Academic Career & Executive Search Seeks Two Campus Presidents for Dallas College

August 17, 2020 – West Hartford, Conn-based  Academic Career & Executive Search has been chosen to find two campus presidents for Dallas College in Texas. One will lead the school’s El Centro campus; the other will oversee the Mountain View campus. Leading the assignment is managing partner Jennifer Muller.

Each Dallas College campus offers unique opportunities in size, setting, location and goals. “However, each campus shares a common commitment to open access and offers opportunities for intellectual, professional and leadership development through credit and non-credit career, transfer and certificate programs,” said Academic Career & Executive Search. Both campuses are designated as an Hispanic serving institution. The El Centro campus has realized “achieving the dream” (ATD) status.

“The El Centro campus desires a broad thinking leader comfortable interacting with top industry executives, raising funds and helping to drive the brand new downtown campus initiative to fruition,” said the search firm. “The El Centro campus president must believe in the mission and see Dallas College as the solution to the challenges faced by companies today. The successful candidate is a passionate leader, ready to roll up their sleeves, interact with the community, local industry and ensure resources are in place to accomplish campus goals.”

The Mountain View campus wants a passionate leader highly engaged with community members, families and donors, said Academic Career & Executive Search. The new Mountain View campus president should bring a commitment to student success and a passion for providing awareness and opportunity to students and families. The ideal candidate will have a history of ensuring student success and providing the needed support.

Role Requirements

For both locations, the president is the chief executive officer of his or her campus and reports directly to the Dallas College chancellor. The president is responsible for business and community engagement, advancement, campus culture and the student experience. The president is responsible for leading both campus and college-wide initiatives which contribute to the vibrancy, growth and economic stability of Dallas County for future generations. Primary emphases are in the areas of: business and community outreach to extend partnerships, expand resources, and share capacity to advance and build Dallas College’s career connected learner network in support of current and future students; campus culture, including the student experience and the employee experience; and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Candidates must have an expertise in understanding challenges of a community, developing solutions for employer and problems, and starting innovative programs or initiatives. An entrepreneurial spirit in the development of partnerships – with and without funding – to expand the capacity of serving the population of Dallas County and beyond is also necessary. The right individual must also have an ability to engage and work collaboratively with business, education and community leaders to develop and strengthen relationships and partnerships which leverage the talents, resources, and facilities to meet the needs of students and other stakeholders.

An earned master’s degree is required for the campus president role; an earned doctorate from an accredited institution is preferred. Candidates must have five years of management experience; this should include three years of upper-level administrative experience in a community college/higher education environment or in a business environment which is related to or compatible with a career connected learner network approach to the delivery of educational services to meet the needs of students, employers and the community.

For more than 50 years, the Dallas County Community College District has provided affordable, quality education to nearly 3 million people through seven independently accredited colleges in Dallas County. In 2020, those colleges united under a single name offering students a more streamlined, convenient experience. The seven original campuses live on as primary locations. In addition to El Centro and Mountain View, the campuses include Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, North Lake and Richland. By approving a comprehensive application detailing concrete steps on how the district would consolidate its, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges also granted the district a “level change,” allowing what is now Dallas College to offer a bachelor of applied science in early childhood education and teaching, the first four-year degree offered by the institution.

Experienced Recruiters

Academic Career & Executive Search focuses on executive search services, career planning and candidate coaching. Specializing in challenging faculty to senior administrative positions, the firm offers six a la carte services spanning full search, candidate generation, interim, multi-hire and contingency search. Candidate support services include webinars, career planning and candidate coaching. Its team has served in virtually every capacity in higher education including president, vice president, provost, dean, chief human research officer and faculty members across all types and sizes of institutions.

Ms. Muller has more than 20 years’ research and development experience in higher education and Fortune 500 companies. She has led over 70 higher education searches both domestically and internationally spanning presidents, vice presidents, associate chancellors, deans, directors, chairs and faculty level positions. She is former vice chair of the American Council on Education (ACE) Executive Search Roundtable and serves as an advisor in the numerous ACE leadership development forums.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media