Executive Vice President University Affairs

Rocky Vista University•Englewood, CO

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Rocky Vista University (RVU) seeks an accomplished, collaborative, and forward-thinking Executive Vice President for University Affairs. Reporting directly to the President and serving on the President’s executive leadership team, this senior institutional leader advances university strategy, leads Student Affairs, strengthens university-wide policy development and alignment, and supports organizational effectiveness across RVU’s Colorado, Utah, and Montana campuses. The position also serves as the University’s Chief Student Affairs Officer, providing executive leadership for Student Affairs and promoting a consistent, student-centered approach to services, policies, practices, procedures, and organizational structures across campuses and academic programs. The EVP works closely with the President, Deans, executive leaders, faculty, staff, and campus leadership to translate institutional priorities into coordinated action. The role leads strategic initiatives, identifies opportunities for institutional improvement, develops effective university policies, supports organizational change, and helps ensure RVU has the structures and processes necessary for continued growth and innovation. The position also supports the Military Medicine Program and cultivates the University’s research enterprise. Approximately 40% travel to RVU campus locations is required. The position oversees Colorado, Utah, and Montana Student Affairs; the Office of Accommodations; the Office of Testing; Strategic Planning; Military Medicine; and the Office of Research & Scholarly Activity. The role requires a doctoral degree and substantial senior-level Student Affairs leadership experience, including experience in medical or health-professions-related education, policy development, strategic planning, organizational change, and executive collaboration. Salary is $210,000–$270,000, depending on experience and other factors. Applications are accepted through Friday, November 13, 2026; applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements. Final applicants must pass a background check and drug screening, and may be asked to complete an additional video interview.

Requirements

Doctoral degree from an accredited institution in higher education, student affairs, education, organizational leadership, business administration, public administration, or a related field.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible Student Affairs leadership experience, including significant senior-level leadership responsibility.
Experience working within an institution offering medical, health professions, graduate, or other medical education-related academic programs.
Significant experience developing, implementing, evaluating, or overseeing institutional policies.
Knowledge of and experience with ADA/Section 504.
Demonstrated experience leading organizational change and managing complex organizational initiatives.
Significant experience with institutional or organizational strategic planning and implementation.
Demonstrated experience collaborating directly with executive-level leadership.
Experience working across multiple organizational units, academic programs, campuses, or locations.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, collaboration, relationship-building, and shared accountability.
Strong understanding of organizational management, institutional governance, and effective decision-making in higher education.
Exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, facilitation, and presentation skills.
Demonstrated commitment to student success and a strong philosophy regarding Student Affairs’ role in supporting a university’s educational mission.
Strategic leadership ability to anticipate institutional needs, recognize opportunities, and translate vision into executable strategy.
Student-centered leadership and understanding of how Student Affairs contributes to academic achievement, professional formation, engagement, and the overall student experience.
Organizational acumen, including ability to identify opportunities for efficiency and effectiveness and design structures and processes that support institutional goals.
Ability to lead significant change while maintaining trust, communication, engagement, and momentum.
Strong understanding of policy development, governance, implementation, communication, and assessment.
Executive presence, sound judgment, discretion, integrity, confidence, and credibility in complex or sensitive matters.
Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and facilitate productive dialogue among diverse groups.
Ability to adapt in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and innovative environment and to move from strategy to execution with accountability and measurable outcomes.
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing in English, work cooperatively with colleagues and supervisors at all levels, and use equipment such as computers, telephones, and calculators.
Ability to travel approximately 40% to RVU campus locations.
Final applicants must pass a background check and drug screening.

Nice To Haves

Executive-level leadership experience within a university or health professions education environment.
Experience supporting an institution undergoing significant growth, organizational transformation, or development of new academic programs.
Experience working with graduate, professional, osteopathic medical, veterinary medical, or other health professions students.
Experience designing or implementing university-wide organizational structures, policies, or operational models.
Experience with accreditation, regulatory, or institutional compliance matters relevant to health professions education.
Doctoral or terminal degree in higher education, education, organizational leadership, student affairs, business, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Serve as RVU’s Chief Student Affairs Officer and provide university-wide executive leadership for Student Affairs across Colorado, Utah, and Montana.
Develop and advance a Student Affairs philosophy and framework centered on student success, experience, belonging, professional development, and well-being.
Align Student Affairs structures, services, policies, practices, and procedures across campuses while accommodating legitimate programmatic and campus-specific needs.
Set expectations and accountability for Student Affairs leadership and operations, and promote systems for student support, engagement, advocacy, communication, and issue resolution.
Partner with academic leadership and campus stakeholders to strengthen the connection between academic and student experiences and to identify and address barriers to student success.
Use student outcomes, feedback, institutional data, and best practices to guide continuous improvement in Student Affairs.
Advocate for policies, organizational structures, staffing models, and resources that support students and RVU’s educational mission.
Serve as a senior advisor to the President on institutional strategy, organizational development, university priorities, and emerging opportunities.
Support the Rocky Vista University Military Medicine Program and develop strategies for its growth and success.
Partner with the President, Chief Academic Officer, Deans, and executive leaders to develop, implement, and evaluate strategic priorities.
Translate institutional strategy into actionable goals, initiatives, operating plans, and measurable outcomes, and align priorities across colleges, campuses, divisions, and programs.
Lead or facilitate major university-wide strategic initiatives and provide executive leadership for strategic planning, implementation, assessment, accountability, and refinement.
Identify ways to improve organizational effectiveness, operational efficiency, collaboration, and institutional performance; provide strategic analysis and recommendations to the President.
Cultivate and expand RVU’s research enterprise by identifying opportunities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and developing strategies to strengthen research capacity, funding, and impact.
Lead the development, review, implementation, communication, and ongoing improvement of university policies and policy-governance processes.
Work across academic and administrative units to identify policy inconsistencies, duplication, gaps, or outdated practices and promote alignment across campuses.
Clarify the relationship between university and college policies, procedures, guidelines, and operational practices; ensure policies support compliance, accreditation, operations, the mission, and strategic priorities.
Facilitate collaborative policy development involving appropriate executive, faculty, staff, student, and campus perspectives.
Identify opportunities to streamline operations, strengthen collaboration, reduce unnecessary duplication, and improve organizational effectiveness.
Lead significant organizational change initiatives with the President and other executive leaders; evaluate structures, processes, and workflows and recommend improvements.
Facilitate cross-functional work and develop scalable systems and structures to support RVU’s growth and complexity.
Build consensus around complex initiatives while maintaining communication, stakeholder engagement, momentum, and accountability; support leaders in implementing strategic decisions.
Build trusted relationships with university leaders, faculty, staff, students, and campus leadership; foster open communication, collaboration, transparency, and shared accountability.
Communicate institutional priorities clearly, listen to stakeholders across campuses, facilitate complex conversations, and represent the President and University on initiatives and committees as assigned.
Travel approximately 40% to RVU campus locations to strengthen cross-campus collaboration, institutional culture, and alignment.