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Boston College, a leading national Jesuit, Catholic university located in Chestnut Hill, MA, invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Associate Vice President for Residential Life.

About Boston College

Established in 1863, Boston College is one of the oldest Jesuit, Catholic universities in the United States and is classified as a Doctoral Research-Extensive institution. The University enrolls 14,700 students, 9,000 full-time undergraduates and 4,900 graduate and professional students. Approximately 7,200 students live in residence halls on the Chestnut Hill and Newton campuses. Boston College has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, including a 75% increase in undergraduate applications over the past decade. During the same period, a remarkable increase in revenue from voluntary giving has helped to move the University’s endowment to approximately $1.6 billion, among the 40 largest in the nation.

Boston College is dedicated to academic excellence and to its Jesuit, Catholic tradition. It is committed to the highest standards of teaching and research within its diverse learning community. As an institution of higher education that believes strongly in the integration of intellectual, personal, ethical, and spiritual/religious formation, the University fulfills its mission through a deep concern for all members of its community. Through intentional collaboration among its diverse student body, faculty, and staff, the University provides exceptional learning experiences that both prepare students for lives of citizenship, service, and leadership in a global society and advance the richness of the Catholic intellectual ideal. Boston College also offers extensive co-curricular opportunities through the Division of Student Affairs to facilitate rigorous intellectual development and religious, ethical, and personal formation of its students.

About the Position

Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Associate Vice President for Residential Life leads the largest department in student affairs and one of the most critical departments at the University. The position oversees a complex residence life system with a primary goal of positively impacting the growth and character development of the residents. The Associate Vice President works closely with both Academic Affairs and Mission and Ministry to design and implement programs and services that benefit students. The position manages a budget of $69M and oversees 35 professional staff and 200 paraprofessionals within a residential system of 29 units. Functional areas within the office include undergraduate and graduate student housing, housing occupancy and assignments, summer housing, and off-campus housing. Boston College currently houses 85% of its undergraduate students, and future plans call for an expansion of residence hall facilities, with the goal of housing all undergraduate students in approximately 10 years. Depending on qualifications and experience, the successful candidate may supervise additional departments in the Division of Student Affairs.

The Associate Vice President for Residential Life will:

• Provide leadership and vision for the department with a clear strategy for success
• Participate in the leadership of the Division of Student Affairs as one of three Associate Vice Presidents
• Advance the mission of the University regarding student formation through the overall residential life program
• Recruit, appoint, supervise, train, and evaluate professional, support, and paraprofessional staff within Residential Life
• Ensure operational and fiscal compliance of all departmental budgets in accordance with University’s policies and accounting practices
• Develop and maintain an entrepreneurial approach to managing the residence halls
• Establish and maintain effective collaborative efforts and working relationships with all other Student Affairs departments, Academic Affairs, Mission and Ministry, Enrollment Management, Admissions, and the office of the Vice President for Finance
• Establish and maintain effective collaborative relationships with the offices of Facilities Management, Space Management and architects in the design and construction of new residence halls and renovations and maintenance of existing housing

For further information about the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Residential Life, please visit www.bc.edu/studentaffairs.

Successful Candidates

The successful candidate for the position of Associate Vice President for Residential Life will:

• Demonstrate an appreciation of and commitment to advancing the Catholic and Jesuit mission and values within the residential life program
• Demonstrate excellence in leadership and management with the ability to develop a leading residential life program that includes significant and innovative academic learning-community components
• Demonstrate the ability to work with and involve faculty members in creating and sustaining an environment for learning in the residence halls
• Show strong supervisory skills in progressively more responsible positions with the ability to nurture an atmosphere of collegiality, professionalism, and ongoing staff development
• Demonstrate excellence in both written and oral communication to a variety of audiences and stakeholders
• Show expertise in budget development, management, and growth
• Demonstrate excellent collaboration and team-building skills
• Show evidence of being a successful student-centered professional who is knowledgeable about best practices in the profession and critical current student issues
• Use research and assessment tools for evidence-based decision-making and evaluation
• Understand and articulate the needs and concerns of a diverse population of students and staff
• Demonstrate an optimistic, creative, and energetic leadership style including the ability to delegate responsibility, stimulate entrepreneurial activity and utilize student development

Candidates must possess a Master’s degree (a Ph.D. is preferred) in Education, Management or a related field and a minimum of 10 years of increasing responsibility and leadership experience in the administration of a significant university residential housing system. Also required is demonstrated excellence in leadership, operations, supervision, and financial management, and success in working with faculty.

How To Apply

Interested individuals should send a letter describing their interest in and qualifications for the position, a resume, and contact information including email addresses for five references. The packet should be sent electronically (Microsoft Word attachments preferred) to Bill Spelman at Leadership@wspelman.com . The subject line in the email should be AVPRBC. Documents that must be mailed should be sent to William Spelman Executive Search, Stony Point Landing, 667 Midship Circle, Webster, NY 14580. Confidential inquiries will be received at 603.978.0316. Confidentiality will be maintained, and references will not be contacted without prior knowledge or approval of the candidate. For full consideration, all materials should be received by March 31, 2011. Review of applications will begin April 1, and the process will continue until the position is filled.

Boston College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.