Presidential Search

Presidential Profile

SUNY Ulster Campus in Springtime

The Board of Trustees for SUNY Ulster has announced the search to identify the College’s seventh president and invites nominations and applications for the position.

The College

Over the past 50+ years, SUNY Ulster has grown significantly from its first class of 50 graduates to over 24,312 conferred degrees and over 400,000 students served through credit and noncredit courses. The College offers over 60 degrees, academic certificates, micro-credentials, and noncredit certifications, serving approximately 3,000 students each semester. Best Colleges ranked SUNY Ulster as #1 in their annual ranking of “Top Ten Best Community Colleges in New York State” for 2020 and 2021.

As a progressive and educational institution, innovative academic and workforce programs have been introduced to address the educational and training needs of emerging careers to meet the 21st Century needs of our students and the Hudson Valley workforce. SUNY Ulster’s main campus is located on an expansive and beautiful 165 acres of the Hudson Valley in the town of Stone Ridge, Ulster County. The College has an additional location, the Kingston Center, which is a state-of-the-art auxiliary educational support center in the city of Kingston, which provides access to resources for those residing outside the main campus service region. The College also has a cutting-edge Public Safety Training facility located in the Town of Ulster.

The State University of New York (SUNY) is currently the largest comprehensive university system in the United States and includes 64 community colleges, universities, and colleges. With 93% of New York residents living within 15 miles of a SUNY campus, accessibility for New Yorkers is a driving force behind the mission of the system. The colleges and universities of SUNY attract the best and brightest scholars, scientists, artists, and professionals, making it one of the premier academic systems in the nation. Founded in 1948, the State University of New York has dramatically evolved to meet the needs of the state’s students, communities, and workforce.

As one of the 30 community colleges in the SUNY system, SUNY Ulster provides students the ability to experience the environment of a small community college while reaping the benefits of a larger institution. SUNY Ulster is involved in SUNY system-wide activities, including the SUNY Guided Pathways Institute Cohort 2, the SUNY Open Educational Resources initiative, and the SUNY Strong Start to Finish grant.

The College's foundation, Ulster Community College Foundation Inc., was established 45 years ago and has a devoted and competent staff and board. In 2021, more than $500,000 in scholarships were awarded to SUNY Ulster students. In addition, in 2016, the Foundation initiated the President’s Challenge Scholarship which awards 50 scholarships annually over nine school districts county-wide. This program focuses on 8th grade students who are mentored throughout high school, ending with SUNY Ulster full-time enrollment upon high school graduation. This effort has raised over 2.7M for this unique and rewarding program. With extraordinary growth since 2016, the Foundation currently enjoys assets of some $15,000,000.

The Region

SUNY Ulster is located in the bucolic Mid-Hudson Valley, only two hours from New York City and one hour from Albany. Noted for its rich history and agriculture, the area offers many opportunities for work and recreation. Public transportation (bus and train) makes travel to and from the metro area easy. The Mid-Hudson Valley is adorned with beautiful vistas, from the mighty Hudson River to the Catskill Mountains and the Shawangunk Ridge offering outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, kayaking and boating. It is home to many distinctive universities and colleges such as Vassar College, Bard College, Marist College, SUNY New Paltz, and the Culinary Institute of America. Settled by the Dutch, the area is awash in farms varying in size from a few acres to more than 2,000 acres. The region is home to a large collective of artists and arts organizations including DIA: Beacon, Bardavon Theatre, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, Storm King Art Center, FDR Presidential Library and Museum, Ulster Performing Arts Center, Hudson River Maritime Museum, and the Women’s Studio Workshop.

Specifically, SUNY Ulster’s main campus, located in the hamlet of Stone Ridge on an expansive and beautiful 165 acres, serves Ulster County which has a population of 178,000 people. SUNY Ulster is just 10 miles from the county seat of Kingston, which is deeply steeped in history and recently has enjoyed an influx of makers and professionals creating a vibrant colorful culture. Quality of life prevails throughout our community.

The Position

SUNY Ulster seeks a proven innovator, visionary, and inclusive leader who will make a long-term commitment to the College and community, and who will work with faculty, staff, and administrators, to increase student success.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Continue SUNY Ulster’s commitment to excellence and increase student enrollment, persistence, and completion by advancing learning opportunities for all students.

Expand programs and services in order to advance the College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DEISJ) and increase access for underserved student populations and non-traditional students.
Build relationships with employees, foster unity, and assure the retention of dedicated and accomplished faculty and staff.
Improve academic accessibility and leverage technology to better serve the needs of all students, faculty, and staff, and apply the lessons learned as a result of the pandemic.
Advance the College's work on enhancing the student's experience through Guided Pathways from first contact with the College through career success after graduation.
Engage with the region’s businesses and industries to provide responsive and relevant career and technical offerings, micro-credentials, and apprenticeships to meet the needs of a changing workforce.
Collaborate with the SUNY Chancellor and Administration to exceed state-wide goals related to student achievement.

IDEAL CHARACTERISTICS

An innovative leader with a long-term vision for SUNY Ulster based on strategy, data, and experience.
An exceptional communicator who works closely with all stakeholders to improve student success, who provides an excellent, accessible, and affordable college experience for all students.
A leader who has experience fostering relationships with K-12 districts and providing leadership to multiple programs for high school students.
A collaborative educator who will expand articulation agreements with colleges and universities.
A unifying and respectful leader who will develop strong and positive relationships with SUNY Ulster’s three labor unions: the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), the SUNY Ulster Faculty Association (SUFA), and the Organization of Professional and Administrative Personnel (OPAP).
An active member of the community who has experience working with college foundations and donors to identify and secure external funding.
A fiscally astute leader with a proven track record of managing large, challenging, and complex budgets which are aligned with an institutional strategic plan.
A passionate advocate for the College who will engage with the SUNY system, the constituents of Ulster County, the State Legislature, and the Governor of New York.
An engaged community partner who works with local businesses and organizations to support their needs, improve the local economy, and fulfill the role of the Community College as a source for workforce development.
An ethical leader who prioritizes social responsibility, green initiatives, and civic engagement.
A transparent leader who will build strong relationships with faculty and staff and will prioritize opportunities for professional development.
An administrator who is dedicated to academic excellence and has experience working with a governing board.
Experience with obtaining and maintaining programmatic and institutional accreditation.
An inspiring leader who models empathy, demonstrates honesty, accepts constructive feedback, and listens deeply to differing perspectives.