Vice President for Equity and Inclusion
About The Position
Smith College, one of the nation’s most distinguished liberal arts colleges for women and a lifelong champion of transformative education, seeks an accomplished and visionary leader to serve as its next Vice President for Equity and Inclusion (VPEI). Reporting directly to President Sarah Willie-LeBreton and serving as a member of the senior leadership team, the VPEI will lead the Office for Equity and Inclusion and strategically partner with those across campus who build community at Smith, providing thought leadership and material support to their work. Smith educates approximately 2,500 undergraduates and 300 graduate students from nearly every state and 67 countries, supported by an 8:1 student-faculty ratio, an open curriculum, a celebrated residential house system, and the intellectual resources of the Five College Consortium. With an endowment of approximately $2.7 billion, the College possesses the means and the will to realize its highest aspirations—chief among them to ensure that Smith’s longstanding commitment to equity, belonging, and justice is fully embedded in its culture and everyday practice. The next VPEI will shepherd initiatives (or programming) that foster a sense of dignity, belonging, and mutual respect across campus; nurture trust among administration, faculty, staff, and students; broaden the college’s intersectional lens; and lead the campus in creating spaces where deep listening and respectful disagreement and dialogue strengthens community. The work will be measured not in proclamations but in the sustained integration of dignity and belonging into campus life, academic priorities, and institutional decision-making. The college seeks a proven architect and practitioner of equity work who has guided complex academic communities through periods of challenge and renewal; who brings the vision, judgment, and leadership skills to inspire and implement practices that cultivate a culture of dignity, respect, and belonging; is a strong manager and leader of teams who enables staff to do their best work; and is committed to the relevance and importance of women’s education. At Smith, they will find passionate students, distinguished faculty deeply committed to inclusive pedagogy, and remarkable staff, all eager for leadership and partnership that meets this unique moment in higher education.
Requirements
- Proven architect and practitioner of equity work who has guided complex academic communities through periods of challenge and renewal
- Vision, judgment, and leadership skills to inspire and implement practices that cultivate a culture of dignity, respect, and belonging
- Strong manager and leader of teams who enables staff to do their best work
- Committed to the relevance and importance of women’s education
Responsibilities
- Lead the Office for Equity and Inclusion
- Strategically partner with those across campus who build community at Smith
- Provide thought leadership and material support
- Shepherd initiatives (or programming) that foster a sense of dignity, belonging, and mutual respect across campus
- Nurture trust among administration, faculty, staff, and students
- Broaden the college’s intersectional lens
- Lead the campus in creating spaces where deep listening and respectful disagreement and dialogue strengthens community
- Inspire and implement practices that cultivate a culture of dignity, respect, and belonging
- Enable staff to do their best work
Benefits
- competitive benefits package
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
11-50 employees
