Vice President for Student Affairs

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Job Description

Great Basin College (GBC) invites applications for the position of Vice President of Student Affairs (VPSA). The VPSA is a senior executive leader responsible for providing strategic vision, leadership, and oversight for a comprehensive student affairs program supporting student access, enrollment, engagement, persistence, completion, and success. This position is based at Great Basin College's Elko Campus.

The VPSA serves as a member of the College’s senior leadership team and works collaboratively with the President, Vice Presidents, faculty, staff, students, and external partners to advance institutional priorities. The position participates in institutional strategic planning, budget development, policy development and implementation, and system-level discussions within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE).

Great Basin College is a comprehensive community college serving a geographically expansive and diverse region of Nevada. The VPSA must be an engaged, visible, collaborative leader who understands the opportunities and challenges of serving students across multiple campuses, centers, and communities.

The VPSA provides leadership and oversight for student affairs functions that may include:

• Student recruitment and enrollment management

• Admissions, registration, and student records

• Student information systems and student-facing technology

• Customer relationship management (CRM) and enrollment technologies

• Financial aid and student financial services

• Advising and student support services

• Student life and housing

• Disability and veteran services

• Student advocacy and support

• Student Government Association (SGA) advising

• Behavioral Intervention Team leadership

• Student concerns, complaints, grievances, and related resolution processes

• Other student affairs programs and services as assigned

The VPSA is expected to foster a student-centered culture that promotes access, belonging, engagement, persistence, completion, and career and educational attainment.

Position Responsibilities

The Vice President of Student Affairs provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and accountability for a comprehensive student affairs program. Key responsibilities include:

Strategic and Institutional Leadership

• Serve as a member of the College’s senior leadership team and contribute to institutional strategic planning, policy development, resource allocation, and budget decisions.

• Develop and implement strategies that advance student access, enrollment, retention, completion, and overall student success.

• Collaborate with Academic Affairs and other divisions to strengthen the alignment of academic and student support services.

• Participate in NSHE discussions, initiatives, and policy development as appropriate.

• Provide leadership during institutional change and support a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Represent Student Affairs and the College with internal and external constituencies.

Enrollment and Student Success

• Provide strategic leadership for recruitment, enrollment management, admissions, advising, retention, and completion initiatives.

• Develop and implement data-informed strategies to improve student persistence, goal attainment, and timely completion.

• Strengthen outreach and recruitment strategies for prospective students, including special populations and students from the communities served by GBC.

• Build effective partnerships with K-12 institutions, workforce development organizations, employers, community organizations, and other educational institutions.

• Evaluate student success initiatives and use outcomes data to identify opportunities for improvement.

Technology, Data, CRM, and Artificial Intelligence

• Provide strategic leadership for the effective use of technology to support student recruitment, enrollment, communication, advising, retention, engagement, and completion.

• Oversee and advance the effective use of student information systems, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, enrollment technologies, and other student-success tools within Student Affairs.

• Collaborate with Information Technology and other institutional leaders to evaluate, implement, integrate, and improve technology solutions that enhance the student experience and operational effectiveness.

• Promote the effective use of data, analytics, dashboards, and reporting to inform enrollment and student-success strategies and institutional decision-making.

• Lead or support the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and other emerging technologies within Student Affairs.

• Establish practical approaches for the use of AI that consider student needs, data privacy, information security, accessibility, transparency, and institutional policies.

• Encourage innovation while ensuring that technology implementation is purposeful, sustainable, and aligned with institutional priorities.

• Identify opportunities to streamline student-facing processes and improve service delivery through technology and automation.

Student Experience and Engagement

• Promote a welcoming, inclusive, and student-centered environment across all GBC locations.
• Strengthen student engagement, leadership, campus involvement, and participation in student life.
• Support effective student communication and coordinated delivery of student services.
• Ensure students have access to appropriate resources, services, and support throughout their educational journey.
• Work collaboratively with students and student leaders, including the Student Government Association.
• Promote practices that improve the overall student experience and strengthen students’ connection to the College community.

Student Support, Safety, and Advocacy

• Provide leadership for student concerns, complaints, grievances, behavioral matters, and other complex student issues.

• Lead the Behavioral Intervention Team in collaboration with appropriate campus partners.

• Support appropriate processes for addressing student behavioral concerns and maintaining a safe and supportive educational environment.

• Collaborate with campus leadership and appropriate partners regarding Title IX and other student-related compliance matters.

• Provide or facilitate appropriate mediation and resolution of concerns when warranted.

• Ensure that student services are responsive, accessible, and consistent with applicable institutional, NSHE, state, and federal requirements.

People and Organizational Leadership

• Provide clear direction, expectations, and accountability to Student Affairs leaders and staff.

• Develop and retain a highly effective Student Affairs team through coaching, professional development, collaboration, and performance management.

• Promote cross-functional teamwork and effective communication.

• Build organizational capacity and encourage continuous improvement.

• Foster an environment characterized by professionalism, respect, transparency, accessibility, and service to students.

Fiscal and Resource Management

• Develop and manage Student Affairs budgets in alignment with institutional priorities.

• Allocate resources effectively to support student success and operational priorities.

• Evaluate programs and services for effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability.

• Identify opportunities for grants, partnerships, and other resources that support student success initiatives.

External Relations and Regional Engagement

The VPSA will develop and maintain effective relationships with external agencies and organizations, including NSHE institutions and constituencies, K-12 partners, workforce development organizations, nonprofit organizations, advisory boards, employers, and state and local agencies.

The position works closely with organizations such as the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, Nevada Department of Education, JobConnect, and other community, state, and regional partners.

The position requires regular travel throughout GBC’s approximately 86,514-square-mile service area, including travel to GBC campuses, centers, NSHE system offices, sister institutions, and other locations as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.

• Five (5) years of progressively responsible higher education administrative experience and leadership in student affairs, including supervisory experience.

• Demonstrated experience in student affairs leadership, enrollment or enrollment management, and student services.

• Demonstrated experience with areas such as Title IX, financial aid, student behavioral issues, budget development, strategic planning, and staff and organizational development.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships and collaborate across organizational units.

Desired Credentials and Experience

• Earned doctorate from a regionally accredited institution in a related discipline.

• Experience serving in a senior student affairs leadership role within a comprehensive community college.

• Experience working within a multi-campus or geographically dispersed institution.

• Demonstrated experience using data, analytics, and technology to improve student recruitment, enrollment, retention, engagement, and completion.

• Experience implementing or strategically utilizing a customer relationship management (CRM) system or other enrollment and student-success technology.

• Experience leading or supporting the implementation of artificial intelligence, automation, or other emerging technologies in higher education.

• Demonstrated understanding of current trends and emerging developments in community college student affairs, enrollment management, student success, and the workforce environment.

• Experience building and maintaining effective relationships with NSHE constituencies and institutions, K-12 partners, nonprofit organizations, advisory boards, employers, and community and government agencies.

• Demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive college environment and working effectively with individuals and groups with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

• Knowledge and understanding of higher education governance, including the roles of faculty leadership, executive management, and governing boards.

• Demonstrated leadership, management, and policy development experience.

• Proven ability to make timely, thoughtful, and collaborative decisions.

• Demonstrated record of developing staff through clear expectations, support, coaching, professional development, and accountability.

• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to problem-solving and consensus building.

• Strong organizational and communication skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

• Strong, visionary leadership skills and a record of consistent communication with stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to foster innovation and appropriately measured risk-taking in support of student success.

• Ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative, productive, and hands-on environment.

• Openly communicative, visible, approachable, and engaged with students, employees, and the communities served by the College.

Challenges and Opportunities

Great Basin College is a comprehensive community college committed to meeting the educational and workforce needs of students, communities, employers, and the State of Nevada. GBC provides degrees, certificates, workforce training, and community education through flexible and innovative delivery models.

The College serves a large geographic region through multiple campuses, centers, and instructional locations. This creates both unique challenges and significant opportunities for leadership, innovation, partnership development, and student service delivery.

GBC’s strategic priorities emphasize student experience, teaching and learning, professional development and communication, and workforce development. The Vice President of Student Affairs will play a critical role in advancing these priorities through coordinated student services, data-informed decision-making, technology modernization, and strong internal and external partnerships.

Student Success

GBC seeks to improve and maximize outreach and recruitment efforts through targeted events, outreach campaigns, high school and university partnerships, targeted marketing, and engagement with communities surrounding each College location.

The VPSA will lead efforts to enhance the student experience, strengthen student engagement, and improve persistence, completion, and goal attainment.

The College will continue to expand the use of student data, analytics, CRM technology, communication tools, and other student-success technologies to better understand student needs and provide timely, coordinated support.

Teaching and Learning

Great Basin College is engaged in innovative approaches to improve student learning and successful course completion across learning environments.

The VPSA will work collaboratively with Academic Affairs and other institutional partners to ensure that student support services, advising, enrollment strategies, and other student-success initiatives complement the College’s academic mission.

Professional Development and Communication

GBC is committed to developing employees’ core competencies and strengthening professional development across employee groups.

The VPSA will support a culture of effective communication, transparency, collaboration, inclusiveness, and engagement. The position will help ensure that communication strategies and student services are coordinated, accessible, and focused on student success.

Workforce Development and Community Partnerships

GBC is committed to strengthening relationships with educational institutions, employers, industry leaders, workforce development organizations, and community partners to create seamless pathways for student success.

Key initiatives include strengthening partnerships, aligning educational opportunities with workforce needs, using data-informed stakeholder engagement, and collaborating with Nevada high schools and workforce development organizations to build strong, job-ready talent pipelines.

The VPSA will contribute to these efforts by strengthening relationships between Student Affairs, academic programs, workforce partners, and the communities served by GBC.

al support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner. 

Compensation Grade: Executive Faculty

The budgeted salary range for this position is $170,000 - $190,000

Salary is based on relatable education and experience, internal equity and budgets.

Remarkable Retirement

Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow! All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada.

Perks of Working at Great Basin College

• Health insurance options including medical, dental and vision

• 12 paid holidays

• Life insurance, long-term disability

• Generous annual and sick leave with 24 annual leave days per year, a beginning balance of 30 sick leave days.

• ComPsych supports employees through life's difficult moments.

• No state income tax!

• Free Parking

Grants-in-aid for Faculty Employees

Great Basin College is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner.

About the Area

Nestled in the heart of northeast Nevada, Elko is a dynamic and welcoming community that offers the perfect balance of charm, culture, and opportunity. As home to Great Basin College, Elko is more than just a place to work—it’s a place to thrive. Renowned for its rich heritage, the town is a treasure trove of folk art, native and western crafts, and vibrant cultural events that celebrate its unique spirit. Outdoor enthusiasts will find no shortage of adventures, from scenic hiking trails, camping, and fishing to exhilarating winter sports. For those with a passion for the arts, Elko boasts a vibrant scene filled with festivals, galleries, and performances that captivate residents and visitors alike. Modern cuisine, steeped in Western tradition, adds to the town’s distinct appeal.

Exempt

Yes

Full-Time Equivalent

100.0%

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review.  To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact [email protected]

Posting Close Date

09/18/2026

Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

All document(s) must be received on or before the closing date of the job announcements.

Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents.

NSHE is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes). 

About Great Basin College

Located in the high desert of rural Nevada, Great Basin College is a Carnegie classified baccalaureate and associates degree granting institution embracing a comprehensive hybrid mission to deliver a full four-year liberal arts and sciences, community college and applied technical learning curricula.  With its main campus in Elko, a beautiful site with residential housing and state-of-the-art learning technologies, GBC serves the largest geographic area of Nevada’s colleges. Great Basin College serves the citizens residing in ten of Nevada’s most rural counties, covering 86,514 square miles and bordering five states.  This service area includes centers in Battle Mountain, Ely, Pahrump and Winnemucca. Additionally, satellite locations can be found in twenty other frontier communities.

Our vast geography is known for its spectacular mountain ranges and picturesque valleys, providing a myriad of outdoor recreational opportunities. In addition, Elko is home to several well-known western museums and the world renown, National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, begun 35 years ago to honor and share the traditions of Western storytelling, nurturing the expressive culture of the American West.

GBC provides a “private college” experience with public college affordable access to postsecondary education in an environment that embraces and respects all cultures.  It stands among the most innovative colleges in America, integrating many disciplines into single courses and programs, helping students to develop critical thinking and self-directed learning skills.  Graduates of Great Basin College are fully prepared to enter their chosen careers with the knowledge and confidence to succeed in the global marketplace.

For more information visit GBC or the Area website.