Dean of Institutional Culture

Responsibilities of the Position

Reporting to the associate vice president of student success, the dean of institutional culture will oversee programs, services, and initiatives that create and assess conditions for student success by improving the campus climate and culture for student belonging. The dean, in collaboration with stakeholders across the College, will lead and coordinate the College’s efforts in achieving an institutional climate where a community of diverse learners benefit from curricular and cocurricular engagements that increase intergroup dialogue and interactions and deepen learning across communities of difference. This institutional leader will be laser-focused on partnering with stakeholders to foster a culture of belonging collegewide, develop and strengthen cross-cultural supports and involvement opportunities that signal a welcoming environment for students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds, and eliminate barriers to equitable educational outcomes for our diverse student body. The dean will collaborate with faculty to expand and deepen learning about inclusive practices in the curriculum and support faculty and staff to create a more vibrant, supportive campus climate. In addition, the dean will assess the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at enhancing equitable outcomes and belonging; help identify policies and best practices for hiring and retaining more diverse faculty and staff; and identify trends in diversity and technology to develop innovative learning strategies for the College. The dean will oversee the allocation and management of operating budgets within the department, provide day-to-day management and leadership for student success and equity initiatives, and supervise the student success and equity program directors with oversight and input from the Office of the Associate Vice President of Student Success and Equity.

History of the Position
Formerly titled the dean of student success and equity, the dean of institutional culture position, was created and realigned to focus on campus climate and culture for student belonging. The previous dean served for three years and separated from Tulsa Community College (TCC) in April 2022 to accept a promotional leadership role at a four-year institution. Keidron Dotson, associate vice president of student success at TCC, serves as the interim dean of institutional culture until the position is filled.

In transitioning to Tulsa Community College, the dean of institutional culture may likely encounter the following opportunities and challenges.

• There is genuine excitement that, with a new dean coming onboard, there will be opportunities for deeper facilitation of a culture of creativity, innovation, and progressive thinking.
• The dean will work to establish a favorable climate for all students, faculty, and staff on the Tulsa Community College campus.
• The dean will find an engaged environment ready to support institutional culture endeavors.
• The dean will be expected to work collaboratively with divisional leadership to analyze, contribute to, and define plans that are best practices for the division and the campus moving forward.
• The dean must assess the skills and knowledge of the staff, develop a strong sense of teamwork, build working relationships that emphasize an engaging and collaborative work environment, and provide professional development opportunities.
• The dean must ensure that direct reports will be defined as a strong, highly functioning, well-regarded, and resilient team that works with synergy and shared purpose, readily collaborating across departmental and division lines with a demonstrated commitment to student success.
• Institutional leadership is progressive and committed to supporting the the dean of institutional culture. However, the dean must strategically outline early, mid-range, and long-term goals.
• While there are numerous departments and offices on campus highly committed to equitable , initiatives, efforts are often splintered and, therefore, less effective than they might be. The dean will help bring units together to discuss these efforts and, more importantly, share ideas and resources to develop a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to supporting inclusion at TCC.
• This position presents an exciting and challenging opportunity for a talented and accomplished leader with a documented history of successfully developing and advancing inclusive based programs.
• Campus stakeholders desire an experienced leader to be relationship-focused, infuse new energy, possess innovative ideas, and provide a sense of direction and purpose within the organization.
• The dean must be respectful of the accomplishments of their predecessor while simultaneously moving forward to implement innovative strategies for service delivery, develop staff, and support students. These efforts will be both challenging and rewarding.
• The dean must assess and analyze program and service outcomes and determine priorities for change that will enhance the quality of services, optimize available resources, and create a culture of shared vision and purpose among staff.

At an appropriate interval after joining Tulsa Community College, the following items will initially define success for the new dean.

• The dean will have demonstrated the ability to provide vision, progressive leadership, and strategic direction and will have outlined short- and long-term institutional goals regarding institutional culture. The dean will have established systems that survey and measure TCC’s institutional culture goals across all aspects of the campus and use that data to develop future goals and improvement opportunities and strategic plans that will keep the institution moving forward on its commitment to campus climate and culture for students.
• The dean will have earned the respect of the institution and campus community through broad buy-in, positive working relationships, accessibility, and honest, open communication to institutional culture initiatives.
• The dean will have maintained a steady focus on and advocacy for campus climate and culture issues and will have ensured TCC will continue efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive environment in which all stakeholders feel supported, valued, and empowered to thrive.
• The dean will have maintained a proactive, highly visible, approachable, well-respected, and established leadership presence on campus that is credible, collegial, and highly effective.
• The dean will have built social and community capital and established as a trusted partner, messenger, and problem solver with a solid, innovative vision, and passion for the role, while remaining diligent during change.
• The dean will have maintained an overall positive reputation and be regarded as a knowledgeable and resourceful leader who understands and values collaboration and operates with appropriate political acumen and dexterity.
• The dean will have developed cohesive working relationships with key college community members and learned departmental and institutional systems. Positive partnerships will have been built within the college and with important external stakeholder groups.
• The dean will have created equitable learning experiences across the board for faculty, staff, and students.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position please click on the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and position-specific cover letter. Nominations for this position and questions about the status of the search may be emailed to Quincy Martin III at [email protected]. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895 or email [email protected] .

A master’s degree in social foundations of education, social science, human relations, student affairs, or a related field, and five or more years of related work experience is required. Other requirements include demonstrated independent judgment and initiative; ability to exercise leadership and engage others to advance inclusive practices; ability to work independently and as a part of a team; and knowledge of federal grant requirements and budget regulations.

In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders identified the following list of additional capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate.

• A professional demeanor, good sense of humor, highly organized and disciplined, and able to relate easily to a wide range of groups
• A documented capacity to lead, mentor, develop, and inspire a creative, goal-oriented, and resourceful group of staff
• A deep understanding of issues related to promoting and maintaining an open and inclusive environment and how these impact an entire campus community
• A demonstrated commitment to a robust collaborative style and the capacity to build bridges to other departments, faculty, students, and the community
• A strategic thinker, partner, and executor with a deep understanding of factors that impact the retention, success, and advancement of minoritized students
• A proven record of implementing change, establishing a vision and direction for a department, motivating staff and students to embrace change, and successfully creating new programs and initiatives to enhance the quality of campus life for a diverse student body
• Exceptional listening, interpersonal, and communication skills to articulate a vision, direction, and purpose and earn the respect and confidence of the faculty, staff, and students
• The ability to anticipate and address challenges proactively, with systems-level thinking and working toward institutional change, rather than simply reacting to them or focusing on individual remedies to issues as they present themselves
• A deep understanding of national perspectives and best practices in fostering an sense of belonging.