Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs
$185,000 - $210,000 USD yearly
Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs
Georgian Court University | Lakewood, New Jersey
Reports to: President
Classification: Full-time, Senior Administrator, President's Cabinet
Location: Lakewood, New Jersey (on-campus)
About Georgian Court University
Founded in 1908 by the Sisters of Mercy of New Jersey and sponsored by the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas since 2007, Georgian Court University (GCU) is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering more than 35 undergraduate degrees, 10 graduate programs, and a range of certificate programs through its two schools: School of Business, Education, Liberal Arts, & Sciences and the School of Nursing and Wellness. GCU maintains a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with 97% of full-time faculty holding doctoral or terminal degrees and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
GCU's mission and every dimension of institutional life are guided by the Mercy Core Values of respect, integrity, justice, compassion, and service. As the University advances a multi-year strategic direction focused on enrollment growth, program innovation, and student success, including significant investment in nursing and allied health facilities, the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs will play a central role in shaping GCU's next chapter.
Position Summary
The Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs (VPASA) serves as the University's chief academic and student life officer, providing unified strategic leadership across the full continuum of the student experience from academic program quality and faculty affairs to enrollment, retention, campus life, and student support services. Reporting directly to the President and serving as a core member of the President's Cabinet, the VPASA integrates academic and co-curricular functions to advance student learning, formation, and success in the Mercy Catholic tradition.
This is a newly integrated cabinet-level role designed to break down traditional silos between academic and student affairs, ensuring that curricular and co-curricular strategies are aligned in service of enrollment growth, retention, degree completion, and post-graduate outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Academic Leadership
- Provide strategic and operational leadership for all academic programs, schools, and departments, ensuring quality, rigor, and alignment with GCU's mission and Mercy Core Values.
- Oversee curriculum development, program review, new program launches, and program suspensions in coordination with deans, department chairs, and faculty governance bodies.
- Collaborate in institutional accreditation efforts, including compliance with Middle States Commission on Higher Education standards and program-specific accreditors (e.g., nursing, education, business, social work).
- Supervise recruitment, development, evaluation, and (where applicable) tenure and promotion processes for faculty, in partnership with the Faculty Assembly and academic deans.
- Champion academic innovation, including online and hybrid program development, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary initiatives that respond to workforce and regional needs.
- Provide leadership in establishing mutually beneficial external relationships and partnerships.
- Support institutional efforts to secure external funding from foundations, corporations, and federal agencies.
Student Affairs and Campus Life
- Direct all student affairs functions, including residence life, student engagement, health and wellness, campus ministry, and student conduct.
- Ensure a campus culture rooted in the Mercy Core Values of respect, integrity, justice, compassion, and service, fostering student formation as well as academic achievement.
- Oversee student support services (advising, tutoring, disability services, counseling, and career development) to strengthen retention and completion.
- Serve as a visible, accessible presence to students, faculty, and staff, and as the University's principal point of accountability for student welfare and Title IX/Clery compliance.
Enrollment, Retention, and Student Success
- Partner with Enrollment Management and Marketing to align academic offerings with market demand, competitive positioning, and enrollment goals.
- Lead data-informed retention strategies, using early-alert systems, advising redesign, and co-curricular programming to improve persistence and completion rates.
- Monitor key performance indicators (enrollment, retention, graduation rates, student satisfaction) and report regularly to the President and Board of Trustees.
Institutional Leadership and Administration
- Serve as a key member of the President's Cabinet, contributing to university-wide strategic planning, budgeting, and policy development.
- Manage the Academic and Student Affairs division's operating budget, ensuring fiscally responsible stewardship of resources amid the University's broader financial planning priorities.
- Represent the University to external constituencies, including accrediting bodies, the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, professional associations, and the Conference for Mercy Higher Education.
- Act on behalf of the President as needed on academic and student life matters, including at Board of Trustees meetings and committees.
Qualifications
Required
- Earned doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent terminal degree) from an accredited institution.
- Minimum of 8–10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education administration, spanning both academic affairs and student affairs, or demonstrated readiness to lead both domains.
- Record of faculty appointment and teaching experience sufficient to earn the confidence and respect of faculty and appointment at the level of Professor. Persons with such credentials are eligible to be hired with tenure.
- Demonstrated success leading accreditation processes, program development, and enrollment or retention initiatives.
- Experience in collaborations and partnerships with external agencies and institutions.
- Strong financial acumen, including budget development and resource allocation in a complex academic environment.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and public communication skills, with the ability to build trust among faculty, staff, students, trustees, and external stakeholders.
Preferred
- Prior experience at a small, mission-driven, private Catholic or faith-based institution.
- Familiarity with or affinity for the Mercy Catholic tradition and Mercy Core Values of respect, integrity, justice, compassion, and service.
- Experience with nursing, allied health, or professional program development and accreditation.
- Experience navigating institutional budget constraints and enrollment-driven revenue models typical of tuition-dependent institutions.
- Familiarity with New Jersey higher education regulatory requirements and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education review process.
Leadership Qualities and Skills
- Collaborative leader able to build connections across multiple constituencies.
- Engaging and motivated individual able to inspire others.
- Visible and approachable personality who enjoys involvement across campus.
- Ability to lead change in the challenging environment of private higher education.
Institutional Fit
Georgian Court University seeks a leader who is energized by its mission: providing a comprehensive liberal arts education in the Roman Catholic Mercy tradition, with special concern for the communities it serves locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. The successful candidate will embrace and model GCU's commitment to students’ intellectual, ethical, physical, and spiritual formation and will be an active, visible partner to the President, Board of Trustees, faculty, and student leadership in advancing the University's strategic priorities.
Georgian Court University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse community consistent with its Mercy Core Values.
To ensure full consideration please submit your application by November 2. Include cover letter, cv, and contact information for three references.
**Must be US Work Authorized**