Executive Vice President University Affairs

Location, Job Title, Benefits

Rocky Vista University in Englewood, CO has an opening for a

Executive Vice President For University Affairs(Full-Time)

Deadline: Applications accepted through Friday, 11/13/2026

To be considered for this position applicants should submit a resume/cover letter and salary requirements.

SALARY:

$210,000 to $270,000 DOE.The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to faculty rank, skill, knowledge, experience, education, and credentials.

BENEFITS:

RVU offers a full benefits package that includes Health, Dental and Vision insurance, along with 2 weeks (minimum) accrued paid vacation days per year, 12 accrued sick days per year, personal days, 13 ½ paid holidays and 401(K) match up to 7% based on employee’s contribution. A hybrid work model with remote flexibility is also available for eligible positions.

Commitment to Inclusive Excellence: We are Rocky Vista University (RVU), a diverse, equitable, and inclusive healthcare education university that recognizes, values, and respects the commonalities and differences reflected in our students, staff, faculty, and alumni. We strive to be compassionate healthcare educators and practitioners who embrace inclusive excellence.

RVU is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Primary Purpose

Rocky Vista University (RVU) seeks an accomplished, collaborative, and forward-thinking leader to serve as Executive Vice President for University Affairs. Reporting directly to the President, this executive serves as a senior institutional leader responsible for advancing university strategy, leading Student Affairs, strengthening university-wide policy development and alignment, and supporting organizational effectiveness across RVU’s campuses in Colorado, Utah, and Montana.

The Executive Vice President for University Affairs also serves as the University’s Chief Student Affairs Officer, providing executive leadership for Student Affairs and ensuring a consistent, student-centered approach to services, policies, practices, procedures, and organizational structures across all RVU campuses and academic programs.

As a member of the President’s executive leadership team, the EVP works closely with the President, Deans, executive leaders, faculty, staff, and campus leadership to translate institutional priorities into coordinated action. The position plays a central role in identifying opportunities for institutional improvement, advancing strategic initiatives, strengthening organizational alignment, developing effective university policies, and ensuring RVU has the structures and processes necessary to support continued growth and innovation.

The successful candidate will combine significant Student Affairs leadership experience with strong strategic, academic, organizational, and policy expertise. This individual will be comfortable operating in a complex, multi-campus academic environment and will demonstrate the ability to lead significant organizational change while building trust, collaboration, and shared accountability. This position requires approximately 40% travel to Rocky Vista University’s campus locations to strengthen cross-campus collaboration, build a positive and unified institutional culture, and foster alignment across all locations.

Essential Job Functions

Chief Student Affairs Officer

• Serve as RVU’s Chief Student Affairs Officer, providing university-wide executive leadership for Student Affairs across Colorado, Utah, and Montana.
• Develop and advance a comprehensive philosophy and framework for Student Affairs that places student success, student experience, belonging, professional development, and well-being at the center of the University’s work.
• Ensure Student Affairs structures, services, policies, practices, and procedures are appropriately aligned across campuses while recognizing legitimate programmatic or campus-specific needs.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and consistency for Student Affairs leadership and operations across the University.
• Partner with academic leadership to strengthen the connection between the academic experience and the broader student experience.
• Collaborate with Deans, faculty, staff, and campus leaders to identify and address barriers to student success.
• Promote effective systems for student support, engagement, advocacy, communication, and issue resolution.
• Ensure Student Affairs programs and services evolve appropriately as RVU expands its academic programs, geographic footprint, and student population.
• Use student outcomes, feedback, institutional data, and best practices to guide continuous improvement within Student Affairs.
• Advocate for policies, organizational structures, staffing models, and resources that support students and the University’s educational mission.

Executive Leadership and University Strategy

• Serve as a senior advisor to the President regarding institutional strategy, organizational development, university priorities, and emerging opportunities.
• Support the Rocky Vista University Military Medicine Program and develop strategy for growth and success.
• Partner closely with the President, Chief Academic Officer, Deans, and other executive leaders to develop, implement, and evaluate RVU’s strategic priorities.
• Translate institutional strategy into actionable goals, initiatives, operating plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Help ensure alignment between university strategy and the priorities of colleges, campuses, administrative divisions, and academic programs.
• Identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness, operational efficiency, collaboration, and institutional performance.
• Lead or facilitate major university-wide strategic initiatives that cross organizational, academic, or campus boundaries.
• Provide executive leadership for strategic planning processes, including implementation, assessment, accountability, and ongoing refinement of institutional priorities.
• Support the development of an organizational culture that is innovative, responsive, collaborative, accountable, and focused on continuous improvement.
• Anticipate institutional needs and emerging challenges and work collaboratively with leadership to develop thoughtful and sustainable solutions.
• Provide strategic analysis and recommendations to the President on issues affecting the future direction and operation of the University.
• Cultivate and expand the University's research enterprise by identifying emerging opportunities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and developing innovative strategies to strengthen research capacity, funding, and institutional impact.

Policy Development and Institutional Alignment

• Provide executive leadership for the development, review, implementation, and ongoing improvement of university policies.
• Establish and support effective processes for policy governance, including appropriate consultation, approval, communication, implementation, and periodic review.
• Work across academic and administrative units to identify inconsistencies, duplication, gaps, or outdated policies and practices.
• Ensure university policies, procedures, and operational practices are appropriately aligned across RVU’s Colorado, Utah, and Montana campuses.
• Promote clarity regarding the relationship between university policy, college-level policy, procedures, guidelines, and operational practices.
• Partner with appropriate institutional leaders to ensure policies support compliance, accreditation expectations, effective operations, and RVU’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Facilitate collaborative policy development that incorporates appropriate perspectives from executive leadership, faculty, staff, students, and campus stakeholders.
• Promote clear communication and education regarding university policies and expectations.

Organizational Effectiveness and Change Leadership

• Identify opportunities to streamline operations, reduce unnecessary duplication, strengthen collaboration, and improve organizational effectiveness.
• Lead significant organizational change initiatives in partnership with the President and other executive leaders.
• Evaluate organizational structures, processes, and workflows and recommend changes that better support institutional strategy.
• Facilitate cross-functional work among colleges, campuses, and administrative divisions.
• Help develop scalable institutional systems and structures that support RVU’s continued growth and increasing organizational complexity.
• Approach organizational change thoughtfully, balancing the need for innovation and efficiency with effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and organizational culture.
• Build consensus around complex initiatives while maintaining momentum and accountability.
• Support leaders in managing change and translating strategic decisions into effective operational implementation.

Collaboration and Communication

• Build strong, trusted relationships with the President, Provost, Deans, executive leaders, faculty, staff, students, and campus leadership.
• Create an environment of open communication, collaboration, transparency, and shared accountability.
• Facilitate difficult or complex conversations effectively and constructively.
• Communicate institutional priorities and strategic initiatives clearly to diverse university audiences.
• Listen actively to stakeholders across campuses and incorporate relevant perspectives into institutional decision-making.
• Represent the President and University on strategic initiatives, committees, working groups, and other activities as assigned.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization and across academic and professional disciplines.

Direct Reports

The Executive Vice President for University Affairs will provide strategic leadership and oversight for key university-wide functions across Rocky Vista University’s three campuses. The following areas will report directly to this position:

• Colorado Student Affairs
• Utah Student Affairs
• Montana Student Affairs
• Office of Accommodations
• Office of Testing
• Strategic Planning
• Military Medicine
• Office of Research & Scholarly Activity

This position will foster cross-campus collaboration, strengthen organizational alignment, and promote a cohesive, people-centered culture that advances RVU’s mission, strategic priorities, and commitment to student success.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Travel: Position requires approximately 40% travel to strengthen cross-campus collaboration, build a positive and unified institutional culture, and foster alignment across all locations. The individual will be expected to promote strong partnerships, transparent communication, and a cohesive, one-team approach in advancing the University’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Strategic Leadership: The ability to see the institution broadly, anticipate future needs, recognize opportunities, and translate vision into executable strategy.
• Student-Centered Leadership: A clear and deeply held philosophy of student success and an understanding of how Student Affairs contributes to academic achievement, professional formation, student engagement, and the overall student experience.
• Organizational Acumen: The ability to understand complex organizations, identify opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness, and design structures and processes that support institutional goals.
• Change Leadership: Demonstrated success leading significant organizational change while maintaining trust, communication, engagement, and momentum.
• Policy Expertise: Strong understanding of effective policy development, governance, implementation, communication, and assessment.
• Collaboration: The ability to build productive relationships across organizational boundaries and work effectively with presidents, deans, faculty, staff, students, and other institutional stakeholders.
• Executive Presence: Sound judgment, discretion, integrity, confidence, credibility, and the ability to navigate complex or sensitive institutional matters.
• Communication: Superb written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and facilitate productive dialogue among diverse groups.
• Innovation and Adaptability: Comfort working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and innovative environment and the ability to adapt as institutional priorities and circumstances evolve.
• Results Orientation: The ability to move from discussion and strategy to execution, establish accountability, assess progress, and achieve measurable institutional outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctoral degree from an accredited institution in higher education, student affairs, education, organizational leadership, business administration, public administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in Student Affairs, including significant senior-level leadership responsibility.
• Experience working within an institution that offers medical, health professions, graduate programs, or other medical education-related academic programs.
• Significant experience developing, implementing, evaluating, or overseeing institutional policies.
• ADA/Section 504 knowledge and experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational change and managing complex organizational initiatives.
• Significant experience with institutional or organizational strategic planning and implementation.Demonstrated experience collaborating directly with executive-level leadership.
• Experience working across multiple organizational units, academic programs, campuses, or locations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, collaboration, relationship-building, and shared accountability.
• Strong understanding of organizational management, institutional governance, and effective decision-making within higher education.
• Exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to student success and a strong philosophy regarding the role of Student Affairs in supporting the educational mission of a university.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral or terminal degree in higher education, education, organizational leadership, student affairs, business, or a related field.
• Executive-level leadership experience within a university or health professions education environment.
• Experience supporting an institution experiencing significant growth, organizational transformation, or development of new academic programs.
• Experience working with graduate, professional, osteopathic medical, veterinary medical, or other health professions students.
• Experience designing or implementing university-wide organizational structures, policies, or operational models.
• Experience working with accreditation, regulatory, or institutional compliance matters relevant to health professions education.

Final applicant will be required to pass background check and drug screening.

Qualified applicants will be contacted. There may be an additional video interview for you to complete. Please watch your email including spam and promotions folder.

Rocky Vista University is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate with regard to applicants or employees with disabilities, and will make reasonable accommodation when necessary. The following are essential abilities and physical requirements for all positions at the University.

• Ability to orally communicate effectively with others;

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing, using the English language;

• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues and supervisory staffs at all levels;

• May be exposed to short, intermittent, and/or prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing in performance of job duties;

• May be required to accomplish job duties using various types of equipment/supplies to include, but not limited to, pens, pencils, calculators, computer keyboards, telephone, etc.;

• May be required to transport oneself to other campus offices, conference rooms, and on occasion, to off-campus sites to attend meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars, etc.

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