.  Also, the VPEL remains committed to hiring, promoting and developing a College workforce that reflects our community’s demographic characteristics.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develops the College’s plan to provide quality education and training programs that incorporate competencies required by regional and national employers and valued by students.
• Applies an entrepreneurial mindset, collaborating with external partners – industry groups, school districts and higher education institutions, training providers — to create and deliver transfer and workforce development programs.
• Shapes the CNM community’s work and efforts to braid learner competencies, employer workforce demands, and evolutions in education technology (including blockchain).
• Leads an instructional leadership team, including more than 1,000 full-time and part-time faculty and instructors in the planning and delivery of career and technical, academic transfer, adult, developmental, arts, sciences, education, and training.
• Tracking and reporting on the impact and results of programs and initiatives, such as transfer and job placement, including tracking costs and evaluating the effectiveness of programs.
• Supervises staff, which includes prioritizing and assigning work; conducting performance evaluations; ensuring staff is trained; ensuring employees follow policies and procedures; maintaining a healthy and safe working environment; and, making hiring, termination, and disciplinary recommendations.
• Directs the activities of the division, which includes planning, coordinating, administering, and evaluating programs, projects, processes, procedures, systems, standards, and/or service offerings; ensures compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, codes, and/or standards.
• Leads the academic division of the College and ensures program quality and integrity to meet the standards of specialized, state, and regional accrediting bodies, including curriculum development and assessment.
• Works with Chief Human Relations Officer; Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office and others to welcome and encourage diversity in the workplace and being committed to building a team, including faculty, that represents the diversity of our community and variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
• Provides leadership for Deans/Executive Directors/ Program Chairs and faculty and others to develop ways for strengthening efforts to include faculty and instructors in education and workforce programs.
• Coordinates the College’s efforts supporting faculty and instructor participation, coordinated by the Center for Teaching and Learning and college committees, in providing an exceptional educational experience for students.
• Works collaboratively as a member of the Executive Team in providing strategic leadership, guidance, and oversight for the College.
• Serves as a resource to the College’s Employee and Labor Relations Team, particularly with respect to those represented by the Central New Mexico Community College Employees Union, which represents three bargaining units: full-time faculty, part-time faculty, and instructional technicians.
• Collaborates with employers, K-12 and university leaders, community partners and stakeholders to enhance the college’s resources.
• Engages in statewide, regional, and national organizations on topics of learning, student success, workforce training, and more.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND APTITUDE

• Demonstrated capacity for strategic visioning and plan execution.
• Solid knowledge of information research, strategic goal setting, monitoring, and reporting in addition to assessment strategies.
• Demonstrated commitment to integrative management and systems thinking.
• Proven outstanding communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Proven record of success promoting innovative practices, professional development, student success, grant acquisition and management, community relations, student recruitment and retention, and cultivating an environment of inclusion and equitable outcomes.
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to work collaboratively and problem-solve through teamwork.
• High level of diplomacy and confidentiality.
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and projects with discretion, tact, and timeliness.
• Computer literacy skills at an intermediate level with the demonstrated ability to utilize and apply Microsoft Office Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as well as specialized software programs and computer applications.
• Must be able to travel to other sites and to state and national meetings as needed.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

• Leadership: Demonstrates exemplary ethical leadership and management skills.
• Judgment: Forms opinions objectively, refining as information is learned and presented.
• Initiative: Demonstrates on-going action-oriented thinking and problem solving.
• Innovation: Uses creative, solutions-oriented approach to address problems.
• Enterprising: Customarily employs imagination, initiative, and a willingness to undertake new projects.
• Confidentiality: Understands and employs discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Dependability: Promptly and reliably responds to requests for service and assistance.
• Decision Making: Displays willingness to make difficult decisions that align with College goals and are data informed where possible.
• Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities.
• Communication: Effectively communicates with others.
• Time Management: Is able to complete all job requirements and meet all required deadlines
• Work Ethic: Displays an organized and results-oriented approach, and motivation to perform without extensive direction or supervision.
• Accuracy: Displays high quality work and level of precision.
• An understanding of the changing landscape of higher education.
• Commitment to and appreciation of the community college mission.
• Knowledge of continuous quality improvement management principles and practices.
• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of internal and external constituencies.
• Experience with an online learning platform and course delivery.
• Superior written and oral communication skills.
• Strong decision-making skills.
• Understanding of the role of technology in teaching and learning.
• A vision for the evolving role of faculty.
• Demonstrated skills in academic planning, curriculum development, academic support programs, program management and accountability, specialized program accreditation, personnel management, and budget oversight.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• No less than five years of progressively responsible and successful academic leadership experiences.
• Demonstrated understanding of strategic planning and systematic decision making.
• Demonstrated leadership capability and effectiveness with a diverse workforce.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Doctoral degree in education, leadership, an academic discipline, or other related field.
• Experience working in a unionized college or university setting.
• Experience leading innovation and organizational change as related to academic programs.
• Successful track record working both across campus/organization and externally.
• Knowledge and understanding of higher education accreditation, FERPA laws, and student records.

About Central New Mexico Community College:

Founded in 1964 as Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute, a locally supported vocational school, the College was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (now the Higher Learning Commission) in 1978. Degree-granting power was approved by the New Mexico Legislature in 1986, signaling the College’s transformation into a comprehensive community college. In 2006, the institution changed its name to Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) to better reflect the breadth of offerings and the service area. CNM currently offers Associate of Arts, Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees, as well as many certificate programs and non-credit certifications and licensures. Over the last decade, CNM has consistently enrolled the largest undergraduate student body in the state.

In U.S. Department of Education statistics, CNM regularly ranks among the top five two-year colleges nationwide for the number of associate degrees and certificates awarded to both Hispanics and Native Americans. CNM also regularly ranks among the top 10 for total associate degrees and certificates awarded to all students.

CNM served more than 27,700 students taking credit classes during the 2021-22 academic year – there were 19,095 students enrolled in the 2022 Fall Term. In the 2021-22 fiscal year, CNM also served more than 5,600 individuals through non-credit workforce training and industry testing for credentials/licensures; and more than 960 individuals participated in CNM’s Adult Basic Education non-credit programs, such as English as a Second Language and High School Equivalency prep courses.

CNM’s student body reflects the diversity of the community it serves.  CNM also serves more than 1,000 military veteran students who receive federal education benefits, the most in the state.

In 2014, CNM started CNM Ingenuity, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3 organization created under the New Mexico Research Park Act. CNMI supports a new approach to education that provides accelerated educational and training opportunities in key workforce areas, wrap-around support for aspiring entrepreneurs, and cooperative ventures that foster economic development and job creation in the region. Through CNMI, the College has been providing an innovative, non-traditional higher education environment that helps spur economic growth in New Mexico. National higher education publication “Education Dive” named CNM the 2018 “Innovator of the Year” for becoming the first community college in the country to issue digital diplomas to graduates through blockchain technology, an effort driven by CNMI.

In 2020, CNM Ingenuity’s 12-week Deep Dive Coding program was selected as the 2020 Higher Education Program of the Year for the New Mexico Excellence in STEM Awards, which is managed by the Air Force Research Lab New Mexico.

Also in 2020, CNM was presented with the Excellence in Workforce Development Award from Albuquerque Economic Development for the outstanding impacts of the College’s longstanding and highly regarded Nursing program. CNM is heavily relied upon to support the regional economy’s workforce development needs across many sectors, from the healthcare industry to the state’s booming film industry to the IT industry to the trades.

CNM also has a well-earned reputation for providing outstanding service to our students, both in the community and nationally. In 2013, CNM won the national Student Success Award from the American Association of Community Colleges for significant gains in graduation numbers and the implementation of an innovative student support model.

The CNM Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, has raised more than $44.8 million dollars to fund 33,000-plus student scholarships and program support since its inception in 1992. CNM formed the Foundation to leverage private funding resources and opportunities to support students and the College.

CNM has nine locations for easy student access across CNM’s District, including five campuses. The campuses are in each quadrant of Albuquerque, and one in nearby Rio Rancho. The campuses include Main Campus near downtown Albuquerque and the University of New Mexico; the Joseph M. Montoya Campus in the Northeast Heights; the Westside Campus; the South Valley Campus; and the Rio Rancho Campus. The College also offers programs and services at the Advanced Technology Center and Workforce Training Center in north Albuquerque, and the STEMulus Center and FUSE Makerspace in downtown Albuquerque. Each of the locations has had recent upgrades to facilities, technology, and signage.

The largest classroom building, Max Salazar Hall located on Main Campus, recently reopened after a major renovation. In addition, a new Education Collaborative building opened on Main Campus in August 2019. This building represents an exciting collaboration among CNM, Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and the Native American Community Academy (NACA) charter school. The College & Career High School (CCHS), a highly successful dual-credit high school that’s operated through a partnership between CNM and APS, is in the new building, as is CNM’s Teacher Education programs and NACA’s high school students.

CCHS students typically spend half of their day taking APS classes, and the other half taking CNM classes that count for both college credit and high school elective credit. Many CCHS students graduate from high school with a CNM associate degree and enough college credits to enter a university as a junior. For the 2018-19 school year, CCHS posted a 98.5 percent graduation rate, the highest in APS and one of the highest in the state. The high school’s graduation rate and overall performance has consistently ranked among the state’s best since it opened in August 2013. CNM’s dual credit courses are available to high school students across the region.

CNM operates on an annual budget with a fiscal year beginning on July 1. However, the budget and resource allocation processes are a multi-year activity which assures that funding from all sources is continuously consistent with long-range policies, programmatic goals and specific campus roles and objectives of the College. The budget process is based on criteria established by the New Mexico Higher Education Department for the purpose of ensuring consistency in the development and reporting of budget information among institutions of higher education.

CNM’s major sources of operating revenue are state appropriations (40%), local mill levy (40%),  tuition and fees (15%) and other revenues. In 2013, the HED implemented a performance–based funding formula model which now serves to distribute state appropriations to institutions of higher education in New Mexico. The College budget is developed with input from the College and is guided by financial policies approved by the CNM Governing Board.

CNM is in sound financial health and fiscally responsible. In the most recent review of CNM’s finances for a bond rating in summer 2018, Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. reaffirmed the college’s credit rating as Aa1, and Standard and Poor’s Corporation reaffirmed CNM’s AA+ rating. For four straight years from the FY2016 through FY2019 fiscal years, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to CNM for its comprehensive annual financial reports (CAFR). CNM’s well-managed cash balances and strong budgetary management contribute to and are indicators of a positive financial direction and strong, stable management.

Living in the Area 

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, sits in the high desert of Central New Mexico. Albuquerque is the gateway to the striking natural beauty and cultural diversity of the state. With over 300 days of sunshine a year, low humidity, short commute times, and a relaxed pace, Albuquerque is easy to live in and offers an endless mix of Native and Hispanic culture, lively entertainment, dining, and shopping. Adding to that are a favorable tax climate, the state’s strong fiscal health and a cost of living nearly 9% below national average.

Its modern Downtown core contrasts with Old Town Albuquerque, dating to the city’s 1706 founding as a Spanish colony. Old town is filled with historic adobe buildings, such as San Felipe de Neri Church, five museums, and shops selling Native American art and crafts. Nearby, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center traces the area’s tribal history.

From the majestic Sandia Mountains bordering Albuquerque’s eastern edge to the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park along the Rio Grande river, the area offers exceptional outdoor recreation. From the modern sensibilities of Downtown to historic Old Town, history, culture, and nightlife await. And from proud traditions ranging from the annual International Balloon Fiesta to the luminaria walk each holiday season, Albuquerque is a unique place with varied treasures.

To Apply 

For full consideration, please apply by April 10th.

To be viewed by the search firm, you must apply directly at: https://acesrch.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a21esjy6yse6

Please apply through the application link and do not email applications.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and should include a cover letter and curriculum vita. Ideally cover letters should not exceed two pages. All applications are treated confidentially.

Inquiries, referrals, and nominations are also treated confidentially.

Inquiries and questions: Please send to CNMVPEL@acesrch.com

Nominations and referrals: Please send the nominees’ name, title, and contact information if available to nominations@acesrch.com.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

It is the policy of Central New Mexico Community College (the “College”) to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to age, ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, serious medical condition, sex, sexual orientation, spousal affiliation, veteran status, or any other protected class in any of its policies, practices, or procedures in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, nor will it condone any act of illegal discrimination or harassment on the part of its employees.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment and prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on an employee’s protected class.  

The College confirms that this provision of the handbook by its reference to applicable federal, state, and local laws prohibits and condemns any retaliation or interference of any kind against any employee engaging in the exercise of free speech or in activities protected by federal, state, or local laws.  

Upon request, the College will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities with regard to conditions of employment as provided by applicable federal, state, and local laws.