Vice President for Scholarship and Institutional Strategy

• Serve on NAFSA's Board of Directors, contributing to the development of policies, priorities, and positions for the association and helping provide direction for the development and stewardship of NAFSA's resources through the Strategic Plan.
• Represent the Board in various venues such as regional meetings and conferences, as requested.
• Chair the Scholarship and Institutional Strategy (SIS) Committee of the Board.
• Serve on the Board's Executive Committee.
• Working with the leader groups in her/his portfolio and staff partners, maintain an overview of member needs in related areas of professional development and assess the portfolio of NAFSA services in meeting those needs.
• Working with the leader groups in her/his portfolio and staff partners, establish policy and processes in related professional development areas that enhance the ability of the association to remain strong and serve its members and participants in the related domains.
• Coordinate the input of the knowledge communities EA, IEL and TLS, and the ACC to the refreshing of the Strategic Plan and communicate the results of the Board's work and priorities to these leader groups.
• Monitor the progress of the leader groups in her/his portfolio in fulfilling their plans, intervene as necessary to ensure objectives are met, and share periodic reports with the Board and SIS Committee regarding progress.
• Create opportunities and mechanisms for communication and cooperation among the leader groups in her/his portfolio to ensure that they effectively deliver their assigned outcomes.
• As needed, recruit, select, and appoint members to various teams, committees, subcommittees, and task forces of the leader groups in her/his portfolio, according to the Standing Rules.
• Working with the Deputy Executive Directors or Executive Director, resolve any issues where staff performance impacts volunteer leader teams' ability to achieve their objectives.
• Serve in an ex-officio capacity on the Professional Development and Engagement (VP/(PDE) committee.

Champion resources and hold the association accountable to our on-going commitment to diversity and inclusion.

• Engage board committees to identify and implement strategies for increased personal outreach, recruitment, onboarding, and engagement toward diversity-focused and underrepresented groups.
• Avoid unconscious bias in decision-making.
• Lead the assessment of relevant practices, policies and procedures of the board.
• Foster an inclusive environment by increasing accessibility and participation from underrepresented groups, individuals, and institutions.
• Ensure a robust conference program which reflects our broad and diverse IE community.
• Seek to learn and understand the multicultural perspectives of member leaders, our constituents, and stakeholders to align with the NAFSA Diversity and Inclusion Statement.

Relationships with Other Members

The VP/SIS works most closely with her/his colleagues on the Executive Committee and the chair streams of the three related knowledge communities EA, IEL and TLS, the two sequential chairs of the ACC. S/he serves as manager and coach for the leaders in her/his purview and holds them accountable for meeting the objectives set in their annual work plans.

The VP/SIS may also have representative duties with other leadership groups, such as regional teams, and with the broader membership, participating in meetings at the annual conference, the Winter Leadership Meeting (WLM), and if requested, regional meetings.

Relations with the Staff

The VP/SIS works most closely with the Deputy Executive Director for Knowledge Development. The VP/SIS’s relationship with the senior staff is that of partner.

The term of the Vice Presidency is three years. Upon election, the in-coming VP/SIS will shadow the sitting VP/SIS in the fall prior to assuming the position in January and attend the December meeting of the Board of Directors as a guest (with no vote).

In each year of tenure, the VP/SIS is expected to attend all Board meetings (March, September, and December), Board conference calls, and the annual conference in May. S/he is also expected to prepare for and attend the Winter Leadership Meetings (WLM) in late January, and, when held, the Summer Coordination Meeting (SCM) in July. The VP/SIS may represent the Board at regional meetings and serve on Board task forces, as requested.  As a member of the ACC Executive team, the VP also participates on ACC calls and meetings, including the Fall planning meeting. NAFSA funds his/her participation in all such meetings.

The VP/SIS will plan and lead meetings of the SIS committee, as well as coordinating groups across the sphere in her/his portfolio, including virtual meetings, occasional conference calls, new leader orientation and training, and face-to-face meetings at the annual conference and Winter Leadership Meeting.  

The VP/SIS is expected to review e-mail daily and respond promptly to leaders and members of the association and to report critical issues to the President and Chair or Executive Committee in a timely fashion. On-going work in coaching and managing the chairs in his/her purview and in reporting and answering questions should be expected.

At an operational level, the VP/SIS can expect to have regular calls with staff partners, including the ACC committee, spending 1-2 hours approximately every month in such calls (varies by time of year).  Such calls, along with ongoing e-mail, conference calls, and other communication with volunteer leaders and members as noted above, average 5-10 hours per week (in addition to travel to meetings).

Required Qualifications

• 10 or more years as an international educator and member of NAFSA
• Previous experience on an educational or non-profit board of directors
• Substantial experience in other NAFSA volunteer leadership positions, including one or more national position
• Deep knowledge in one or more of these areas and familiarity with: internationalization leadership, global engagement, curriculum internationalization, and thought leadership or international education
• Significant experience in a leadership position that required strategic and operational planning
• Significant experience in managing volunteers
• Excellent communication strategies and skills
• Access to and skill in e-mail communication
• Willingness and availability to travel