Assistant Vice President for Global Diversity and Inclusion

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

The assistant vice president of global diversity and inclusion (AVPGDI) serves as a division and institutional leader, helping to advance Portland State University’s (PSU) ambitious vision to be a model for what equity and justice can look like at a diverse, urban opportunity institution. Reporting to Dr. Ame Lambert, vice president for global diversity and inclusion, the AVPGDI is a critical partner to the vice president, bridging vision and strategy with implementation through collaboration, capacity building, execution, and leadership of critical institutional initiatives and projects. The AVPGDI will collaborate with division directors, campus leaders, students, faculty, staff, and external constituencies to embed equity and justice into all campus operations, provide leadership in improving the institutional climate, and facilitate cultural change and transformation of the university for students. The AVPGDI will lead the division by providing professional development to advance and empower the employees within the division.  This position will lead, supervise, and serve as a mentor and coach for the disability resource center, student legal services, veterans resource center, and the Native American student and community center, and provide leadership of student fee-funded areas, education, and general funded areas, auxiliaries, and multiple federal and institutional programs that are supported by over $1 million of annual funding for federal programs. The AVPGDI will assess the institutional needs of the PSU community for diversity training and education and identify strategic learning opportunities which lead to sustainable individual, unit, and institutional change; advance the institution’s strategic priorities; and centers’ efforts that build capacity to support the retention, thriving, and success of minoritized students and employees. Additionally, the AVPDI provides leadership to the diversity action council (DAC) and committees implementing the Time to Act strategic priorities.

Additional duties and responsibilities of the assistant vice president of global diversity and inclusion, as enumerated in the institutional job description, include the following:

• Advocate on behalf of students and staff to facilitate the implementation of programs and policies with senior and other administrative units on campus, including student affairs.
• Supervise four program directors and co-supervise the administrative assistant and diversity operations manager.
• Provide leadership in improving the institutional climate of the university for students and employees.
• Serve on campus-wide committees, especially as an advocate for historically under-represented, first-generation, students with disabilities, multicultural, and diverse students.
• Advocate for campus-wide policies and/or policy changes to enhance the academic success of students, including multicultural and ethnic minority students as well as students with disabilities.
• Identify and promote professional development opportunities for all staff within the division.
• Communicate effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds.
• Seek opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings, exhibiting a willingness to change for continual improvement.
• Explore external funding sources and prepare grant and program proposals to increase resources and programs for improved retention and graduation of underrepresented, first-generation, and students of color, and for the preparation of students of color for post-baccalaureate study.
• In coordination with other university personnel, serve as a liaison between the university and the community to aid in the integration, participation, and retention of equity and multicultural students.
• Work with campus partners to support and develop programming for first-generation students, including co-stewarding PSU’s participation in the First-gen Forward
• Serve as a member of the divisional leadership team to assist in policy and planning for the division of global diversity and inclusion, including supporting the morale and alignment of the division.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of factors that impact the retention, success, and advancement of minoritized students and employees; demonstrate evidence of successful initiatives that impacted the retention of students; and be adept at fostering dialogue with multiple constituencies across and beyond the campus, building coalitions, and achieving results through influence, empowerment, and competence. The ideal candidate will also possess the energy, enthusiasm, drive, emotional intelligence, and gravitas necessary to achieve strategic goals and divisional and institutional priorities. Requirements include a minimum of a master’s degree and three years of relevant experience.

In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders identified the following capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate:

• Think strategically, partner effectively, and execute with purpose and precision.
• Be highly organized and disciplined.
• Communicate easily and readily with a wide range of groups.
• Exhibit a documented capacity to lead, mentor, develop, and inspire a creative, goal-oriented, and resourceful group of staff.
• Possess a deep understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice issues, and how these impact an entire campus community.
• Have a track record of experience designing a variety of synchronous and asynchronous learning and training programs.
• Be proficient and experienced with needs assessments, program evaluation, and strategic planning for annual learning opportunities and services.
• Demonstrate budget and resource management skills with the ability to creatively deploy institutional and student fee resources and seek alternative funding sources, including grant development and implementation.
• Promote the use of justice tools such as an equity lens and universal design across campus.
• Possess a demonstrated commitment to a strong collaborative style and the capacity to build bridges to other departments, faculty, students, and the community.
• Exhibit a proven record of implementing change, establishing a vision and direction for a department, motivating staff and students to embrace change, and successfully creating new policies, systems, and programs to enhance the quality of campus life for a diverse student body.
• Capable of developing strong, positive, and productive relationships with student leaders who are deeply engaged in activism and social justice change efforts designed to enhance and improve the campus climate for diversity and inclusion.
• Demonstrate exceptional listening, interpersonal, and communication skills to clearly articulate vision, direction, and purpose and earn the respect and confidence of the faculty, staff, and students.
• Be proactive and work with purpose—be able to anticipate and address challenges using systems-level thinking and working toward institutional change, rather than simply reacting to incidents or focusing on individual remedies to issues as they present themselves.
• Bring a positive, persistent, and flexible nature to lead in a time of ambiguity.

PRIORITIES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE

As a BIPOC majority student institution, Portland State University is deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion efforts and supporting the success of minoritized students as it leans into its opportunity mission and fulfills its responsibility as an anchor institution whose motto is “Let Knowledge serve the City.” Accordingly, the AVPGDI has an important voice in this regard. In transitioning to Portland State University, the AVPGDI may encounter the priorities, opportunities, and challenges listed below, as shared by key stakeholders.

• The AVPGDI will evaluate systems and processes and endeavor to operationalize a dynamic diversity and inclusion strategy in a large, complex, mission-driven organization.
• The AVPGDI will assess the institutional needs of the PSU community for training and education and identify strategic learning opportunities which lead to sustainable individual, unit, and institutional change, advances the institution’s strategic priorities, and centers efforts that build capacity to support the retention, thriving, and success of minoritized students, and employees.
• The AVPGDI will support the division’s 50+ employees through professional development, community engagement, assessment efforts, and capacity building initiatives designed to retain and advance minoritized staff across campus.
• At the vice president’s direction, the AVPGDI will support the DAC and the task force committees, ensuring the Time to Act goals come to fruition.
• As a highly collaborative and relational leader, the AVPGDI will maintain a highly visible and active presence on campus, directly serving faculty, staff, and students and supporting the university’s institutional student success priorities, regularly connecting with key stakeholders, and developing relationships throughout the diverse communities in Portland.
• The AVPGDI will seek to advance inclusive excellence, establish systems of accountability and evaluation, and use data-driven metrics to measure success, disseminate information, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• In a time of shrinking resources, the AVPGDI will assess and communicate the impact divisional work has on campus-wide priorities while creatively deploying resources and seeking alternative funding sources.
• The AVPGDI will lead and support an exemplary team by earning trust through authentic relationship building, enhancing staff morale, creating a culture of honest information sharing, soliciting others’ input, and fair and consistent accountability methods.
• The AVPGDI will provide leadership, vision, and management to direct reports that enable them to move forward with a sense of clarity and purpose in supporting the division’s strategic goals and meeting the needs of students.
• The AVPGDI must assess and analyze program and service outcomes and determine priorities for change that will enhance the quality of services, optimize available resources, and create a culture of shared vision and purpose among staff.