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San José State University (SJSU), one of the most transformative universities in the nation, seeks a creative and inspirational leader to serve as its next Senior Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management (SAVP).

Founded in 1857, San José State University is the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast. San José State is located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley and is the fifth largest of the 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU) system, the largest four-year university system in the United States. As one of the 200 top research universities in the nation, San José State has robust NSF and NIH-funded research programs and one of the highest levels of research funding in the CSU system. San José State also offers rigorous coursework to approximately 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students in nine colleges.

San José State University is ready for big change. SJSU's strategic plan—Transformation 2030—was released in the spring of 2019, laying the groundwork for the next ten years of unparalleled growth. With the arrival of President Cynthia Teniente-Matson in January 2023, SJSU is well positioned to become a pre-eminent urban public university. Strong enrollment and a renewed commitment to excellence in teaching and research enable the campus to be poised to grow and innovate, strengthening its connection to the surrounding San José and Silicon Valley communities and further fulfilling its social justice mission of access and equity.

As the University's chief enrollment officer, the Senior Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management (SAVP) oversees undergraduate admissions and will collaborate with the Division of Academic Affairs to incorporate graduate and online admissions into a comprehensive enrollment strategy. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs, the SAVP will help position SJSU for the future, taking into account the demographic shifts, evolving expectation for higher education and SJSU's bold ambitions. The SAVP will do this through the development of strategies that support enrollment growth; optimizing scholarships and financial aid; improving enrollment processes, structures and systems to enhance the speed of responsiveness and quality of engagement with students; and providing leadership and support for the enrollment management team.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to collaborate with colleagues at all levels within the organization and establish positive working relationships with internal and external partners. The SAVP will have a track record in developing and implementing a strategy to recruit, retain and graduate students; segmenting out current and new markets for enrollment growth; and leading large teams with a customer service focus. An understanding of financial aid strategy to support new and continuing enrollment; success in developing and carrying out assessments of strategic goals; and experience developing policies/procedures as well as applying state and federal policies and procedures will be assets for this role. Keen fiscal communication skills; effective verbal and written communication skills including ability to present complex information in understandable formats; the aptitude to engage in data-informed decision; and the ability to be successful in a fast-paced and detail-oriented environment will be essential for success.

A detailed leadership profile is available at this link.

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the profile. WittKieffer is assisting San José State University in this search. Candidate review has begun and will continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be submitted as soon as possible. Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:

Shelley Arakawa, J.D., Julia Bradley and Christy Pratt at SJSU-Enrollment@wittkieffer.com.

The salary for the role is anticipated to be up to $230,000. The final hiring salary is commensurate with experience.

San José State University (SJSU) is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, race, religion or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, transgender, or protected veteran status consistent with applicable federal and state laws. This policy applies to all SJSU students, faculty and staff programs and activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus).