SUNY Oneonta - President

SUNY Oneonta, a leading institution within the State University of New York’s (SUNY) comprehensive system of higher education, seeks a visionary leader and skilled administrator committed to student-centered academic excellence, co-curricular engagement, and faculty scholarship and professional development as its next President. The College Council and SUNY invite applications from accomplished executives seeking to build on the remarkable work of the retiring President, whose leadership has taken the College through two strategic plans and increased investment in teaching, learning and scholarship; the founding of five schools; and the addition of roughly $17 million more to academic budgets over nine years. 

The Institution: SUNY Oneonta is a comprehensive, public, liberal arts and sciences college whose mission seeks to foster the individual student's intellectual, personal, and civic development. Currently operating with a sustainably balanced budget and enjoying a campus with minimal deferred maintenance, the College is dedicated to excellence in linking teaching, advisement, and scholarly activities, and the cultivation of a campus environment rich in opportunities for participation, personal challenge, and service. The student-faculty ratio at SUNY Oneonta is 18:1, and 41.6% of the College’s course offerings have fewer than 20 students. The average class size is 24 students excluding internships, independent studies, practica and partial-term courses. The College ranks #12 on the 2017 list of “Top Public Regional Universities” in the North published by U.S. News & World Report. Oneonta received INSIGHT magazine’s Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award in 2014, accepted an invitation to join the Colleges of Distinction this year, and has been included in the Princeton Review’s “Guide to Green Colleges” every year since the Guide’s inception in 2010. The institution continues to build on its 83% first-year to second-year retention rate, placing it among the best in the country. To learn more about the College, please visit www.oneonta.edu. 

Qualifications: The successful candidate will demonstrate commitment to the College’s overall mission, support diversity, and reinforce a student-focused environment. S/he must have strategic planning and implementation skills and be familiar with accreditation processes. The new president will provide effective leadership by exhibiting innovative and creative approaches relevant to the College’s mission. Additionally, the successful candidate must possess a history of sound financial management; an interest in engaging alumni, donors, and the regional community; and the ability to create a feeling of collegiality and shared inquiry. A personal desire to engage with and be visible to students is critical. This person will be part of an environment committed to shared governance and transparency. The consistent ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with campus constituents, SUNY system administration, other SUNY institutions, and community leaders is vital. The successful candidate will join a dynamic team of presidents that is fully engaged in dialogue and planning at a national level, at a critical time that requires SUNY’s unparalleled commitment to student success, academic excellence, leadership, research, and economic and community engagement. A demonstrated record of professional experience is required to lead this public institution of higher learning. Qualified candidates will possess an earned doctorate, terminal degree, or commensurate experience.

Location: SUNY Oneonta’s 250-acre campus overlooks the scenic Susquehanna River Valley in central New York about halfway between Albany and Binghamton. The College is located on the outskirts of the City of Oneonta, a friendly community with approximately 14,000 residents. In addition to being an educational center, the city offers diverse housing, shopping, cultural, and recreational opportunities. The College contributes significantly to the cultural and intellectual life of the community and region. Major cultural activities offered on campus include theatrical productions and musical events offered by student groups, community organizations, and national touring acts as well as art exhibitions in the College galleries. Throughout the academic year, an array of speakers address important and timely topics. Residents and visitors to the area enjoy its natural beauty, outdoor recreational opportunities, and many historic sites. Two state parks (Glimmerglass and Gilbert Lake) and several popular ski areas are located nearby. 

About SUNY: SUNY is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 460,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 college and university campuses, and online through Open SUNY. SUNY students and faculty across the state make significant contributions to research and discovery, resulting in nearly $1 billion of externally-sponsored activity each year. There are 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide. Through the system’s strategic plan, The Power of SUNY 2020, Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher expanded SUNY’s “systemness” to ensure that the system moves the entire University forward as a national leader and major driver of academic excellence and economic revitalization in New York State.  As part of this strategic plan, the SUNY Board of Trustees enacted the SUNY Excels performance system to ensure transparency and continuous improvement toward excellence at every level: system, sector, campus, faculty, staff and students. An integrated feature of the plan leverages and enhances system-wide assets and efforts to broaden access, ensure completion, provide enhanced experiential learning opportunities, and support the long-term success of our students. The Chancellor increasingly looks to our campus presidents to work collaboratively with other SUNY colleges, administrators, faculty and staff, and surrounding communities to lower cost, enhance productivity, and elevate the importance of degree completion at each institution. 

About the Chancellor: After eight years of leadership that positioned the SUNY system as a national model, Chancellor Zimpher announced her departure. The SUNY Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Dr. Kristina M. Johnson as the 13th Chancellor, beginning in September 2017. For more information about Dr. Johnson’s appointment and background, please visit www.suny.edu/suny-news/press-releases/04-2017/4-25-17/board-of-trustees-appoints-dr-kristina-m-johnson-as-13th-chancellor.html 

Application: Interested candidates should submit only a cover letter and resume to RPA Inc. at SUNYOneontaPresident@rpainc.org. For a confidential discussion about this opportunity or to make a nomination, please call Dana John Cohick, Vice President and Senior Consultant at 800-992-9277. The first review of candidates will begin on September 20, 2017, and first round interviews will commence thereafter. 

SUNY Oneonta values a diverse college community.  Please visit our website on diversity at: www.oneonta.edu/home/diversity.asp.  The College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.