POSITION OVERVIEW

The President of Mount Washington College (known as Hesser College until July 2013) will lead the College in the advancement of the College’s mission, collaborating with the board and the executive leadership team to meet – or exceed! – key metrics in a blended delivery model that expands its online presence nationally. She or he will provide strategic direction for all academics of the institution and especially leading the team on the development, review, and implementation of academic programs, including the enrollment management plan and improvements in quantitative student-based outcomes.

THE COLLEGE

Founded as Hesser College in 1900, Mount Washington College consists of the main campus in Manchester, NH; satellite campuses in Concord, Nashua, Portsmouth, and Salem; and an online program. Enrollment totals 2,400 students. Degrees are offered in allied health, business, communications, criminal justice, graphic design, liberal studies and psychology, and diplomas in medical assistance.

In July 2000, Mount Washington College joined Kaplan Higher Education Group, which is part of Kaplan, Inc. Kaplan, Inc. serves approximately 73,000 students online and through approximately 70 campus-based schooled across the United States. They serve students of all ages with offerings of programs of kids in grades K-12 and graduate and professional degree programs.

Want to learn more?

Mission, Purpose, and Objectives

The mission of Mount Washington College is to provide a high-quality, professionally-focused, and accessible learning experience which instills in students an appreciation of lifelong learning. Their programs prepare students with the knowledge, attributes and skills to launch, enhance or change careers and to be successful in the diverse world in which they live. Mount Washington College is committed to general education, a student-centered service and support approach, and applied scholarship within a practical environment.

To support this mission, the College is dedicated to the following objectives:

• Offer educational opportunities to students who demonstrate interest, motivation, and effort.
• Provide intensive and comprehensive instruction using educational practices that strengthen academic achievement.
• Provide all students, especially students who are under-prepared academically, the support services needed to be successful college students.
• Instill in its students the value of lifelong learning by stimulating intellectual curiosity, creative and critical thinking, and awareness of culture and diversity.
• Provide facilities and resources that respond to the needs of students, faculty, and staff.
• Assist students in developing professional attitudes, values, skills, and strategies that foster success in their careers and in life.
• Prepare students to meet the ever-changing needs of their communities now and in the future.

THE POSITION

The President will implement the intellectual and administrative strategy for the academic areas of the institution, while ensuring that Mount Washington achieves increasingly higher levels of academic excellence, rigor, and recognition. Critically, the President will help plan and will implement a new online program that will extend the College’s undergraduate IT and business programs nationally.

The President will be well versed in the dynamically changing world of adult education and the e-learning principles best suited for optimum student achievement, as well as assuming overall responsibility for policy and operations, operating budgets, institutional effectiveness and internal and external relationships.

The President will be expected to:

• Provide strategic direction for all academics of the institution and especially leading the team on the development, review, and implementation of academic programs, including the enrollment management plan and improvements in qualitative student-based outcomes.
• Promote fiscal stability and profitability through the effective management of the P&L and operations: staffing, enrollment, and costs.
• Establish and monitor the operating budget of the home campus and oversee that of the assigned campuses (from Area President JD).
• Develop strategic initiatives related to e-learning, innovation, reform, future trends, and next generation learning strategies.
• Oversee academic leadership to ensure Mount Washington’s continued work with faculty excellence, student & alumni engagement, career resources/placement, and learning analytics.
• Identify and propose new programs and/or locations to increase accessibility and serve the community’s needs.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with students, alumni, faculty, staff, corporate management and the community as well as with the Board of Trustees and accrediting and state post-secondary education officials.
• Develop new talent and create a succession plan for the institution.
• Create a student centered, attractive and safe campus environment.
• Ensure compliance with all corporate, federal, state and accrediting body standards and regulations.

The president will meet the following requirements:

• Ten or more years of proven academic and financial leadership within higher education at the presidential or vice presidential level.
• Doctoral degree from an accredited institution.
• Multi-site management experience. Proprietary school experience or proprietary school sensibility.
• Experience with regional accreditation preferred.
• Ability to travel as necessary for the role

THE CAREER OPPORTUNITY

To an experienced CEO or President seeking a new challenge, this opportunity offers the opportunity to build a novel online program while simultaneously extending the college’s campus-based programs.

To a current #2 (COO, GM, Regional Vice President), the opportunity offers a step up in responsibility, title, and compensation.

For either, this opportunity offers the chance to work with committed, knowledgeable, and experienced owners—among the most successful in the for-profit higher education space.

And it offers the opportunity to live in the highly attractive southern New Hampshire area.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate currently is working as a CEO or President of an all-online college or the online division of a large campus-based college. S/he has operated a site-based school in addition to extensive online experience. Alternatively, this individual is (1) another senior executive within such a school who has current or previous P&L responsibility or (2) the CEO or President of a corporate eLearning company, especially if she or he has also worked in the higher education market.

Specifically, this individual has

• Significant experience leading an online, for-profit college, with full P&L and budget responsibility.
• Successfully grown a college while maintaining the quality of the student and educational experience.
• Achieved financial results commensurate with enrollment growth.
• Strong prior industry experience in a leadership role with a demonstrated regulatory knowledge.
• Proven ability to work collegially in a parent/subsidiary situation, including an independent Board and senior parent officers and staff.
• Proven ability to work positively with state and local community leaders and employers to build the brand and increase employer-funded study
• Proven ability to attract, retain and grow senior faculty, unit leaders and administrative personnel
• Both skills and interest in the operational responsibilities of running a multi-campus and online school—administrative, sales and marketing, admissions, student services, financial aid, compliance, technology, and academic programs.
• Passion about education, and for ensuring that the school is delivering the value proposition to students.
• Experience identifying and creating new revenue-producing initiatives beyond the school’s core programs.
• An entrepreneurial mindset; startup experience; not a "big company mentality".
• Experience creating various systems and processes for measuring progress and success—lead generation, conversion, retention, revenue recovery, compliance, and others—and of working with common campus management software.
• Experience creating and delivering new academic programs; candidates should be able to provide examples of such programs.
• An MBA and/or advanced degree is desired.

Candidates for the position must be willing to relocate to the southern New Hampshire area.

The President 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 other’s) 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, college, marketplace; and a strong desire for success.

COMPENSATION

Compensation will include salary, bonuses, and equity in line with the individual’s experience.

TRAVEL

Travel will be less than 30%.

CONTACT

Resume should be sent as a Word document to Ralph Protsik and Dan Martell and also posted on the BSG website. No phone calls please.