Desired Leadership Attributes

Desired Leadership Attributes

The VPAA will be a forward-looking and transformational systems thinker who possesses a terminal degree in an appropriate academic discipline, is respected as a scholar with a record of commitment to excellence in teaching, and embraces the community college mission. Successful senior-level experience in leading an organization, managing change, and effectively engaging the broader community is highly desired. In addition, the following qualities are desired:

Strategic and Operational Leadership Aligned with Mission, Workforce, and Transfer

  • Has a track record of aligning academic programs with regional workforce needs while protecting strong transfer pathways and general education coherence.
  • Brings strong operational skills in academic planning/scheduling, program review, and resource alignment with a student-first lens.
  • Uses data and institutional research to guide decisions on enrollment trends, course completion, program viability, and student demand - while holding space for mission and community impact.

Equity-Driven Instructional Excellence

  • Champions rigorous, relevant learning while protecting access, affordability, and completion – especially for historically underserved students.
  • Leads curriculum design, learning outcomes, assessment, and accreditation with a “close-the-loop” mindset that improves instruction.
  • Understands and strengthens the full community college pathway: developmental education, transfer, workforce/CTE, dual credit, online learning, and 9-16 partnerships.
  • Demonstrates a practical, equity-minded approach to improving retention, completion, and transfer, using disaggregated data and culturally responsive supports.

Unique Responsibility and Opportunity of a Hispanic-Serving Institution

  • Connects academic strategy to students’ lived realities (e.g., working learners, first-generation students, multilingual families, cross-border/borderland circumstances).
  • Advances equitable access to resources and academic support across locations/geographies, avoiding overcentralization.
  • Values bilingualism and culturally sustaining practices; builds an environment where identity, language, and community knowledge are treated as assets.

Collaborative, Trust-Building Leadership Rooted in Shared Governance

  • Leads with humility, empathy, and consistent follow-through – listens to understand, especially amid disagreement.
  • Builds credibility with faculty, chairs, deans, and staff by being academically grounded and relationally strong.
  • Strengthens shared governance: transparent processes, clear roles, and genuine faculty voice in academic decisions.
  • Navigates change without eroding trust – engages often, communicates clearly, and explains the “why” and the tradeoffs.

Teaching Excellence as a Strategic Priority

  • Creates a supportive environment where faculty can excel – centers the craft of teaching (not only outcome metrics).
  • Invests in instructional excellence through professional learning: pedagogy, student support strategies, and appropriate adoption of new technologies.
  • Advocates for resources that support faculty growth and faculty-led initiatives.

Ethical, Accountable, and Steady Leadership

  • Demonstrates integrity, fairness, and professionalism; owns mistakes, learns, and repairs trust when needed.
  • Leads by example, modeling accountability and transparency with clarity and care – mentors and develops staff and administrators equitably, distributes opportunity, and addresses performance issues candidly.
  • Makes thoughtful decisions with a global picture of ripple effects across divisions and programs.

Community Partnership Bridge-Builder

  • Has a track record of building strong partnerships with K-12, universities, employers, and community organizations to expand pathways and opportunities.
  • Translates mission and strategy effectively to different stakeholder groups (faculty, staff, students, board members, and community partners).
  • Understands local community culture and institutional context; works effectively with long-tenured teams and established practices while still moving the college forward.

Long-Term Commitment and Stewardship

  • Shows genuine interest in laying down roots – sees the role as a long-term commitment.
  • Learns the culture and invests time in each unit/program to understand needs, strengths, and aspirations.
  • Brings stability, resilience, and flexibility in the face of challenge – guided by humility and a clear academic vision.