Organization: Adams State University
Position Title: Executive Equity Officer (EEO)
Reports to: The President
Est. Start Date: October 1, 2024
Salary Range: $109-124K/yr
Location: Alamosa, Colorado (Fully On-Site)
Note: The interview process will be inclusive of all faculty with final interviews on campus in August

About Adams State University
Founded in 1921 to serve the region’s educational and economic needs, Adams State University is the only four-year university in the beautiful San Luis Valley, located in historic southern Colorado. With a total student population of 2,927 students (1,661 undergraduate and 1,266 graduate) that is 37% Hispanic (fall 2022), Adams State has been Colorado's foremost four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) since its designation by the U.S. Department of Education in 1998. Adams State also has a very high percentage of minority students overall (52%, fall 2022). Over 40% of Adams State students are the first in their families to attend college, and 45.5% are eligible for Pell grants. A regional, comprehensive liberal arts institution, Adams State offers 10 associate’s, 29 bachelor’s, and nine graduate programs. Graduate students comprise 45% of the student body through online degree programs. Located on a 90-acre campus, Adams State serves both residential and online students.

Position Overview
Adams State is seeking its first Executive Equity Officer (EEO). This transformative leader will have a broad portfolio to introduce meaningful, equitable, and inclusive changes in the areas of evaluation, policy, hiring, professional development, programming, and support. The EEO will report directly to the University President and will serve on the Executive Council. The EEO will be instrumental in critical evaluation and assessment of institutional policies and procedures to reach equitable and inclusive outcomes. The EEO’s equity lens will enhance outcomes for employees and students through direct oversight of recruiting, onboarding, retention, culturally-relevant programming, campus culture, and morale. The EEO will lead cross-divisional and university-wide work to create an environment of belonging for all members of Adams State. The EEO will foster an inclusive environment that supports the full spectrum of diversity at Adams State including all racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, national origins, disabilities, age, veteran status, religious/political beliefs, affectional and sexual orientations, gender identities and expression, and lived experiences.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate current policies and practices to implement more equitable procedures and standards
  • Facilitate the creation of an institutional strategic plan for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) identified goals and objectives.
  • Operationalize Adams State’s designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
  • Strategize ways to Increase the diversity of student enrollment and support a culture of belonging for retention of diverse students.
  • Assess potential barriers and implement strategies focused on recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty across all academic areas.
  • Assess potential barriers and implement strategies focused on recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty to increase the diversity of staff throughout all university units.
  • Evaluate campus climate for students, faculty, and staff to inform data-driven decisions regarding EDI initiatives.

• Build and strengthen collaboration and an inclusive community
  • Consult with leaders across campus operations, including but not limited, to Academic Affairs, Athletics, Student Affairs, and several shared governance groups, using institutional data to assess programs, policies, and services.
  • Collaborate with, convene, and oversee EDI groups throughout the university.
  • Lead and oversee cross-divisional and university-wide work to create an equitable environment for all members of the university.
  • Disseminate EDI related communication and develop training and educational programming to advance Adams State University’s strategic plan. 

• Apply an equity lens to campus operations
  • Serve as strategic advisor to the President and Executive Council on university-wide inclusion, diversity, engagement, and communications issues and initiatives throughout the university.
  • Examine policies through an antiracist and equity-minded lens and amend any policies or practices to be equitable.
  • Lead efforts to gather and analyze appropriate data and develop campus metrics for assessing EDI-related programs and services to address potential systemic injustices and promote equity within the university.
  • Evaluate campus climate for students, faculty, and staff and inform data-driven decisions regarding EDI initiatives.
  • Ensure that revised policies and procedures will address identified barriers or hindrances to student success.
  • Support and strengthen existing reporting and investigative processes and procedures.

• Recognize, celebrate, and enhance diverse cultures
  • Support culturally-relevant programming, including, but not limited to, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, National Native American Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, etc.
  • Provide expert guidance for diverse and inclusive recruitment and retention of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff in collaboration with Admissions, Graduate Studies, Human Resources, and the Office of Equal Opportunity Employment.

• Foster community relations among the university, city, region, and funding sources
  • Represent Adams State University in both internal and external engagements, activities, and communications focused on inclusion, diversity, and engagement initiatives and leadership.
  • Consider and support the identification and implementation of grants and grant objectives.
  • Provide regular updates to university leadership and community stakeholders regarding progress and implementation of equity-related work.

What We Are Looking For

We recognize that women and people of color are often less likely to apply to a position if they don’t match 100% of the job qualifications. Don’t let that be the reason you miss out on this opportunity. We encourage you to apply if you can demonstrate many of these skills and competencies:

Required qualifications

• An advanced degree (master’s degree or higher) in an appropriate discipline.
• At least 5 years of increasingly responsible experience in equity, diversity, and inclusion work.
• A proven track record of successful change management.
• Experience working as part of a team to effectively and collaboratively impact positive change
• Excellent leadership and managerial skills with experience empowering and leading diverse teams.
• Commitment to collaboration and demonstrated ability to build productive and sustainable partnerships.
• Exceptional interpersonal, oral, and written communication and conflict-resolution skills for various audiences, including campus-wide messaging and interpersonal communication with colleagues and students.
• Experience conducting high quality, evidence-based assessment of EDI-related issues in a complex organization (e.g., higher education, healthcare, human/social services, corporate) and communicating findings; this includes using data responsibly and ethically, and effectively transmitting results in an inclusive and accessible manner.
• Strong working knowledge of laws, regulations, and guidelines related to diversity, inclusion, and nondiscrimination in employment and educational contexts.

Preferred qualifications

• A terminal degree in an appropriate discipline.
• Knowledge of, and appreciation for, the culture of higher education, including an understanding of shared governance and tenure systems.
• Knowledge of and appreciation for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).
• Demonstrated success in implementing recruitment and retention strategies focused on building a diverse student body and workforce.
• Appreciation for and demonstrated commitment to transparency with ability to address concerns promptly and keep stakeholders informed on campus-wide issues being addressed.
• Certifications and/or trainings in areas related to EDI; ability to develop and facilitate trainings to advance EDI across departments on campus.
• Understanding and appreciation for rural communities with knowledge of equity, diversity and inclusion efforts in building partnerships.
• Ability to work with individuals from varying levels of understanding related to equity, diversity, and inclusion and commitment to serving all stakeholders of the campus community.
• Bilingual (Spanish)

Salary & Benefits

The pay range for this position is $109,596 - 124,668 per year commensurate with experience and education. In addition to salary, Adams State University offers a competitive benefits program including: 

• Health plan options with 70% of premium covered.
• Generous vacation and sick leave policy.
• 13 paid holidays per year.
• The university contributes 11.4% of an employee’s salary to a ret-ease visit https://www.adams.edu/hr/benefits/

Diversity & Inclusiveness Excellence at Adams

The institution is committed to increasing the diversity of its professional staff and is actively seeking qualified applicants who have experiences, skills, and/or personal attributes that augment the perspectives of our current faculty and staff. We are working to diversify our faculty and staff and especially encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ community members.

For more information about the campus, culture, community and history, please review these links:

• Adams State University History: https://bit.ly/asuhistory
• Campus Tour: https://bit.ly/asucampustour
• University Culture and Values: https://bit.ly/asuvalues
• President Tandberg's Story: https://bit.ly/p-tandberg