What are the responsibilities and job description for the President position at Central Arizona College?
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS LISTED BELOW UNDER QUALIFICATIONS
Futuristic and Visionary Leadership: Strategically respond to population and economic growth by providing a medium to long-term vision for aligning the college’s programs, 2 services, and infrastructure to the needs of one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. Integrate CAC into the life of its communities, enhancing its visibility, reputation, and role as a trusted educational, cultural, and economic partner. Identify opportunities for innovation.
Enrollment Strategy and Student Success: Understand student interests and needs at all locations. Assess and align college operations (including scheduling) to implement enrollment, retention and completion strategies that are responsive to these interests, geographic needs as well as workforce opportunities. Leverage new programs: Promote new programs within the community, such as the bachelors in Nursing and Education to attract students.
Workforce and Economic Alignment: Strengthen partnerships with business, industry, K-12, university and regional stakeholders to ensure smooth transfer and program alignment with current and emerging workforce demands. Expand dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and employer-sponsored training opportunities. Positioning CAC as a center of training excellence to meet the demands of tomorrow’s workforce.
Brand Strengthening: Strengthen the College’s public image and reputation through consistent communication, community engagement, and demonstrated institutional effectiveness. Visibility, Marketing and Outreach: Actively promote CAC to increase awareness, enrollment, and community pride, positioning the College as a vital and forward-thinking institution. Expand awareness of the college’s offerings within the county.
Shared Governance: Foster a culture of shared governance which engages the college community at all levels in decision making. Institutional Culture: Foster a culture where transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership build trust, morale and collaboration among faculty, staff, and the community. Address community concerns while cultivating a unified, mission-driven institutional culture. • Organizational Effectiveness: Create a strong executive leadership team among senior leadership. Eliminate silos across departments and campuses, and improve operational efficiency. Create clear, consistent processes and systems that enhance collaboration, foster service excellence and support a cohesive college-wide identity. Employee Retention: Assess and address causes of faculty and staff turnover, including salary levels. Communication: Strengthen internal communication in ways that keep the college community informed of key decisions, college news and provide a centralized location for key documents that articulate the college’s vision and goals. Frequently articulate the vision for the college both internally and externally.
Financial Sustainability and Resource Allocation: Ensure responsible fiscal stewardship, including evaluation of resource allocation, staffing, and long-term sustainability. Navigate funding constraints while aligning institutional resources with strategic priorities. Increase financial transparency. Revenue: Assess current revenue streams and identify and develop new ones that support growth and sustainability. Technology and Systems Modernization: Improve and modernize technology infrastructure and student-facing systems to enhance efficiency, access, and the overall student experience. Facilities and Infrastructure Planning: Ensure that facilities and physical resources keep pace with growth while maintaining quality learning environments across all campuses. Assess student housing needs and explore possibilities.
Transparent Leadership: Demonstrated commitment to honesty, fairness, and ethical decision-making, with the ability to build trust and foster confidence across the institution. • Accountability and Decision-Making: Willingness to make difficult decisions, hold leadership and teams accountable, and ensure alignment with institutional policies.
Visionary and Strategic Leadership: Ability to articulate and execute a clear, future focused vision that aligns with the College’s mission, regional growth, and workforce needs. Setting the Course: Demonstrated successful experience in Strategic Planning. Transformational Change Agent: High emotional intelligence and capacity to lead meaningful, sustainable change while addressing institutional challenges with transparency, accountability, and integrity.
Commitment to Student Success: Deep understanding of community college students, including first-generation, working, and rural populations, with a focus on access, retention, and completion. Student Experience: Commitment to supporting both academic success and student engagement through inclusive and responsive programming.
Effective and Transparent Communication: Exceptional listening, writing, and speaking skills, with a commitment to open, consistent, and authentic communication. Collaborative and Inclusive Leadership Style: Proven ability to engage faculty, staff, students, and community stakeholders in shared governance and collaborative decision making.
Proven Financial Acumen and fundraising ability: Experience managing complex budgets, aligning resources with strategic priorities in a constrained funding environment and identifying new sources of income. Operational Effectiveness: Ability to improve systems, processes, and organizational structures to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
Higher Education Expertise: Significant leadership experience in higher education, with a strong understanding of community college operations, teaching, and learning. Innovation and Adaptability: Willingness to embrace innovation, including technology and evolving educational models, while remaining grounded in student and community needs. Data-Informed Leadership: Ability to use data thoughtfully to guide decision-making while considering institutional context and nuance.
Visible and Engaged Presence: Commitment to being accessible and present across campuses, building relationships and fostering morale. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrated ability to lead with empathy, understand diverse perspectives, and support faculty, staff, and students. Team Development: Ability to build, support, and develop a strong leadership team while empowering employees at all levels. Community-Connected Leader: Visible, approachable, and actively engaged across all campuses and communities served by the College
Minimum Master’s degree. A terminal degree from a regionally accredited institution is preferred. Three to five years of senior level administrative experience in higher education, preferably at a community college. Teaching experience at a community college is preferred.
This is a confidential search process. To ensure full consideration, application materials should be received no later than May 28, 2026. The position will remain open until filled.
Candidates will need to have the following information or materials available to complete the application: 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 President of Central Arizona College. A current resume including an email address and cellular telephone number. 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.