California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. Located equidistant between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, CSUSB serves the expansive San Bernardino and Riverside Counties (also known as the Inland Empire), whose more than 4 million residents live in 27,000 square miles – an area larger than ten states. Voted the most beautiful CSU campus by students, CSUSB is nestled in the foothills of the picturesque San Bernardino Mountains, which provide a stunning backdrop to the 441-acre, park-like campus. Cal State San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity for the Inland Empire. With five academic colleges, along with a college of extended learning and a branch campus in Palm Desert, CSUSB enrolls more than 20,000 students and employs more than 2,300 faculty and staff. A minority-serving institution, the campus reflects the rich and dynamic diversity of the region and has as diverse a student population as any university in California.
Responsibilities of the Position
Reporting to the president, the vice president for student affairs (VPSA) is responsible for continuing the university’s commitment to student success by establishing and sustaining an environment of inclusiveness and support for the campus’s diverse student body, supporting student learning, fostering a strong sense of community, and promoting growth through engagement in the life of the main campus in San Bernardino and the branch campus in Palm Desert. The VPSA will manage a budget of nearly $33 million and will lead a team of more than 300 staff representing a broad portfolio of student support programs, including: Career Center; Children’s Center; Cross Cultural Center; Counseling and Psychological Services; Housing and Residential Education; Intercollegiate Athletics; Obershaw DEN Food Pantry; Pre-College Programs; Recreation and Wellness Center; Services to Students with Disabilities; Student Conduct and Ethical Development; Student Engagement; Student Health Center; Undocumented Student Success Center; Veterans Success Center; Vice President for Student Affairs Office; and the CARE Team. The VPSA also oversees two 501(c) (3) auxiliaries, the Associated Students, Inc., and the Santos Manuel Student Union. The vice president will work collaboratively with the provost and vice president for academic affairs to lead the effort of meeting the goals of the CSU Graduation Initiative 2025, as well as promote enrollment management as a comprehensive, integrated approach toward enhancing and improving the recruitment, retention, and graduation of CSUSB students. As a member of the president’s cabinet, the VPSA will be counted on to provide counsel and advocate on all matters pertaining to non-academic student life.
Characteristics of the Successful Candidate
A doctoral degree in a relevant field (student personnel administration, higher education administration, or similar discipline) and at least seven years of progressively responsible leadership in student affairs are required. The ideal candidate will possess a record of success in creating and implementing a vision for a student affairs division at a comprehensive university; demonstrated experience integrating student affairs with academic affairs; a record of effective and innovative leadership in policy development, strategic planning, diversity programming, and first-generation student engagement programming; and a demonstrated commitment to staff diversity, learning, and development. At least five years of progressively responsible senior managerial experience with a public institution of higher education; experience working effectively within academic shared governance and collective bargaining environments; experience working for an urban, minority-serving institution; and scholarly activity, including publications and participation in appropriate professional organizations are preferred.
Additional desired qualifications include:
- Demonstrated ability to manage a large and complex organization and budget.
- Demonstrated knowledge of student development theory and a broad range of trends and best practices nationally in student development programs and services.
- Experience with critically assessing the efficiency and efficacy of services to students, including those delivered through technology.
- History of success with student outcomes.
- Ability to mentor staff and advance a culture of service and collaboration with all campus and system constituencies.
- Experience in providing response and assistance to students in crisis situations.
- Proven ability to create a climate responsive to student concerns.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to effectively listen to all points of view, build consensus on initiatives and issues, and inform others of policies and plans.
The characteristics and attributes listed below were identified by various stakeholders when considering the position of Vice President for Student Affairs:
- Understand the challenges, needs, and unique capabilities that a diverse population of first-generation, traditionally underrepresented population and Pell-eligible students bring to higher education, and understand the strategies for supporting their success.
- Possess a deep understanding of the residential student experience and the contributions of residence life to campus life.
- Exhibit strategic thinking and an ability to contribute to discussions of university issues beyond student affairs.
- Possess a high degree of positive energy and enthusiasm that will inspire, motivate, empower, and stimulate students and staff to achieve their full potential.
- Be comfortable with the ambiguity that accompanies a large public university system and adaptable to changing conditions.
- Serve as an astute relationship-builder forging collaborative partnerships with academic affairs, finance and administration, enrollment/ retention services, the campus community, and the San Bernardino/ Riverside County community.
- Create a culture that values measurable learning outcomes, assessment, and accountability.
- Be a champion for social justice and community engagement.
- Demonstrate success in being a persuasive, effective, and politically sophisticated advocate for student life and the student body within the larger university community, and be comfortable articulating the value of student engagement and the value of student life contributions to the overall educational experience.
- Take a leadership role in national professional organizations and encourage staff members to actively participate in their professional associations.
- Capacity to provide forward-thinking, innovative ideas to keep the institution on the forefront of trends and best practices.
- Be a hands-on leader when necessary, but also delegate appropriate responsibilities to staff members and ensure accountability for outcomes.
- Be visible and engaged in all types of campus, student, and community activities, events, and student interaction.
- Empower staff to reach personal and professional goals through a supportive work environment, positive staff development, and calculated risk-taking.
History of the Position
Brian Haynes served as Vice President for Student Affairs at CSUSB from 2013-2018. He resigned in July 2018, to accept the position of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at UC Riverside. When he came to CSUSB, Haynes replaced Frank Rincon, who retired as Vice President of Student Services in the summer of 2013. Rincon was one of the longest-tenured administrators at CSUSB, having served 19 years with the university and more than 36 years as a university student affairs professional. Harry Le Grande is currently serving as Interim Vice President for Student Affairs.
Likely Opportunities, Priorities, and Challenges of the Position
The new vice president at CSUSB will find a high level of support for student affairs amongst senior leadership at the institution. President Morales and Vice President for Administration and Finance Doug Freer have both previously served as chief student affairs officers. The President desires a VPSA who embraces the vital role that student affairs professionals play as educators. The educational mission of the university encompasses both academic and co-curricular experiences. There must be a strong relationship between academic and student affairs and a recognition that neither can reach its full potential without the other.
Additional opportunities, priorities, and challenges, as shared by key University stakeholders, include the following:
- The enrollment at CSUSB reflects the diversity of the region. It has the second highest African American and Hispanic enrollments of all public universities in California. Seventy percent of those who graduate are the first in their families to do so.
- CSUSB maintains a high profile in the San Bernardino community. The VPSA will be a visible member of the community and will need to quickly develop relationships with key stakeholders. The ability to effectively partner with the Office of Strategic Communications to manage media and communications will be critical for success.
- The university has recently separated the enrollment and student affairs functions. It will be imperative for the new VPSA to build strong collaborative relationships with key members of the enrollment team.
- The new VPSA should demonstrate a leadership style that is credible and collegial while being highly effective. It is expected that the new VPSA will develop strategic learning outcomes and will shape Student Affairs into a high-functioning division, while focusing on the academic and personal development of students.
- The VPSA will be courageous in advancing new ideas, think outside the box, and push the Student Affairs staff to address challenges—whether they be space-related, budgetary, or personnel—with creativity and ambition.
- The VPSA will embrace the mission and vision of the University and ensure that they are reflected in the decisions of the division.
Measures of Success for the Position
The following items will define the new vice president’s success over the first few years of employment:
- The VPSA is a highly visible leader, and is well-known and respected throughout the campus community as the leading student development expert.
- Strong relationships have been established with other senior administrators, faculty, and staff throughout the university—particularly among colleagues in academic affairs—and these relationships are producing valuable collaborations that support student success and institutional strategic goals.
- The level of student engagement has grown, particularly regarding students’ interest and involvement in significant leadership endeavors.
- A culture of assessment has been established throughout the Student Affairs Division.
- A strategic plan for Student Affairs has been articulated, informed by internal research and assessment and through review and consideration of national best practices and trends impacting the work of student affairs professionals and the students they serve.
- The vice president is connected with key stakeholders and visible in the local community.
- Trust has been developed among staff across the division. Responsibilities are delegated to the appropriate departments, and leaders are held accountable for outcomes.
- Decision-making processes are efficient, inclusive, and transparent.
- There is a strong sense of shared vision and collegiality within the division.
An Overview of the Division of Student Affairs
Mission
Create a dynamic learning environment through premiere programs and services that promote student success, enhance the learning experience, and engage students intentionally with communities.
Vision
Educate and inspire students to transform communities, advance the region and change the world by holding fast to its core values: student success, integrity, and social justice.
Departments
The departments of the Division of Student Affairs meet the academic and co-curricular needs of CSUSB students and the university. Student Affairs provides leadership in the development of services and programs that enrich student life, extend and enhance the academic experience, and contribute to an environment that encourages personal growth and development.
- Associated Students, Inc.
- CARE Team
- Career Center
- Children’s Center
- Cross Cultural Center
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- Housing and Residential Education
- Intercollegiate Athletics (NCAA Division II)
- Obershaw DEN Food Pantry
- Pre-College Programs
- Recreation and Wellness Center
- Santos Manuel Student Union.
- Services to Students with Disabilities
- Student Conduct and Ethical Development
- Student Engagement
- Student Health Center
- Undocumented Student Success Center
- Veterans Success Center
Institutional Background
California State University, San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in Inland Southern California. Opened in 1965 and set at the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, the university serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually.
The “value added” by a CSUSB education ranks in the top 4 percent in the nation, according to the Collegiate Learning Assessment, a sequence of tests used by hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide that measure student learning in the freshman and then in the senior year. First-to-second year retention rates are third highest among all CSU campuses.
The university offers more than 70 traditional baccalaureate and master’s degree programs, education credential and certificate programs, and a doctoral program. In recent years, CSUSB added its first doctorate (educational leadership), engineering program (computer science and engineering), and M.F.A. programs in creative writing and studio art/design. Every CSUSB academic program that is eligible has earned national accreditation. The university also is home to the California Professor of the Year (Stuart Sumida).
Cal State San Bernardino has seen records in enrollment, diversity of faculty and students, grant and contract funding, overhead funds, fundraising, and international programs development. CSUSB ranks as the second-safest among all 33 public universities in California.
Cal State San Bernardino is listed among the best colleges and universities in the western United States, according to The Princeton Review, Forbes, and U.S. News and World Report, in their respective annual rankings. It also is part of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, With Distinction – the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. In addition, it is a “Military Friendly School” according to G.I. Jobs. CSUSB’s College of Business and Public Administration was named by European CEO Magazine as one of the four most innovative business schools in the U.S. and among the top 18 in the world. The Sierra Club named CSUSB one of “America’s Coolest Schools.”
The university has an annual statewide economic impact of more than half a billion dollars, along with more than $32 million in yearly statewide tax revenue.
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area (sometimes called the Inland Empire). It serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California. As one of the Inland Empire’s anchor cities, San Bernardino spans 81 square miles on the floor of the San Bernardino Valley, and has a population of 209,924 as of the 2010 census.
San Bernardino is the 17th-largest city in California, and the 100th-largest city in the United States. San Bernardino is home to numerous diplomatic missions for the Inland Empire, being one of four cities in California with numerous consulates (the other three being Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco).
California State University, San Bernardino is located in the northwestern part of the city. The university also hosts the James & Aerianthi Coussoulis Arena. Other attractions in San Bernardino include ASU Fox Theatre; the McDonald’s Museum, which is located on the original site of the world’s first McDonald’s; California Theatre; the San Bernardino Mountains; and San Manuel Amphitheater, the largest outdoor amphitheater in the United States. In addition, the city is home to the Inland Empire 66ers baseball team; who play their home games at San Manuel Stadium in downtown San Bernardino.
In the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains lies the University District, which is a commercial area designed to support California State University with shopping, dining, and high-density residential space.
The city of San Bernardino is in the process of developing a historic district around the 1918 Santa Fe Depot, which recently underwent a $15.6 million restoration. When completed, this area will connect to the downtown district with period street lights and street furniture, historic homes and other structures, a new museum, coffee bars, and a mercado with an architectural style in keeping with the Mission Revival station.
For more information, visit the Chamber of Commerce at http://sbachamber.org/.
Vision Statement
CSUSB aspires to be a model for transforming lives.
Mission Statement
CSUSB ensures student learning and success, conducts research, scholarly and creative activities, and is actively engaged in the vitality of our region. We cultivate the professional, ethical, and intellectual development of our students, faculty, and staff so they thrive and contribute to a globally connected society.
Core Values
As a university community, these core values are the driving force that moves us to accomplish our mission and goals:
Inclusivity
We affirm and are committed to the value of all kinds of differences among students, faculty, and staff. Inclusivity that is broad and deep makes us a healthier and more productive organization and builds a culture that fosters engagement and diverse perspectives.
Innovation
We support and believe in an innovative culture and attitude that fosters the creative and deliberate application of teaching, research, scholarship, and service for effective education.
Integrity
We affirm and are committed to the truth. We demonstrate our integrity by being ethical, matching what we say with what we do, and by ultimately taking responsibility for our actions.
Respect
We believe in and are committed to the virtue of respect and will treat everyone with courtesy and kindness.
Social Justice and Equity
We believe in, affirm, and are committed to the equal value and dignity of all people. Fairness and equity are more than equality. We actively seek to eliminate barriers for those who are disadvantaged and disempowered so they may participate fully in university life.
Sustainability
We affirm and are committed to the sustainability of our university by forward thinking, learning from both successes and mistakes, being proactive in moving our university forward, and by providing opportunities for continued growth and development.
Transparency
We affirm and are committed to the importance of transparency both internally and externally. We believe in honesty and openness in our decisions and processes, subject to legal and ethical confidentialities. Understanding we are a public institution, we are also up front and open to the community and residents that we serve about the decisions we make and the actions we take.
Wellness and Safety
We affirm and are committed to protecting and enhancing the health, wellness, and safety of ourselves, our colleagues, our students, and our stakeholders. We believe a healthy university is one in which there is collegial collaboration and continual use of improvement processes that ensure a safe and healthy workplace for all.
Strategic Plan
CSUSB Strategic Plan 2015-2020
Goal 1 – Student Success
Goal 2 – Faculty and Staff Success
Goal 3 – Resource Sustainability and Expansion
Goal 4 – Community Engagement and Partnerships
Goal 5 – Identity
To read the Strategic Plan 2015–2020, please visit: https://www.csusb.edu/strategic-plan
CSU Graduation Initiative 2025
Graduation Initiative 2025 is the California State University’s ambitious initiative to increase graduation rates for all CSU students while eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps. Through this initiative, CSU will ensure that all students have the opportunity to graduate in a timely manner according to their personal goals, positively impacting their future, and producing the graduates needed to power California and the nation.
To achieve this CSU is addressing:
- Academic Preparation
- Enrollment Management:
- Student Engagement and Well-being
- Financial Aid
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Administrative Barriers
Complete information on Graduation Initiative 2025 is available at https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/why-the-csu-matters/graduation-initiative-2025#
Leadership
Tomás D. Morales, President
Tomás D. Morales was selected as the president of California State University, San Bernardino in May 2012. He is the university’s fourth president since it opened in 1965. Previously, Morales was president of the College of Staten Island, The City University of New York (CUNY), since 2007.
From 2001 to 2007, Morales served in various capacities at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, including provost and vice president for academic affairs, vice president for student affairs, and professor of education. Prior to joining Pomona, Morales was vice president for student affairs and dean of students at The City College of New York/CUNY from 1994 to 2001. He provided strategic leadership, restructured the Student Services Corporation, and implemented a new student-centered model for the Division of Student Affairs. From 1992 to 1994, Morales was assistant dean of the School of Education at the State University of New York (SUNY), New Paltz.
He holds a BA in history from SUNY, New Paltz, and earned his MS and PhD in educational administration and policy studies from SUNY, Albany. Having served as an educator and administrative leader in higher education for 41 years, he is one of the few higher education administrators in the United States who has held senior administrative positions at the three largest public university systems in the nation: The California State University, The State University of New York, and The City University of New York.
Morales is actively involved with several national organizations. He currently serves as chair of the Governing Board of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and on the Executive Committee of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. In addition, he previously served as chair and board member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, as well as co-chair of AASCU’s National Task Force on College Readiness, which released the report “Serving America’s Future: Increasing College Readiness,” a comprehensive examination that advocates approaches for public institutions to take.
He also previously served on the board of directors of the American Council on Education, the American Council on Education’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Equity, and the National Information and Communication Technology Literacy Policy Council.
In May 2012, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from his alma mater, SUNY, New Paltz, where he was the featured commencement speaker. In recognition for his service to education and his passion for the sport, the baseball field at the College of Staten Island was named in his honor as the Tomás D. Morales Baseball Field.
For his lifelong dedication to improving the access and quality of public higher education, he has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Leader in Education Award from Education Update; the Lifetime Achievement Award in Education from the New York League of Puerto Rican Women, Inc.; Effective Leadership Golden Age Award from the Latino Center on Aging; Latino Trendsetter Award at the United Nations; the IMAGEN Certificate Award from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; the Professional Achievement Award from Boricua College; the Hispanic Leadership Award from the Boy Scouts of America; the Outstanding Leadership in the Service of Youth Award by the National Honor Society at Susan E. Wagner High School; and the Louis R. Miller Award from the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and Staten Island Advance.
Tomás and his wife, Evy, have been married for over 40 years. They have three grown children (sons Thomas and Omar Morales, daughter Amanda Jimenez) and six grandchildren.
The Student Body
Fall 2017 Stats
CSUSB student population – 20,461 (FTES 17,967)
CSUSB students come from:
- 86 percent – San Bernardino and Riverside counties
- 6 percent – other California counties
- 7 percent – other countries
- <1 percent – out-of-state
Highlights of the 20,461 students:
- 12,410 (61 percent) – female
- 8,051 (39 percent) – male
- 89 percent seeking an undergraduate degree
- 85 percent attend on a full-time basis
- 81 percent are first-generation college students (parents without a bachelor’s degree)
- 62 percent of our undergraduates are low-income students (Pell Grant recipients)
Student diversity:
- 61 percent – Hispanic
- 13 percent – White
- 7 percent – non-resident foreign students
- 5 percent – African American
- 5 percent – Asian
Student classification:
- 22 percent – freshmen
- 13 percent – sophomores
- 24 percent – juniors
- 31 percent – seniors
- 2 percent – post-baccalaureate students
- 8 percent – masters
- <1 percent – doctoral students
Average age:
- 22 – Undergraduate students
- 32 – Graduate/post-baccalaureate students
Our current student success measures are as follows:
- First-to-second year retention rate of first time full-time freshmen is 85 percent
- Four year graduation rate is 14 percent
- Six-year graduation rate is 54 percent
At admission:
- 56 percent of first time freshmen required some form of developmental coursework in Math and/or English
- 19 percent needed both Math and English
- 33 percent needed Math only
- 5 percent needed English only
The Academic Program
The university offers degree, credential, and certificate programs and is organized into six academic colleges:
- College of Arts and Letters
- College of Business and Public Administration
- College of Education
- College of Extended and Global Education (CEGE)
- College of Natural Sciences
- College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Benefits Overview
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Life insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Retirement plans
- Long-term disability insurance
For more information about benefits, go to http://hr.csusb.edu/miscellaneousBenefits.html.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position please click on the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and position-specific cover letter. Nominations for this position may be emailed to Mark Hall at mah@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.
Visit the California State University, San Bernardino website at www.csusb.edu
California State University, San Bernardino is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer. The University seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives and ways of knowing and learning. California State University, San Bernardino subscribes to all state and federal regulations and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity/gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, medical condition, and covered veteran status. California State University, San Bernardino hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. As required by the Clery Disclosure Act, the University’s annual security report is available at http://police.csusb.edu/documents/ASR.pdf. The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.
This position may be “Designated” under California State University’s Conflict of Interest Code. This would require the filing of a Statement of Economic Interest on an annual basis and the completion of training within 6 months of assuming office and every 2 years thereafter. Visit the Human Resources Conflict of Interest webpage link for additional information: http://hrd.csusb.edu/conflictInterest.html.