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The Position

 

2021 EICC Chancellor Profile

OVERVIEW

The Board of Trustees of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) invites nominations and applications for the position of Chancellor. EICC seeks a Chancellor with a deep commitment to student success who will enhance collaboration among its three colleges and the communities they serve.

Formally known as Eastern Iowa Community College District, EICC was founded in 1965. Located in communities on the Mississippi River, EICC consists of three colleges — Clinton Community College, Muscatine Community College, and Scott Community College, along with several educational centers. Total headcount enrollment for FY2021 was 12,054 students (5617.57 FTE) in credit programs. Additionally, over 16,000 students were enrolled in Business and Industry, Continuing Education, and Adult Education classes from across an eight-county service area.

EICC offers students a diverse range of over 130 degree, certificate, and transfer programs, including Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, Diplomas, and Certificates. Fields of study include Agriculture, Visual and Communication Arts, Business and Finance, Government, Criminal Justice, Health Sciences, Education, and STEM. EICC is a recognized leader in online education and offers a variety of associate degrees online.

EICC maintains formal transfer agreements with the state’s three Regents universities (University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa) and private colleges in the region. EICC’s Business and Industry and Continuing/Adult Education classes are available in subjects such as Construction, Business, Computer Sciences, Culinary Arts, Education, Health Care, Law, Manufacturing, Transportation, and more.

EICC has built many strong and innovative partnerships to further its mission and serves 1 in 10 residents of its service area every year. Regional business and industry recognize EICC as a premier workforce and economic development partner. Collaborative efforts with K-12 school districts in the region have led to more than 3,500 high school students earning college credit each year. In March 2021, with strong support from those K-12 districts, voters approved a $40 million bond referendum that will facilitate expansion of career and technical education facilities and programming and provide more opportunities in more locations than ever before. Academically, and as noted in its most recent Higher Learning Commission Accreditation Report, EICC has made strong strides in assessment of learning outcomes, as well as in improvements in graduation and student success measures.

ABOUT THE COLLEGES

Clinton Community College, previously known as Clinton Junior College, opened in September 1946 as a division of the Clinton Public School System in Clinton, Iowa. First-year enrollment consisted of 86 students, half of them World War II veterans. Between 1956 and 1965, enrollment tripled, and classes moved from Clinton High School to CCC’s current campus location. The College changed its name in 1964 to Clinton Community College and became part of EICC in 1966. In addition to its main campus, Clinton Community College serves students through its Maquoketa and CCC Technology Centers and the Bickelhaupt Arboretum, and has recently broken ground on a new CTE center. In FY21 CCC served 2,822 students.

Muscatine Community College, previously known as Muscatine Junior College, was established in 1929 to provide the first two years of a baccalaureate degree. Additional programs were added as the College expanded to meet the diverse needs of the community, and in 1962 the name was changed to Muscatine Community College. The College became a part of EICC in 1966 and is housed on a 27-acre site in north Muscatine. The College has grown to include the Muscatine Industrial Technology Center, the McAvoy University Center, the Muscatine Agricultural Learning Center, two housing complexes, and a CTE addition scheduled to open in Fall 2022. It serves its regional communities with a variety of outreach, including onsite at satellite centers in West Liberty, Wilton and Columbus Junction. The college served 1,970 students in FY21.

Scott Community College was formed in 1966 by an act of the Iowa General Assembly. At that time, it began offering a limited number of career technology programs for adults and high school youth previously offered by the Davenport Community School System. It continued to offer solely career programs until 1979 when it added arts and sciences programs through a merger with Palmer Junior College. From an initial enrollment of 240 students, Scott Community College has grown to include the Urban Campus in downtown Davenport, the West Davenport Center, the Blong Technology Center and the main campus in Bettendorf, which is situated on 181 acres of land donated by the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), now known as Arconic. The college served 7,262 students in FY21.

MISSION & CORE VALUES

The mission of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is to deliver high-quality education and training that prepare a skilled workforce, provide affordable access to higher education, and build and strengthen its communities. EICC is guided by a commitment to its core values of discovery, social justice, belonging, collaboration, and caretaking.

EICC FINANCE

EICC’s operating budget for FY21 was $80,000,000. Tuition comprised 44% of the general fund income, and state contributions were 39%, with the remaining percentages distributed among local, federal, and other sources. EICC enjoys a strong financial position with its Aa1 bond rating and has had 14 straight years of unmodified audits, with a history of annually adding to the general fund balance. College foundations provide a wide range of scholarship opportunities for students.

ABOUT THE REGION

The EICC District Office is located in the city of Davenport, IA, part of the Quad Cities IA/IL Metropolitan Area, a thriving community of 384,000 people along the Mississippi River halfway between Chicago, IL (173 miles) and Des Moines, IA (171 miles). Davenport has been described as “The Most Livable Small City in America.” The Quad Cities support a symphony orchestra, a restored art deco movie palace, and the Broadway Theater League, which hosts touring theater productions. The area also boasts numerous museums and natural landscapes and parks that residents explore through hiking, cycling, boating, and camping. A thriving live music scene, summer festivals, minor league professional sports, and a variety of collegiate athletic and cultural events provide additional entertainment options.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

The Eastern Iowa Community Colleges Board of Trustees is seeking a Chancellor who will innovate, inspire, and collaborate to ensure student success and, through such practices, guide the institution to its next stage of growth and development. The Board seeks an experienced, dynamic, and energetic leader of the highest integrity to address the following challenges and opportunities:

  • To rally and unify the colleges’ efforts to meet the educational and workforce needs of the greater community by investing in emerging trends of quality and academic excellence while supporting proven innovative approaches for increased student success.
  • To strengthen policy and practice concerning enrollment management, with attention to emerging best practices and state and national post-COVID developments.
  • To collaboratively create a vision to balance on-campus, concurrent, and synchronous and asynchronous online enrollment, and to create a stronger communication pipeline between EICC and area high schools.
  • To continue to generate new resources in a time of decreasing traditional resources and increasing demand for programs and services by strengthening relationships and expanding partnerships with business and industry.
  • To support the colleges in aligning academic programming and processes when appropriate while appreciating and honoring the unique culture of each of the colleges, with special focus on CTE programming and support services.
  • To review institutional culture issues. e.g., academic freedom, salary equity, faculty and staff voice, and support for adjunct faculty to best ensure positive institutional climate and retain dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators.
  • To ensure the readiness of a crisis management/safety plan that protects faculty, staff, administration, and students in the post-COVID era.

IDEAL CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following skills, experience, and perspectives:

Governance and Leadership

  • Experience working collaboratively with an elected Board of Trustees.
  • A leader who recognizes and champions the contributions of faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni, and community members.
  • An exceptional communicator, skilled listener, and dynamic public speaker who understands the value of teamwork and delegating responsibility to senior executives.
  • A consensus-builder who exercises sound judgment and has the highest ethical standards.
  • An inclusive leader who demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through their actions.
  • A leader with experience in or equivalent knowledge of interest-based bargaining and its role in a complex institution.

Student Learning and Success

  • A deep commitment to improving student outcomes, with knowledge of strategies that help students overcome barriers to student success, engage more substantially in campus life, and sustain efforts to reach their educational goals, i.e., certificate, degree, etc.
  • Experience with online education and other technology-based instruction as part of a larger strategy to ensure affordable and accessible education.
  • Advocacy for the needs of underserved and first-generation students.

Finance and Planning

  • Knowledge of the workings and implementation of large and complex operating and capital budgets.
  • Forceful and effective advocacy at the state and federal level to expand financial support.
  • Entrepreneurial fundraising experience with government agencies, corporate and philanthropic organizations, and foundations.
  • Experience implementing bond resources and overseeing the development of new facilities that serve the academic mission.
  • Experience leading strategic planning and facilities master planning.

External Engagement

  • Skilled at developing mutually productive relationships with other higher education entities, government agencies, business and industry, and K-12 school districts.
  • Interest in volunteer service with local organizations.
  • Active and visible participation with groups that shape policy and practice for state higher education, and particularly the state’s community colleges.
  • Service as a forceful advocate who effectively influences the local, state, and national legislative processes to advance the mission of the District.

Minimum Qualifications

  • 5 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in complex organizations, preferably in community colleges.
  • Earned master’s degree (doctorate preferred) from a regionally accredited institution.

 

How to Apply

This is a confidential search process. To ensure full consideration, application materials should be received no later than January 25, 2022. The position will remain open until filled.

To apply go to http://www.acctsearches.org and upload your documents.

Candidates will need to have the following information or materials available to complete the application:

  1. A letter of application (not to exceed 5 pages) that succinctly addresses the opportunities and challenges identified in the Position Profile and demonstrates how the candidate’s experience and professional qualifications prepare them to serve as the Chancellor of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges.
  2. A current resume including an email address and cellular telephone number.
  3. A list of eight references: example, two to three supervisors, two to three direct reports, and two to three faculty and/or staff members from current and former institutions.

For additional information, nominations or confidential inquiries please contact:

  • Daniel LaVista, Ph.D., ACCT Search Consultant,
    dan_vista@yahoo.com, (804) 426-5444 (mobile)
  • Julie Golder, J.D., Vice President of Search Services, ACCT,
    jgolder@acct.org, or (202) 775-4466 (office)