Butler Community College Presidential Search

Qualifications and Experience

The Board of Trustees seeks a proven community college leader to advance Butler, who will be innovative and committed to fulfilling Butler’s mission and achievement of its strategic goals, and who will enhance the College’s progress through outstanding instruction, and strong community and business partnerships. The next President must be committed to student success and actively engaged in relationship and partnership development both internally and externally. Butler seeks a higher education leader who possesses strong personal and professional characteristics consistent with the community college mission and Butler’s “Timeless Institutional Values” of quality, integrity, service and caring. The next President should demonstrate and include, but not be limited to, the following qualifications and strengths:

• Earned Doctorate from a regionally accredited institution
• Five years of successful community college experience at the higher education administration level - preferred, with significant decision-making responsibilities
• Distinguished record of teaching and experience in public higher education - preferred
• A record of successful senior leadership, administrative experience, and deep understanding of the role of the community college in higher education
• The ability to inspire and lead a diverse college organization, and to advance achievement of the college’s strategic goals
• A leader with strong integrity and commitment to collaboration and partnership with internal and external constituencies
• A servant-leader who values openness, who fosters a culture of optimism and success, and who possesses excellent communication skills in speaking, writing and listening in work with the Board of Trustees, Butler Foundation, citizens, employees, and students
• Business and/or budget management experience - preferred
• Strong instructional advocate, who values multiple learning pathways for students to achieve their goals, who instills high expectations for faculty and the programs they build, and who values accountability measures to ensure quality
• Strong support of a comprehensive community college with a diverse student body offering traditional academic transfer and technical degrees and certificates, athletics, fine arts, student organizations, residential housing, off-site locations, online and hyflex learning, concurrent enrollment, Early College Academy pathways, prison education programs and non-credit training
• A strong student-centered advocate, with documented achievements in student success and accountability, who will focus on eliminating achievement gaps among students with focused efforts on retention, persistence, and completion
• A strong faculty and staff advocate who values academic freedom and promotes quality outcomes throughout the institution
• A strong accreditation advocate who values the responsibility to ensure quality throughout all aspects of the institution
• A strong policy governance advocate who values the role of the governing board in promoting accountability and transparency regarding the use of taxpayer dollars
• Success in forging external partnerships to strengthen workforce education and in response to local labor market trends
• Demonstrated understanding, commitment, and success in fund raising from private donors, foundations, corporations, and governmental sources
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex operational and capital budgets with an understanding of federal, state, and local regulations and contemporary issues
• A visible, personable, accessible, and visionary leader who is actively engaged on campus, in the communities and maintains an “open door” approach
• Demonstrated strengths in establishing partnerships and relationships with business and industry, educational entities, state agencies, elected officials, community organizations
• Demonstrated commitment to create a campus culture of access, collaboration, creativity, equal opportunity, and innovation
• Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive and difficult situations with diplomacy while maintaining professionalism and confidentiality

On September 18th and 19th  the Presidential Search Screening Committee interviewed six semi-finalist candidates via zoom.    While the Presidential Screening Committee spent many hours in review and consideration of the candidates’ credentials and experience, they did not reach consensus on selecting finalists to present to the Board of Trustees.  

We appreciate the many hours the Screening Committee spent in review and consideration of the candidates’ credentials and experience based on Butler’s expected presidential qualifications. 

After much deliberation, the Board has made the decision to proactively continue the presidential search.  An additional update will be provided at the October 8, 2024 Regular Board Meeting.

Chair, Linda Jolly and Butler Trustees

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