Presidential Profile

Highline enjoys a distinctive location, both for its natural beauty and for the diverse region it serves. The main campus, located in the waterfront city of Des Moines, offers stunning views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains from a tree-filled 80-acre hillside.

From this scenic setting, the college serves a suburban region where countless cultures and over 130 languages are represented. With more than 70 percent students of color, Highline is the most diverse higher education institution in the state. Add to that a mix of some 800 international students each year and the campus represents a microcosm of the world.

The college’s globally focused environment for higher education provides a natural fit for its diverse community, an important reflection of its core values and a perfect complement to its prime location. Just 10 minutes from Sea-Tac International Airport and between the seaports of Seattle and Tacoma, Highline offers degrees and programs reflecting its global learning environment, including a four-year degree in Global Trade and Logistics, one of five applied bachelor’s degrees at the college. It is also home to the Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management.

Highline’s global efforts meld seamlessly with its commitment to increasing diversity and educational and social justice equity, earning the college national recognition. Highline is a four-time winner of the HEED Award, the 2016 winner of the ACCT Equity Award for the Pacific Region and the 2014 winner of the AACC’s Award of Excellence for Advancing Diversity. Signature programs include AANAPISI, TPSID, Umoja, Puente, community college MESA and TRiO.

Description

As a public institution of higher education, Highline College serves a diverse community in a multicultural world and global economy. Highline College also promotes student engagement, learning, and achievement, integrates diversity and globalism throughout the college, sustains relationships within its communities, and practices sustainability in human resources, operations, and teaching and learning.

The next president of Highline will be an open, inspirational leader who embodies and promotes Highline’s values of diversity, access, and community. The next president will also lead the college to academic excellence and student success while sustaining a high trust work environment, supporting faculty and staff in their efforts to innovate, collaborate across constituencies, and develop solutions informally.

The search is being assisted by Dr. Preston Pulliams of Gold Hill Associates. Nominations and inquiries should be directed to preston@goldhillassociates.com or (503) 704-3425.

For more information about Highline, visit the Presidential Search page.

Presidential Leadership Priorities

The next president will build Highline College’s future by effectively addressing the following priorities:

• Expand the Highline College Vision by recognizing innovative opportunities and new directions complimented with the ability to take informed data-driven strategic risks.
• Increase academic success and student access by establishing, strengthening, and supporting initiatives that effectively serve diverse learning communities.
• Proactively address diversity by actively promoting and supporting a learning and work environment which ensures social justice, mutual respect, understanding, civility, and non-violence.
• Promote student centeredness by hearing the student voice regarding, academic success, and transferability to four year institutions and/or workforce development efforts.
• Build community partnerships by leveraging the college’s reputation and community connections to secure or strengthen long-lasting partnerships which will be vital to the success of what we do, what our students achieve and how our area thrives.
• Strengthening the college’s international programs by visioning and establishing initiatives that will increase international student enrollment.
• Develop and strengthen professional development opportunities that will grow the campus leadership while fostering creativity as well as innovation.
• Guide the college’s capital investments projects by facilitating master planning while proactively advocating for capital projects through legislative priorities.

Leadership Qualities

• An approachable leader who fosters a deep sense of community and belonging, encouraging all participate and to recognize that we are truly “all in this together.”
• A multiplying leader who makes those around him/her better, who inspires but remains humble, real, and genuine.
• A leader who has a clear passion for supporting others.
• A servant leader who inspires faculty, staff, and students to achieve excellence – who is motivated to help others by providing support and creating an environment of openness and transparency.

Environmentally Astute

• An individual with experience and understanding of working in and serving within an urban/suburban context.

Strategic Minded

• A leader who will be a strategic thinker who will promote and support innovation across the college community.

Communication

• A person who is an engaging speaker and writer with the ability to persuade, ability to build relationships, while remaining culturally responsive and diplomatic, and an ability to truly listen and to flow information to all parties.

Social Justice and Diversity

• An individual who can address, strengthen, and advance the college’s commitment to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture and a community that welcome students of all backgrounds, increases student access, and supports student success.
• A leader who has the experience and the ability to attract excellent and diverse faculty and staff.

Financial Acumen

• A person with the proven ability to manage budgets and capital projects, including components that require interpretation of policies at state and federal levels, procedures and regulations, and budget coordination/administration.
• An individual who is a collaborative, consensus builder who advocates for the college continuously at the state, and federal level.
• A person with familiarity with grants and grant processes.

Collaboration

• Collaborative, consensus builder who advocates for the college continuously with the legislature, college community, city, federal and international levels.

Administration and Management

• A leader who is accountable and approachable and who sets academic success for the institution as a priority and inspires trust among employees and students.
• A person who provides an organizational structure that promotes collegiality and cooperation across divisions.
• An individual who is an established, successful fundraiser and who can work with the foundation, businesses, and community members to expand Highline’s ability to provide more programs to students and others in the community. This individual will also have the ability to seek new funding and revenue generating opportunities to meet current and future college needs.

Resource Development

• Established, successful fundraiser. Working with the foundation, businesses, and community members to expand Highline’s ability to provide more programs to students and others in the community. (Endowments, Student Scholarships) The ability to provide leadership for funding outside of state funded operations.

Minimum Qualifications

• An earned master’s degree from an accredited university, a doctorate is preferred;
• Five (5) years of relevant administrative experience; AND,
• Teaching experience in higher education.

Supplemental Information

Your online application must include the following attachments in order to be considered complete:

• Resume and contact information (email and phone) for five (5) professional references, none of whom will be contacted without the prior permission of the candidate.
• Cover letter responding to the Presidential Profile and essential tasks (no more than 5 pages).
• Diversity response statement (found under the Supplemental Questions tab).

Salary

Salary range is $240,000.00 to $250,000.00. (Salary may be negotiable.)

Conditions of Employment

The person hired must be able to provide acceptable documentation of U.S. citizenship or lawful authorization to work in the U.S. This is an absolute condition of employment. In addition, Highline College maintains a drug-free work and learning environment and prohibits smoking in all college buildings and vehicles. Highline College employees must be able to successfully work in and promote a multicultural and diverse work and educational environment.

Must submit to and complete a National Criminal and Financial Background Check.