EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROFILE

PROVOST and VICE PRESIdEnT For academic affairs

State UniverSity of new york

THE OPPORTUNITY

The next chief academic officer will work closely with the president to further enhance Geneseo as one of the premier public liberal arts institutions in the nation. S/he will work with the faculty to maintain and enhance academic quality, and foster engaged learning and such high impact educational practices as undergraduate research, international studies, and service learning. S/he will continue to build a liberal arts program that integrates curricular and co-curricular learning to educate the whole student.

THE INSTITUTION The State University of New York (SUNY) College at Geneseo, one of thirteen university colleges within the SUNY System, has carved an impressive niche as one of the nation’s top public liberal arts colleges. The most selective of SUNY’s undergraduate institutions and a long-standing member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, Geneseo offers a liberal education comparable in quality to many of the nation’s finest private colleges and universities.

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THE INSTITUTION (continued)

Located 30 minutes south of Rochester and one hour east of Buffalo, the College is nestled in the Genesee Valley. Geneseo is bordered by the nearby Finger Lakes to the east and Letchworth State Park to the west, affording numerous recreational opportunities. The Town and Village of Geneseo are made up of numerous finely preserved, historic homes and buildings as well as a picturesque and thriving Main Street. The Geneseo Village Historic District is one of only 24 communities in the nation to be included on the National Register of Historic Places. The greater Rochester region contains many institutions of higher education and diverse cultural amenities.

A rigorous liberal arts education is the cornerstone of the Geneseo experience. The institution’s 5,451 undergraduate students complete the Common Core, which includes courses in western humanities, fine arts, social and natural sciences, foreign languages, non-western traditions, United States history, numeric and symbolic reasoning, and critical reading and writing. The College consists of 17 academic departments as well as a School of the Arts, School of Business, and the Shear School of Education. They offer a total of 48 undergraduate degree programs as well as six Master’s programs and 25 interdisciplinary minors. In addition, cooperative programs have been developed in several fields with other institutions, including a 3-2 engineering and 3-2 and 4-1 MBA programs.

SUNY Geneseo is considered a very selective institution. Over 330 faculty mentor and teach the student body. Eighty-eight percent of the courses offered on campus are taught by full-time faculty, 90% of whom hold terminal degrees in their field. With a student to faculty ratio of 19:1, the College’s graduation rate is among the highest in the nation for public colleges and universities. More than 40% of Geneseo students attend graduate or professional school within a year of graduation.

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THE INSTITUTION (continued)

Geneseo is the only public undergraduate institution in New York with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. A number of Geneseo’s curricular and co-curricular programs have received national recognition as best practices in higher education, and as exemplars of integrating the academic and student life experience.

SUNY Geneseo has been recognized by numerous publications as one of the best public institutions in the nation. Since 1998, U.S. News & World Report has rated the College first or second among public universities in the north. The New York Times calls Geneseo “one of the nation’s most selective, highly regarded public colleges,” a “hidden gem” that is “increasingly seen as a first choice for high achievers.” In 2008,

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked Geneseo as the number one “Best Value Public College” in the nation for out-of-state students, and sixth in the nation for in-state residents. Geneseo is listed in the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” as a “Best Buy” school, and is lauded for its academic programs, accessible professors and hometown atmosphere.

MISSION

The State University of New York College at Geneseo, nationally recognized as a center of excellence in undergraduate education, is a public liberal arts college with selected professional and master’s level programs. It combines a rigorous curriculum and a rich co-curricular life to create an integrated learning-centered environment. The entire college community works together to develop socially responsible citizens with skills and values important to the pursuit of an enriched life and success in the world.

The College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Carnegie classifies the institution as Master’s M.

BACKGROUND

Christopher C. Dahl is president and professor of English at Geneseo. He was appointed to his current post in February 1996, after having served as provost and interim president. Before coming to Geneseo, he served as Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Millersville University of Pennsylvania from 1989 to 1994 and as a professor of English and Chair of the Humanities Department at the University of Michigan-Dearborn from 1973 to 1989.

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BACKGROUND (continued)

Under his leadership, Geneseo has clearly defined its role and mission as a public liberal arts college and center of excellence in undergraduate education in New York State. Geneseo opened a state-of-the-art Integrated Science Center in Fall 2006, which provides the technology and mentoring opportunities to prepare students for graduate school, anticipating their return to western New York as leaders in science and math education and researchers who will help drive a knowledge-based local economy.

In addition, Geneseo participated in a Knight Foundation Collaborative on strategic community partnerships that sought to relate the College’s multiple relationships with the regional community more closely to its liberal arts mission. With other SUNY presidents, Dr. Dahl has given strong leadership to solving significant state budgetary challenges as a result of the downturn in the economy.

The provost and vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, worked successfully with the president for five years before resigning for family reasons. She and the president worked together as a strong team in advancing the mission, vision, and programs of the College. Diversity has increased, as have international study opportunities, and the undergraduate research program continues to flourish, with over 700 students presenting their original research to the student body at large in 2008.

CHALLENGESChallenges for the next Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs include:

Taking academic affairs to the next level of excellence; developing new signature academic programs and coupling •

them with exciting research projects involving students and faculty; continuing to integrate formal and informal learning

opportunities in academic affairs and student life;

Assisting the faculty in program review and curricular assessment; re-examining the College’s general education •

program and implementing meaningful change;

Promoting faculty development and student engagement in scholarship and creative endeavors; seeking extra-mural •

funding for academic programs;

Providing academic leadership for Geneseo’s emerging capital campaign; •

Refining shared governance with the faculty; consulting broadly with the College Senate and other appropriate groups •

in decision-making; being a strong faculty advocate;

Giving priority attention to leading the institution’s strategic planning process; identifying key institutional priorities for •

programmatic and budgetary purposes;

Leading the College’s preparation for re-affirmation of Middle-States accreditation in 2012; instituting the self-study •

and other steps in this important process;

Enhancing technology for learning and research on campus; experimenting with technological advances that enhance •

teaching and learning;

Balancing the flat organizational structure of academic affairs with the many responsibilities of the provost; seeking •

effective means of delegation while continuing to have direct contact with schools and academic departments; and

Bringing new ideas and academic best practices to the institution, so that it realizes its full potential as an outstanding •

public liberal arts college.

QUALIFICATIONS

The Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs reports directly to the President, is a member of the President’s Council, and provides academic and administrative leadership in all areas of the College.

Reporting directly to the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs are the Associate Provost for Personnel & Diversity, two Assistant Provosts (Budget & Facilities and International Programs), the Dean of the College, the heads of the 17 departments and 3 schools, and the directors of the following areas: Office of Institutional Research, Office of Sponsored Research, College Libraries, and Computing & Information Technology.

The President and faculty seek a strong academic leader and a person of high integrity and vision who:

Possesses a strong academic background in teaching, research, and service; has an earned doctorate; has achieved the •

rank of professor, with tenure; has significant classroom experience;

Is a senior administrator at the level of dean or above; has past experience as an academic chair or equivalent •

responsibility;

Has been an important member of faculty committees, particularly promotion and tenure;•

Believes passionately in the liberal arts and inter-disciplinary programs; is committed to the education of the whole •

human being in a residential college setting;

Possesses a collaborative management style; is strongly committed to shared governance, open communication and •

transparency; is personable and approachable; is comfortable with collegial decision-making; and is committed to

diversity;

Demonstrates excellent communication skills in speaking, listening, and writing; •

Has financial acumen and planning experience; and•

Is acquainted with best practices in teaching and learning; desires to make a difference in high quality liberal education •

in the state and nation.

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SUNY- GENESEOKEY INDICATORS

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Investment in Plant, less depreciation:

Plant Replacement Insured Value:

Cost of Operating Physical Plant:

Endowment:

Budget:

Tuition:

Student Enrollment for Fall 2007:

Average SAT Score:

High School Rankings:

Freshman Retention Rate:

Six-Year Graduation Rate:

Living Alumni:

Number of Full-time Faculty:

Tenured Faculty:

Median Faculty Salaries:

Student/ Teacher Ratio:

Degrees:

Library Volumes:

Athletics:

$10 million

$490 million

$13 million

$9 million

$108 million

In-State Out-of-State$4,350 $10,610

Undergraduate Graduate5,451 134

1326 (middle 50%: 1260-1390)

Regular Admits All StudentsTop 10%= 53.2% 49.9%Top 25%= 85.8% 83.4%Top 50%= 99.8% 99.1%

92%

78%

50,000

250

64%

Professor: $76,900Associate Professor: $61,368Assistant Professor: $54,166

19:1

BA, BS, BS.Ed, MA, MS.Ed, MS in Accounting

637,100

NCAA Division III, ECAC12 Women’s Teams, 8 Men’s Teams

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applications are due January 6, 2009, when screening will begin. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To be considered, candidates should e-mail, as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat attachments: 1) a cover letter addressing the above challenges and qualifications; 2) a current curriculum

vitae; and 3) the contact information for three professional references to: GeneseoProvost@rhperry.net.

DR. ALLEN E. KOENIG, Senior ConsultantTelephone: (614) 798-0538

akoenig@rhperry.net

R.H. PERRY & ASSOCIATES2607 31st Street, NW

Washington, DC 20008

www.rhperry.net

POLICY

R. H. Perry & Associates is committed to the highest standards of professionalism in all dealings with candidates, sources, and references. We fully respect the need for confidentiality and assure interested parties that their background and interests will not be discussed without consent of the applicant prior to her or his becoming a candidate.

SUNY Geneseo is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer committed to recruiting, supporting, and fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and

students. The College actively seeks applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.

www.geneseo.edu

For Further InFormatIon ContaCt...

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