Chancellor Search
Minnesota State seeks a visionary and inspirational higher education leader for what is the largest and most diverse provider of higher education in Minnesota, and the third-largest system of colleges and universities in the United States.
Minnesota State is a diverse and vibrant network of 26 colleges and seven state universities that provides a safe and inclusive environment for all students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to Equity 2030, a systemwide shared vision to close the educational equity gaps at all Minnesota State colleges and universities by the year 2030.
The next Chancellor will be joining the Minnesota State system at a pivotal time, requiring a leader who is able to transform public higher education while focusing on student success to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society. In addition, our next leader will encourage and honor the innovation and dynamism of the individual colleges and universities and foster their collective vivacity while also harnessing the power of operating as a system.
The successful candidate will have significant experience in a mission-driven, complex organization, a demonstrated record of leading transformative change and financial sustainability efforts, and an entrepreneurial mindset to support new approaches for meeting the changing needs of the state. They will be a champion for equity and inclusion; and will be a collaborative leader with humility and integrity, who can set the strategic vision for Minnesota State. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in marshalling the combined assets of a system to serve students and the state.
In this rapidly changing world, there are many challenges and opportunities ahead for the next generation of Minnesota State students. The Board of Trustees seeks an equity-minded and transformational leader who will leverage the strengths of the entire Minnesota State system to maximize the role of public higher education in successfully addressing those challenges on behalf of students and realizing opportunities for the state of Minnesota and beyond.
Find the print version of Chancellor Search, it includes all of the information below.
At Minnesota State, we provide the opportunity for all Minnesotans to create a better future for themselves, for their families, and for their communities through access to affordable higher education.
With 26 community and technical colleges and seven state universities on 54 campuses, Minnesota State is the workforce engine for Minnesota, serving nearly two-thirds of the entire state’s undergraduate student population.
We are committed to equitable outcomes for all our students, and in 2019 pledged to eliminate educational equity gaps at every Minnesota State college and university by the year 2030. Achieving this goal, called Equity 2030, is both a moral and economic imperative for our state.
As our population continues to grow more diverse, it will ensure Minnesota has the workforce it needs for generations to come.Minnesota State employs more than 14,400 people, most of whom are represented by one of several bargaining units and personnel plans. The bargaining units include:
- Inter Faculty Organization
- Minnesota State College Faculty
- Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty
- American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
- Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
- Minnesota Government Engineers Council
- Middle Management Association
- Minnesota Nurses Association
Governance
The 15-member Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is appointed by the Governor and has policy responsibility for system planning, academic programs, fiscal management, personnel, admissions requirements, tuition and fees, and rules and regulations. Learn more at MinnState.edu/board.
Minnesota State serves 300,000 students annually and more students of color, first-generation college students, and students of modest financial means than anyone else in the state.
- We offer the lowest tuition in Minnesota
- Our colleges and universities have 54 campuses that are conveniently located in 47 communities throughout Minnesota
- We provide more than 4,023 academic programs, including 893 offered entirely online
- We award more than 36,000 degrees, certificates, and diplomas annually
- 84.5% of graduates are employed in a field related to their degree program
- Our colleges and universities produce more graduates for jobs in critical, high-demand fields such as health care and information technology than anyone else in the state
- We employ more than 14,400 dedicated faculty and staff focused on student success
- We provide essential training and specialized certification options for business, industry, and professionals throughout Minnesota
Budget and Finance
- Approximately 65% of our annual expenses are for our talented faculty and staff.
- Minnesota State is highly efficient, ranking 41st in the nation (as of 2020) in terms of administrative overhead per student served.
- Minnesota State’s annual operating budget is about $2 billion, of which $790 million comes from state appropriation and $715 million from tuition.
- The system manages 843 buildings totaling 28 million square feet and has capital budget that has ranged from $100 million to 250 million every two years.
The Minnesota State Framework was introduced in Fall 2022 to inform the Minnesota State strategic and operational priorities. This framework builds on work completed during the past several years, provides clarity for future efforts, and informs the annual chancellor/system office workplan. Learn more about the Minnesota State Workplan at MinnState.edu/system/chancellor.
Equity 2030
In June 2019, we set a critical goal: By 2030, Minnesota State will eliminate the educational equity gaps at every Minnesota State college and university.
Equity 2030 serves as the organizing principle across all campuses – for all our work, our operational structures, policies and procedures, and for the inclusive, safe, and anti-racist organizational ethos we strive to reach.
Only by addressing systemic inequities in educational access and outcomes can we build a better future for students, families, and our communities. It is both a moral imperative and the path to economic prosperity.
The pandemic further magnified persistent racial disparities across the country and in Minnesota, and we have doubled down on our commitment, advancing Equity 2030 with a strong sense of urgency and united resolve.
Our approach to meeting this goal coordinates key initiatives across Minnesota State focused on the following six strategic dimensions:
- Enhanced Access
- Student Academic Success
- Student Success: Engagement and Support
- Data-Guided Decision Making
- Financial Resources and Support
- Workforce Diversity
For more information about Equity 2030,visit MinnState.edu/Equity2030.
NextGen
NextGen is the Minnesota State project focused on creating a new technology landscape to support students, faculty, and staff at our 33 state colleges and universities across Minnesota. In November 2020, Workday was selected as the vendor for the new ERP/SIS. The project is projected to be completed in 2027.
NextGen will play a critical role in the ability of Minnesota State faculty and staff to increase the success of our students at every step on their higher education journey – from application to graduation and beyond. It will link all 54 campuses and will serve as a unified administrative technology system that improves the student experience and streamlines enterprise-wide business processes in student services, finance, and human resources.
This cloud-based technology will replace ISRS, the cornerstone data system for the colleges and universities of Minnesota State for more than 20 years. ISRS was originally developed by in-house information technology professionals to meet the needs of Minnesota’s state colleges and universities after merging as a single system.
For complete and up to date information regarding this key initiative please visit, MinnState.edu/NextGen.
The chancellor serves as the executive officer of this $2 billion public enterprise, directly reporting to the governor-appointed Board of Trustees. The role has full executive responsibility for providing effective management, operations, and educational leadership to the 33 colleges and universities of Minnesota State, ensuring that the system meets the current and long-term educational and workforce development needs of all Minnesotans.
The Chancellor’s responsibilities include implementing board policy; providing for academic leadership; recommending operating and capital budgets; recommending allocation of resources; planning; oversight of collective bargaining; providing information systems; management of personnel resources; direct supervision and annual evaluation of the 30 presidents and chancellor’s cabinet. Learn more at MinnState.edu/system/chancellor.
Preferred Qualifications
- An understanding of the value and unique missions of the system’s community colleges, technical colleges, comprehensive colleges, and state universities, along with the shared mission of the enterprise
- An understanding of the unique attributes of higher education and the current opportunities and challenges facing public higher education in Minnesota and nationally
- Demonstrated commitment to serving students and leading an enterprise dedicated to student success
Proven experience of strategic and inclusive planning with the ability to anticipate, evaluate, and adapt to changing conditions through innovation - Demonstrated ability to lead, communicate, and execute change in a large, complex organization
- Demonstrated ability to establish strong relationships and deliver a compelling message with local, state, and federal government officials, business, philanthropic and community leaders, and other diverse constituencies to support students, champion Minnesota State, and advance programs and services that support workforce and economic development
- Demonstrated commitment to public service and public education
- An experienced leader in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and establishing working and learning environments of trust and mutual respect
- A demonstrated record of financial acumen and ability to effectively manage human, fiscal, and capital resources
- Proven success in working with a governing board
- A demonstrated understanding and ability to work effectively in an unionized environment
- Ability to collaborate with key stakeholders to develop strategic goals and allocate resources across Minnesota State to achieve those goals
- Demonstrated effective leadership with strong emphasis on accountability for results
- Experience in a multi-location, geographically dispersed operating environment
- A record of working with the highest level of integrity, exceptional interpersonal skills, strong influencing skills, high degree of self-awareness, and empathy
- An earned doctorate or terminal degree
Benefits and Compensation
The position is covered by the Minnesota State Administrators plan: MinnState.edu/system/working.
The chancellor’s office is located in the system office in downtown St. Paul. Statewide travel is required.
Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc. is assisting Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in this search. Applications and nominations are now being accepted. Confidential inquiries, nominations and application materials should be directed to Greenwood/Asher & Associates.
For a full application package please provide a cover letter, CV, and list of five references. The position will remain open until filled. However, only complete applications received by February 21, 2023, are assured full consideration.
The search will be conducted with a commitment of confidentiality for candidates until finalists are selected. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made.
Please direct inquiries and application materials to:
Jim Johnsen, Ed.D
Vice President, Executive Search at Greenwood Asher & Associates, LLC
jimjohnsen@greenwoodsearch.com
Lauren McCaghren
Senior Executive Search Consultant at Greenwood Asher & Associates, LLC
laurenmccaghren@greenwoodsearch.com
This position has an expected start date of August 1, 2023.
Search Advisory Committee
Pam Wheelock, Co-chair
Community Leader
George Soule, Co-chair
Board of Trustees
Carrie Brimhall
President, Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Jenna Chernega
President, IFO
Alex Cirillo
Trustee
Jay Cowles
Trustee
Nicole Emerson
Chair, MAPE
Jennifer Erwin
President, Minnesota State Policy Committee, AFSCME
Joyce Ester
President, Normandale Community College
David Fredrickson
Former Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, State Senator, and President of National Farmers Union
Satasha Green-Stephen
Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
Kumara Jayasuriya
President, Southwest Minnesota State University
Gary Kloos
Executive Director, MMA
Alex Kromminga
President, MSUAASF
Kevin Lindstrom
President, MSCF
Tuleah Palmer
President and CEO, Blandin Foundation
Mike Raich
President, Minnesota North College
John Runningen
President, LeadMN
Kathy Sheran
Trustee
Jaime Simonsen
Chief of Staff
Andrea Walsh
President and CEO, HealthPartners
Kaileigh Weber
State Chair, Students United
Timeline
December 15, 2022 Search Advisory Committee appointed
January 9, 2023 Advertising begins
February 21, 2023 Deadline for full application consideration
Mid-March, 2023 Confidential first round of interviews with select candidates (ZOOM)
Mid-April, 2023 Public announcement of finalists
Late-April, 2023 Finalist interviews and open forums
May, 2023 Board Meeting to appoint the next Chancellor
August 1, 2023 Contract start date
