Assistant Vice President - Student Health And Wellbeing

Job Summary

Towson University (TU) is one of the nation’s top 100 public universities. Located north of Baltimore, TU currently enrolls more than 19,000 students and is the second-largest university in the prestigious University System of Maryland. Towson University values diversity and fosters a climate that is grounded in respect and inclusion to cultivate the intellectual and personal growth of the entire university community.

Reporting to the Vice President of Student Affairs and serving as one of five senior-level positions on the division’s senior leadership team, the inaugural Assistant Vice President for Student Health and Wellbeing (AVP) provides visionary, strategic, and operational leadership for developing a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to student health and wellbeing at Towson University. The three units in the AVP’s portfolio (Campus Recreation; Counseling Center; and Health Center, which includes health promotion)—work in partnership with partners within the Division of Student Affairs and across campus to create and support practices, programs, and services that advance the mission of holistic student health and wellbeing across the university. The AVP must work well in a vibrant, fast-paced, and evolving environment and be capable of managing emerging knowledge and technologies, competing priorities, and changing politics. Additionally, the AVP promotes cohesion among the units and seamless collaboration around health and wellness; ensures the delivery of service with a multicultural wellness focus that is tailored for and responsive to the variety of student populations who seek these services (i.e., students of color, veterans, LGBTQ students, first-generation students, etc.); and collaborates with department leaders and university personnel on long-term facility maintenance, including renovation, expansion, replacement cycles, and ongoing maintenance.

The AVP develops and manages an annual operating budget of approximately $9 million and is responsible for 44 full-time staff and 5 part-time staff as well as several contingent staff, including four direct reports.

Responsibilities And Duties

• Develop, interpret, and implement policies and procedures regarding student well-being and access to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations, accreditation standards, and laws.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of programs.
• Direct the identification and resolution of barriers to student retention, making policy and procedural recommendations regarding student retention, and implementing programs to improve retention.
• Ensure that Health and Wellbeing units proactively engage students directly in their outreach efforts.
• Nurture a culture of assessment within each of the departments.
• Develop and steward partnership and relationships with appropriate community health and wellness organizations and providers.
• Maintain memberships with relevant professional association and services, such as the JED Foundation, NIRSA, AUCCCD, ACHA, NASPA, ACCTA, IACS, and ACPA.
• Manage the effective operation of the of the units that deliver health and wellbeing services to students fostering them to achieve success.
• Develop robust peer education programs in health and wellness education.
• Deliver health education and prevention content to the University community throughout the year and during hallmark events including orientations, student leader trainings, and theme weeks.
• Develop mechanisms to receive regular student feedback on their mental and physical wellbeing and the services provided.
• Devise, administer, and monitor department budgets, identify alternate revenue streams, and seek opportunities for cost savings and reductions.
• Actively participate in or lead divisional and university committees as appointed by the VPSA.
• Utilize multiple approaches to engage the University community including in-person, online, digital, and social media.

Qualifications And Skills

• The successful candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the intersection between diverse student populations and health and wellness outcomes and how mental and physical wellbeing differs among diverse student populations.
• Experience supervising and managing people with a record of taking a team approach and an orientation towards advocating for staff.
• Minimum of 6 years of progressive full-time experience, preferably in a higher education setting.
• Master’s degree (terminal degree preferred) in a field related to health and wellbeing, including, but not limited to college student personnel, psychology, public health, counseling, social work, physical therapy, and/or health care administration.
• Proficiency in budget management (emphasizing revenue generation).
• Familiarity with current best practices for college student health and wellbeing, and experience with program assessment and evaluation are required.

Salary And Benefits

A range of $165-175k annually and full University benefits that include 22 days of annual leave, up to 14 holidays, personal and sick days; excellent health, life, and retirement plans; and tuition remission. To learn more about our benefits, click here. TU also offers a variety of great perks and discounts, which can be found here.

This position will be open for 30 days. For consideration, please submit a cover letter and resume with your online application.

The safety of our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors has been our top priority and the focus of every one of our decisions since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the University System of Maryland (USM) has strongly encouraged full COVID vaccination and up-to-date booster shots (when eligible) for all faculty, staff, and students at all schools in the USM as both a reasonable and necessary means of protecting our health and safety.

Organization

Student Affairs Division

Primary Location:

Main Campus

Job Posting

Aug 15, 2023