Vice President

WSCUC is seeking a Vice President who shares our passion for student success, a demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement in higher education effectiveness, and the ability to apply quality, rigor, and consistency to the work of protecting students, fostering innovation, and informing public policy, and supporting institutional learning. The Vice President will join a strong, experienced team and take responsibility for a portfolio of institutions and for program, committee, and special projects to support the Commission in ensuring an effective accreditation process.

About WSCUC

The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. WSCUC’s outcomes-focused accreditation supports institutions in building and sustaining innovative educational programs and assures the public that accredited institutions meet rigorous standards of quality and effectiveness. WSCUC member institutions enroll 1.2 million students. The Commission is committed to publicly accessible evidence of student achievement (including student learning, graduation rates, and post-graduate outcomes) and the promotion of the diverse missions and constituencies of its institutions. Institutions are encouraged to be responsibly innovative in a dynamic postsecondary environment. WSCUC practices a peer-review, standards-based process to ensure quality and accountability along with continuous institutional improvement. The professional staff works collaboratively with institutional representatives to achieve compliance with Commission Standards in the context of institutional self-examination.

Desired Characteristics and Competencies

Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes: Leading candidates will be able to foster collaborative working relationships with institutional representatives, peer review teams, and with colleagues at WSCUC. The Vice President role at WSCUC contains significant elements of teaching and coaching, application of facts and data to inform decisions, policy design, and communication. The candidate must have experience working with diverse groups of individuals and demonstrate sensitivity to a wide range of institutions, interests, stakeholders, and views represented in the membership.

Candidates must have excellent listening skills, effective written and verbal communication skills, the ability to organize a complex workload under competing deadlines, and the judgment to identify issues that warrant review and reconsideration. The successful candidate will be curious, collegial, open to new ideas, and will maintain awareness of the regulatory environment, and be comfortable with change. Candidates must appreciate and be responsive to the needs of the constituencies served by the Commission. Other desired characteristics include the ability to be diplomatic while being decisive, flexible while also consistent, patient and productive, attuned to both big picture and detail, politically astute and culturally sensitive, self-motivated, and resilient. The candidate must possess high ethical standards and exhibit consistent integrity and respect for others and must exercise impeccable discretion.

Career Paths Leading to this Position: Candidates will have had substantial experience in higher education in a senior administrative, faculty, or policy role. The successful candidate will have a broad understanding of postsecondary education issues and operations, from student learning to faculty roles to administrative and financial matters and governance. Experience with accreditation processes is preferred; service as an Accreditation Liaison Officer and/or peer reviewer is desirable.

· Use of student learning and post-graduate outcomes and leadership of evidence-driven change

· Understanding of higher education financial planning and reporting, sustainability, and business structures

· Communication about higher education quality and choice to varied audiences

· Organizational planning and project management.

• Education: An earned doctorate or terminal degree is desired.

Primary Responsibilities

Institutional Support: The Vice President will work with assigned institutions as first point of contact and liaison, providing support and interpretation of WSCUC accreditation standards, policies, and processes, including: eligibility and seeking accreditation; reaffirmation of accreditation; annual, progress, and interim reports; and substantive change. Activities include acquiring and maintaining knowledge of institutions; institutional training; selecting, preparing, and supporting review teams as well as accompanying teams and facilitating the review process during institutional visits. The Vice President must become proficient in using several systems tools and resources which the Commission employs to manage its work.

Commission and Project Support: Each Vice President carries responsibility for significant program activities, policy development, and supporting Commission standing or ad hoc committees, strategic initiatives, and/or other priorities. The Vice President participates in Commission meetings to provide informed support as it engages in deliberations related to Commission actions, higher education developments and challenges, and national and state policy issues related to higher education. The Vice President is also an active participant in the WSCUC annual conference, professional development and training for site evaluators, and other educational programming.

Travel: Significant travel (30-40% time during fall and spring semesters) is required to accomplish primary duties and responsibilities related to portfolio institutions.

Compensation

Salary is $215,000, as well as a generous benefits package.

Inquiries, Nominations, and Application

Inquiries and Nominations: We welcome nominations for this position. Please direct nominations for and inquiries about this position via email to Christopher Oberg, Executive Vice President, at ***email_hidden***.

Application: Please submit a current curriculum vita and a cover letter that summarizes how your experience aligns with your understanding of the responsibilities of a WSCUC vice president, referring to specific capacities and experiences and to skills and knowledge you would want to develop to be as effective as possible.

Michael G. Toliver

Director of Finance and Operations

[email protected]

The position will remain open until filled; submission by June 15, 2026, is encouraged. The start date will be no later than September 8, 2026.

WASC Senior College and University Commission is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, disability status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, medical condition, military/veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.