Vice President for Student Life

Southwestern University, a residential liberal arts college located 25 minutes outside of Austin, TX, seeks an experienced and innovative leader to serve as its next Vice President of Student Life (VPSL). Reporting to the President and serving as a valued member of the Senior Staff, the VPSL will be an active and visible student advocate who proactively builds collaborative relationships within the Division of Student Life and across campus. The VPSL will join Southwestern at an exciting time as the university moves to implement its recently completed Tactical Plan designed to enable Southwestern to realize its visionary potential as a distinctive liberal arts institution. The VPSL will be critical in these efforts, developing and implementing a strategic, holistic approach to student life that enriches and strengthens the student experience for all.  

Serving 1,500 undergraduate students with a distinctive, high-impact, and interdisciplinary approach to the liberal arts, Southwestern University enjoys a reputation for teaching students how to make connections, be curious, and think critically, all as a means to create positive change in the world. The student body is incredibly diverse with 40% of the fall 2022 incoming class coming from underrepresented groups, 26% of whom were Latinx. To best serve this population, Southwestern is in the process of pursuing a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HIS) designation. The next VPSL must possess a nuanced understanding of the complexities of liberal arts education, experience interweaving curricular and co-curricular offerings, and a demonstrated commitment to supporting and advancing diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging in all that they do. 

The VPFL will serve as the Chief Student Life Officer of the University and in that capacity will oversee a portfolio including Counseling and Health Services, Dean of Students, Diversity Education, Mosaic, Intramurals & Recreation, Spiritual and Religious Life, Student Activities, Residence Life & Housing, and University Police. The VPFL will articulate a shared vision and strategic direction for teams across the Student Life Division, empowering staff to take an innovative approach to serving students and implementing a culture of assessment to track and measure the impacts of their efforts. They will work closely with the Dean of the Faculty and with academic leadership to integrate curricular and co-curricular student experiences, always looking to productively collaborate. As a visible and respected community member, they will be the leading advocate for students, leveraging knowledge of student development trends to support Southwestern’s diverse student body with changing needs.

All inquiries, applications, and nominations for this opportunity should be directed electronically below.

Dan Rodas is leading this search with Katy Ryan.


Southwestern University is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.