PRESIDENT

THE ORGANIZATION

Western Washington University is a public comprehensive university committed to “engaged excellence” in teaching, scholarship, and community service.  Western provides a student-centered learning environment with a liberal arts foundation and opportunities to develop professional skills.  Because of the leadership and commitment of individuals throughout the campus community, Western is a national leader in environmental awareness and sustainability and has spearheaded efforts like the purchase of green energy on campus.  For the last eleven years, U. S. News & World Report ranked Western Washington University as second among public master’s granting universities in the West and 18th among all public and private universities in its class regionally.  It is ranked among the top 50 colleges in 2007, Kiplinger’s Guide to the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges.

As a public institution of higher education, Western serves the needs of the citizens of the state of Washington by providing undergraduate and graduate programs in Bellingham and at selected locations elsewhere in the state.  Western Washington’s Carnegie classification is Master’s L.  Its annual operating budget is $122.9 million.  Fifty-nine percent of the budget is funded through state appropriations and 41 percent by tuition.  The academic divisions at Western are the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Sciences and Technology, the College of Fine and Performing Arts, Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, the College of Business and Economics, Huxley College of the Environment, Woodring College of Education, and the Graduate School.

Western offers a world-class education to a diverse population of more than 13,000 primarily full-time students, with a full-time equivalent of 12,200.  In Fall 2007, Western enrolled 2,586 new first-year students and 900 transfer students.  The average GPA for incoming freshmen is a 3.50.  About 93 percent of students come from the state of Washington with most coming from King, Snohomish, Whatcom, Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, and Skagit counties.  The University enrolled students from 45 other states, led by Alaska, California, Oregon, Idaho and Colorado, and from 31 other nations, led by Japan and Canada. Students of color comprise 16.9 percent of the total student body.  Undergraduate students account for 94 percent of total headcount.

The University employs 737 faculty members, including 614 full-time equivalent faculty.  Of the 505 faculty members with tenure or tenure track appointments, 89.9 percent have full or terminal degrees.  The student-faculty ratio is 18.7:1.

Western originated in 1893 when Governor John H. McGraw signed legislation creating New Whatcom Normal School.  The Normal School became Western Washington College of Education in 1937, Western Washington State College in 1961, and achieved university status in 1977. Since the first class of 88 students entered in 1898, the school has grown into the third largest institution of higher education in the state.

Western Washington University currently is accredited or approved by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges; National Association of Schools of Music; National Recreation and Parks Association; American Speech- Language-Hearing Association; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education; American Chemical Society; Computing Sciences Accreditation Board; Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology; American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business; and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs.

The Western Vikings are members of the Northwest Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II. Some 500 students compete in 16 varsity sports.  The Vikings women’s and men’s intercollegiate athletic teams include basketball, golf, softball, volleyball, men’s cross country, men’s football, and women’s rowing.  Western is the only school that ever won three consecutive NCAA Women’s Rowing National Championships.  Its women’s volleyball team was the runner up in the 2007 NCAA DIV II National Championship.  WWU’s volleyball team had the fourth-longest winning streak in NCAA II history when they won 57 consecutive league matches (2002-04).  The Vikings reached the national semifinals in men’s basketball (2001) and women’s basketball (2000), and have won the first four Great Northwest Athletic conference All-Sports Championships (2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05). In women’s basketball, Western ranks among the top 15 in all-time victories among all four-year schools.

 

LOCATION:

Western Washington University is located in Bellingham, Washington, 90 miles north of Seattle, 55 miles south of Vancouver, BC, and an hour’s drive from the ski area of Mount Baker.  Its 215 acre campus includes the 38-acre Sehome Arboretum, operated jointly with the city of Bellingham.   Western’s residential campus houses about a third of its students in 15 residence halls.  Western also has off-campus facilities in Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes and a 15-acre student/university recreational facility at nearby Lake Whatcom.  Woodring College of Education, University Extended Education, and Summer Programs offer classes and certificate and degree programs in Bellingham, Bremerton, Everett, Mountlake Terrace, Oak Harbor, Port Angeles and Seattle.  

Bellingham, Washington is perennially recognized as one of the best places to live in America and the 5th safest city among 379 mid-sized metropolitan cities across the nation; it is the largest city in Whatcom County and serves as its county seat. Bellingham is bordered by the Puget Sound waters of Bellingham Bay, dramatic hills, Lake Whatcom and Lake Padden.  Local amenities include a 100 Top Hospital award winner, St. Joseph Hospital.  Bellingham’s waterfront is framed with parks and promenades connected by a series of foot and bicycle trails and extraordinary natural beauty which can be enjoyed through many outdoor recreational opportunities. 

THE POSITION:

The President, as chief executive officer of the campus, reports directly to an eight-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor of the State of Washington and confirmed by the Senate to govern the University.  One of the Trustees is a student who serves for one year.  The President has the delegated authority for the administration of the campus and should be an experienced and successful leader who has a distinguished record of executive leadership, community engagement, and service.

As chief executive officer, the President is responsible for recommending broad policies and strategies for consideration by the Board of Trustees and for implementing those policies.  The President is expected to foster, reinforce, enhance, and expand collaboration with and linkages to the community.  He/She must effectively communicate the value of the Western student and University to the local, regional and statewide communities, and build upon the University’s existing traditions, market its distinctiveness, and enhance it strengths.

The President is responsible for maintaining effective working relationships with the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff unions, alumni, governmental agencies, businesses, and the community-at-large.

The President is required to perform the duties associated with the general and active management of the affairs of the institution and has primary responsibility for enhancing and sustaining the University’s mission and all its operations by effectively setting the tone for the advancement of the University through the application of effective vision and leadership, management, and resource development.

Leadership & Vision

• Represent the University as its chief spokesperson with key constituencies including local, state, and federal legislators and agencies to build community support and good will;
• Strengthen the University’s liberal arts core and maintain its identity as a top tier school that provides a high quality liberal arts and sciences education and select professional and graduate programs with a global perspective;
• Continue to work with campus and community leaders to advance plans for Western’s presence as part of Bellingham’s proposed waterfront development;
• Provide leadership to market the University’s points of distinctiveness;
• Identify potential opportunities for growth within the University, and promote the University’s uniqueness in order to maintain a competitive edge;
• Lead and oversee the development of an agenda to position the University to successfully address its political and budgetary needs in order to be viewed as a key team player in Olympia and the State of Washington;
• Understand the educational challenges in the State and lead Western’s response to those challenges;
• Foster an environment that will support the development of academic, service learning, and leadership programs with a global focus;
• Engage in activities that build a strong pipeline of private and public resources to sustain the University in its efforts to serve the people of the State of Washington;
• Develop and promote effective programs that will enhance the University’s stature;
• Strengthen partnerships in the community to increase opportunities for students and faculty to participate in civic engagement, internships, and service learning;
• Encourage an entrepreneurial, creative, strategic spirit of leadership as a practiced approach of University leadership;
• Demonstrate active leadership in the development, implementation, maintenance, and advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for faculty, staff, students and programs;
• Support and integrate the concept of sustainability and environmental stewardship in University decision making at all levels; and
• Promote scholarly and creative work of significance.

Management

• Build an executive team to help achieve the vision and mission of the University;
• Provide leadership on strategic approaches to recruitment and retention efforts to make Western Washington an employer of choice;
• Oversee the negotiation and administration of union contracts and manage effectively the relationship with faculty and staff unions;
• Implement and maintain, from the Office of the President, a collegial process of clear and timely communications, transparency in data-driven decision-making, and a climate of responsiveness at all levels among administrators, faculty, staff, and students;
• Inspire and motivate an attitude of change for forward advancement among all campus constituencies;
• Develop and maintain appropriate administrative, policy-making, business and management infrastructures for the most efficient and effective use of institutional resources and advancement of the University. 
• Have knowledge of current trends and initiatives in higher education and be able to implement them when applicable;
• Promote and facilitate the effective use and application of technology in the classroom and elsewhere throughout the University to facilitate the teaching and learning experience and advance the overall academic and management operations of the University;
• Have a proven record of hiring, developing, mentoring and retaining talented and diverse administrators, faculty, and staff;
• Implement and monitor the strategic plan.  Experience and/or exposure to transition issues associated with a full strategic planning cycle is desired;
• Oversee the development of consistent internal and external messages to concisely and effectively market Western Washington University;
• Develop a team atmosphere of collegiality, shared inquiry, shared responsibility, and collective accomplishment; and
• Assess, modify, and develop the organization; where necessary, reorganize existing programs and structures and implement new programs and structures that are relevant to the demands of the 21st Century and are responsive to regional, national, and global needs.

Resource Development

• Lead a campaign to substantially increase public and private funding.
• Provide effective leadership and management of fiscal responsibilities in fund raising, marketing, and public relations, and in strategic planning to fully utilize the human and physical resources of the University.
• Establish legislative relationships with other key players (e.g. port, city, state, universities, technical and community colleges) in order to work collaboratively to tackle major regional and statewide projects;
• Strengthen and develop the infrastructure and motivation to increase grants and contracts coming to the University;
• Facilitate an environment that produces socially responsible students prepared for regional, national, and global job markets; and
• Foster an environment where the untapped potential of staff, faculty and students is engaged.

THE PERSON

The following skills and characteristics are most desired in the next President:

• Earned Doctorate or equivalent terminal degree and academic credentials sufficient to engender respect from the academy and the community at large;
• Able to be an effective fundraiser;
• Exposure to and/or experience with shared governance in a collective bargaining environment is preferred;
• Able to promote a broad vision of the role of public higher education;
• Demonstrated comfort with maintaining a high degree of visibility and accessibility on campus with students, faculty, and staff, as well as in the surrounding region including all of Puget Sound with business and community leaders and government officials;
• Leadership abilities necessary to implement a multi-faceted strategic plan based on a shared vision;
• Experience in working with local, state and federal legislators to advance the mission and vision of the University;
• A commitment to and demonstrated success in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• Demonstrated commitment to partnership and collaboration with other higher education institutions, p-12 schools, business communities, governmental agencies, and the surrounding community to strengthen the state’s educational system and positively impact the economy of the region;
• Strong entrepreneurial spirit, innovator, and creative thinker;
• Excellent communication skills;
• A charismatic style and a sense of humor;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Able and willing to make tough decisions; and
• An astute politician and strategic thinker.

HOW TO APPLY

The Presidential Search Advisory Committee is being assisted in the search by Greenwood & Associates, Inc. For fullest consideration, application materials must be received prior to February 22, 2008.  Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made.  Application materials should include a letter addressing how the candidate’s experience matches the position requirements, curriculum vitae, together with the names, titles, and contact information for at least five references. Submission of materials as an MS Word or Acrobat attachment is strongly encouraged. Individuals wishing to place names in nomination should submit a letter of nomination which includes the name, position, address and telephone number of the nominee.  Requests for information, written nominations, and application materials should be directed to:

Greenwood & Associates, Inc

Dr. Jan Greenwood or Dr. Betty Turner Asher

Western Washington University President Search

42 Business Center Drive, Suite 206

Miramar Beach, FL 32550

Phone: 850 650-2277

Fax: 850 650-2272

Email: jangreenwood@greenwoodsearch.com

bettyasher@greenwoodsearch.com

Western Washington University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.  For more information about WWU please visit our web site http://www.wwu.edu.

 

Approved by the Board of Trustees, January 18, 2008.