Hyatt•Fennell, LLC

Vice President and Chief Business Officer – Elmira College

THE COLLEGE

Elmira College, founded in 1855, is an independent, coeducational liberal arts college. Located on a 50-acre campus in Elmira, New York, in the Finger Lakes Region. It has a rich history. Founded as a women’s college, it was the first such institution with a curriculum and requirements comparable to those at men’s colleges. Consequently, it is known to historians of higher education as “the mother of women’s colleges.” It became fully coeducational in 1969. Since its founding, it has remained a residential campus with over 1,100 of its 1,221 full-time undergraduates living on campus. Because of the college’s long-standing interest in international education, campus life is enriched by the presence of international students (some 9% of its student population.) A Phi Beta Kappa chapter was instituted at the college in 1940. Carnegie classifies Elmira College as Baccalaureate-General. Since 1921 it has been regionally accredited by the Commission of Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Its next self-study evaluation is scheduled for 2015. Specialized accreditation has been granted to its nursing program by NLNAC. The college, tuition driven, lives within its annual budgets and is in good financial condition. Enrollment is near capacity, with a wait list for the freshman class. There have been three capital campaigns in the past 10 years: the first raised $10 million, and the second, an endowment campaign, raised $17 million. A current campaign focuses on the refurbishing of Cowles Hall, the original college building, which was erected in 1855 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (It is one of 8 campus buildings so registered), and on the building of a 140-bed new dormitory, now complete and occupied in the fall of 2010. There are 25 undergraduate majors, and the college offers the bachelor of arts and the bachelor of science degrees. The master of science in education and in management are offered as well.

THE MISSION

The mission of Elmira College is to offer its students both liberal and professional education of sufficient breadth and depth to enable them to become more productive and responsible in contemporary society. The following college objectives are related to achieving this mission:
Provide the potential for careers or post-graduate work by intensive study in a liberal arts or a professionally oriented discipline; Develop basic life and learning skills in reading, writing, thinking, speaking, and mathematics; Endow students with academic breadth.

THE POSITION

Dean Joseph Koczan will retire as Financial Vice President in March 2011, after having served in that position for 8 years. Working closely together, Vice President Koczan and President Thomas Meier have become a team whose good management practices have created a financially stable college. This year the College has its highest enrollment since 1972.

The vice president reports directly to the president and is one of six members of the president’s cabinet, the others being: academic vice president and dean of faculty, vice president of development and alumni relations, vice president and dean of student life, vice president of athletics and health services, and vice president for public relations and assistant to the president. Currently reporting to the vice president are the bursar; the comptroller; the director of payroll and benefits, the director of the bookstore and post office, the dean of the library and administrative computing, director of dining services and superintendent of buildings and grounds.

CHALLENGES

Earning the confidence of the president, the cabinet, and the trustees as the college’s chief financial officer;

Becoming a committed member of a dynamic cabinet, who see to the day-to-day and long-range operation of the college and who have been instrumental in bringing about the college’s turn-around and return to financial stability during the past decade;

Building a strong team within the office of financial and business services;

Relating positively and comfortably with a strong, independent-minded faculty;

Providing strong leadership for the college’s functions of finance and business, information technology, and buildings and grounds.

Working closely with the president and cabinet in developing annual balanced budgets that are tied to the college’s strategic plan.

QUALIFICATIONS

A team player, flexible, with a sense of humor and possessing strong managerial, planning, and financial skills, the successful candidate will be an individual with a graduate degree in finance, business administration, or a related field or will have equivalent experience. He or she should have at least five years of financial management related experience, preferably in both the business and not-for-profit sectors. The successful candidate will be an individual with the highest ethical, moral, and professional standards, whose career demonstrates:

Knowledge of the culture of the residential liberal arts college and a willingness to become a part of that culture as it has been adopted by Elmira College;

Successful experience working with boards of not-for-profit organizations, auditors, and various government regulatory officials;

Skill in supervision and communication;

Skill with information technology as an administrative tool and comfortable familiarity with technology that supports teaching and learning;

Effective communications and presentation skills;

Effective hands-on experience in budget development and control;

Successful experience in property acquisition and management;

Strong analytic and systems orientation;

Familiarity with and respect for the liberal arts and sciences and the environment of a college campus;

Ability to achieve goals using influence and negotiation skills; and

Collaborative management and working style characterized by cordiality and effective interpersonal skills.

Elmira College is an equal opportunity institution.
www.elmira.edu