Director of the Center for Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

Reporting administratively to the associate vice president for the Division of Arts, Belonging and Community, the new director of the Center for Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology will help the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech/Institute) increase access, enrollment, retention, and graduation for African American, Black, and Black-identified students to meet emerging workforce, management, and leadership needs in science, technology, and other growing sectors of the future. The inaugural director will help establish, develop, and sustain a new department that is aligned with the Institute’s strategic priorities and values. The new director will collaborate with campus partners to implement improvements to policies, procedures, and programs with the goal of eliminating educational barriers for students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The newly appointed leader will also facilitate student belonging, community, and connections with students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the public by leveraging culture, history, arts, sciences, and other fields of scholarship and inquiry. Further, the newly appointed leader will recruit, hire, train, supervise, develop, and evaluate assigned staff.

Working collaboratively with all colleges, divisions, and departments, co-curricular offerings hosted by the Center for Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology, the director will:

• Enhance recruitment and yield in the enrollment management process, increasing Georgia Tech’s competitive edge with top-tier peer institutions.
• Support academic learning and success at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels with the goal of increasing retention and graduation rates.
• Foster synergies between Georgia Tech and the broader community to support experiential learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering, business, and related/other fields.
• Collaboratively manage multiple relationships and projects in a fast-paced professional office, flexibly adapting to new priorities, anticipating needs, and being strategically nimble and responsive as projects and needs change.
• Build relationships and maintain trust, balance the needs of various stakeholders, and identify and advocate for achievable solutions that generate desired educational impacts and outcomes.
• Operate effectively in a student-centered environment committed to the values of shared governance and support a student body that is broadly diverse in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and (dis)ability, among other factors.
• Develop and sustain a community of educators, innovators, and thought partners who are committed to advancing a workforce that meets the needs of Georgia Tech’s 21st-century global democracy and economy goals.

Additional duties and responsibilities:

• Interact on a regular basis with faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni, parent, stakeholders, leaders, and guests.
• Advise and consult with all cabinet areas, colleges, divisions, and departments as needed related to critical issues and events in assigned functional areas.
• Be knowledgeable of the unique challenges that communities across the African Diaspora—African, African American, and Caribbean—may face and help cultivate culturally responsive engagement and outreach initiatives that foster resilience, well-being, belonging, and holistic success for students, faculty, staff, parents/families, and alumni.
• Develop and sustain partnerships and coalitions with entities both internal and external to Georgia Tech in order to analyze and better understand the impact of the intersections of race with other identities, including but not limited to gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and disability, as well as seek to eliminate educational disparities accordingly.
• Advise, coach, mentor, and promote development and learning for African American and/or Black students and other student populations from historically underserved communities, as well as those interested in mitigating the impacts of historical, political, social, and/or legal marginalization.
• As needed, serve as staff advisor for student clubs, groups, and registered student organizations whose purpose aligns with the mission of the department; provide guidance to students on establishing new organizations, recruiting and retaining members, fundraising and other operational matters, program planning, and leadership development
• Provide firsthand, lead-by-example, and overall administration of the development, coordination, and implementation of cultural programming, student leadership training, innovative strategies, and academic success.
• Direct departmental strategic planning and Institute-wide equity initiatives in support of students on campus who identify as African American and/or Black, as well as biracial or multiracial, or those who are interested in advancing the holistic educational and career success of individuals across the African Diaspora and related communities.
• Establish wide-scale collaborations across campus to institute lasting, meaningful systemic change with extensive external engagement.
• Collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders—alumni, community partners, local agencies, and civic organizations to achieve the departmental mission and Institute strategic priorities.
• Assess outcomes, evaluate impact, and collect data on departmental efforts, programs, services, and initiatives; adjust operational direction accordingly.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

A master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a field relevant to the primary responsibilities is required; a terminal degree is preferred. A minimum of five years of related work experience, including managerial experience or an equivalent combination of education and work experience, is required. Successful candidates must demonstrate a proven record and experience specific to working with students who are Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) or from other historically marginalized communities, as well as those interested in mitigating the impacts of this marginalization. Knowledge of managing budgets and submitting assessment reports is required. Experience with evaluation and quality improvement; fund- or friend-raising efforts; successfully applying for extramural grant funding; and engagement with sustained cultural change or organizational transformation efforts is desired.

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

• Even temperament, professional demeanor, mission-driven, highly organized, and disciplined with the ability to relate easily to a wide range of groups.
• Decisive leader who is flexible, efficient, and able to prioritize and see initiatives through to completion.
• Innovator with a futuristic orientation and a willingness to try new opportunities, remain informed on new trends and best practices, and lead significant change processes when appropriate.
• Adaptable to changing circumstances and committed to continuous assessment and improvement.
• Strong supervisor who clearly communicates expectations, delegates effectively, and supports professional development and lifelong learning.
• Facilitator of change with the capacity to build alliances and bring others on board with a mindset for strategic, forward-thinking, and innovative approaches.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills; comfortable maintaining a highly visible and engaged role and actively working with a wide variety of constituents.
• Good listener who is creative, solution-focused, detail-oriented, flexible, and adaptable.
• Be an individual of integrity and high ethical standards.
• A dynamic leader that is a good listener, open-minded, team-oriented, and willing to advocate for staff, their programs, and needs.
• Demonstrate the skills, courage, and fortitude needed to lead change, advance new ideas, and think outside the box—must be willing and able to try new approaches, cannot be risk-averse.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE

In transitioning to Georgia Tech, the director will encounter the following opportunities, priorities, and challenges, as shared by key campus stakeholders:

• Georgia Tech stakeholders are genuinely interested in participating in discussions about this position, and there was a sense of unity in support of identifying a competent and visionary individual who can promote and develop the Center for Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology, set departmental priorities, and continue to lead successful departmental initiatives boldly into the future.
• Campus stakeholders repeatedly stated that Georgia Tech has an institutional culture that emphasizes teamwork, mutual support, accessibility, approachability, and collaboration. The director will find their peer group and colleagues welcoming, promoting open communication, emphasizing a service orientation, and sharing a passion for progressive and forward-thinking administration.
• Campus stakeholders are committed to the vision of student success for Black students and are dedicated to offering the best programs and services possible. The director should make it a priority to quickly get to know the culture of the student body as well as key stakeholders, learn their particular needs, develop trust and confidence across the board, assess the programs and services that they conduct, and provide comprehensive professional support while hiring, developing, and overseeing a strong team.
• The director must possess a broad and deep understanding of national trends and best practices with regard to services regarding Black students. An exemplary record of strong organizational and team development skills is also needed. The director should be an experienced, equity-minded leader capable of managing complex situations and possess an unwavering commitment to the support of Black students that includes but is not limited to mental health, wellness, advising, and career counseling.
• The director will want to establish themselves as a strategic, innovative, and decisive leader who quickly builds rapport with students, faculty, staff, partners, colleagues throughout campus, and external collaborators. The director should conduct a “listening tour” to foster open communication, increase transparency, and generate feedback and stakeholder involvement.
• Setting a strong, strategic vision for the Center for Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology will be a critical priority for the director and will set the stage for comprehensive short- and long-term success.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

The items listed below will define the new director’s success throughout the first year of employment:

• The director will have developed and maintained a proactive, highly visible, well-respected, and established leadership presence on and off campus that is credible, collegial, and highly effective.
• The director will initiate the development and hiring of a leadership team that is defined as a strong, high-functioning, well-regarded, valued, and resilient team that works with synergy and shared purpose, readily collaborating across departmental and division lines with a demonstrated commitment to student success.
• The director will have demonstrated clear, effective communication, good rapport, and trust among internal and external campus stakeholders.
• The director will have established clear goals and objectives, monitored progress, and demonstrated measurable outcomes regarding the Center for Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology.
• Students and the campus community will have responded favorably to the new director and reported an increased level of satisfaction with an array of streamlined and well-branded resources that are easy to navigate.