“Our strategic plan at Cornell recognizes and embraces the fact that online learning will play a significant role in the delivery of academic programs in the future. eCornell’s experience, know-how and capabilities represent a major strategic advantage to the University as we compete for the best and the brightest around the world in the years ahead.” – Bob Harrison, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University
Reporting to the eCornell Board of Directors, the CEO will work closely with University administration including the Provost, Deans, and other academic leadership to define and implement a strategy to ensure that online education is core to the University's graduate, undergraduate, and non-degree programs. The CEO will be responsible for growing and expanding the eCornell team to be able to execute the strategy while balancing profitable revenue growth for Cornell's colleges with sustainably growing the financial resources of eCornell.
The eCornell Board of Directors consists of Trustees, Academic Leaders, and other industry executives. It is located in Ithaca, NY, home of Cornell University and regularly ranked as one of the best small cities in America for its quality of life.
During the last 10 years, eCornell has emerged from a small early-stage start-up with essentially no revenue, to one that is a profitable and rapidly-growing $20 million business. It is a thriving example of how top tier universities can be successful in the online education space. eCornell has experienced ten straight years of enrollment and revenue growth, while developing a portfolio of award-winning professional courses and certificates delivered to more than 75,000 students at home and abroad and to employer-sponsored programs in scores of Fortune 1000 companies. In the next five years, eCornell, is expected to partner with Cornell University to become the leader among the nation's top-tier universities in the number, quality, and scale of its online credit and degree programs
The company is now poised for the next phase of growth through the development and marketing on online degree programs and continued expansion of its non-degree management and executive development programs. Currently with nearly $20mm in annual revenues, 60+ employees, and a consistent track record of profitability, the company has the resources and management team to build on its success. Its entrepreneurial model and culture has been a key to its success and is a national model for innovative approaches to growing online education programming.
“Cornell University is now the beneficiary of the visionary leadership of our Board of Trustees that established eCornell some 13 years ago”, Provost W. Kent Fuchs observed. “eCornell provides the University with a powerful, proven platform and advanced pedagogy for content creation and delivery that enable our schools and colleges to expand their portfolio of online courses, certificates and degrees with a Cornell-quality learning experience, and to expand their reach both nationally and internationally."
eCornell is a subsidiary of Cornell University that provides online professional and executive development to students around the world. The company offers more than 30 award-winning professional certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines. This year, for the first time, the School of Industrial and Labor Relations will launch a for-credit, blended Executive Master’s in Human Resources program in partnership with eCornell.
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Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Read on
Key responsibilities include:
The ideal candidate is currently a CEO, President, COO, Executive Director, or GM of an online university or program in postsecondary education. He or she combines three essential attributes—
The last of these is critical: the new CEO must be able to work collaboratively with Cornell administration and faculty to create both degree and non-degree online programs that leverage Cornell’s talent.
Specific skills include the following--
Hard Skills
Strategy and Leadership
Other Key Management Skills
An MBA and/or advanced degree is desired.
Candidates for the position must be willing to relocate to Ithaca, New York. Commuting for some period of time is possible.
The CEO will be working long hours to drive the success of the company. This involves a range of personal attributes-- flexibility and adaptability; a great work ethic; strong leadership skills; an ability to analyze and evaluate one’s own (and others') performance and to develop plans to improve performance; excellent presentation skills; willingness to take responsibility for both success and failure; a thick skin; self-confidence; a positive attitude about self, company, marketplace; and a strong desire for success.
Performance will be measured by a number of quantitative and qualitative criteria, including enrollment and revenue growth, student retention rate, placement success, faculty reputation, and profitability.
Compensation will include salary and bonus in line with the individual’s experience.
Travel will be no more than 10%.
Resume and cover letter should be sent as Word documents to Ralph Protsik and Barbara Piercecchi and also posted on the BSG website, www.bsgtv.com. No phone calls please.