Assistant Vice President for Student Experience and Engagement

About the role

The Assistant Vice President for Student Experience and Engagement serves as a senior leader within the Division of Student Affairs, providing strategic vision and executive oversight for student experience, engagement and co-curricular learning. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs, the AVP leads a comprehensive, data-informed student success strategy designed to increase student participation in campus activities and drive measurable gains in persistence.

Responsibilities

• Play a key role in divisional planning, resource allocation, professional development, continuous quality improvement and the attainment of divisional goals and objectives.
• Confers with university administration and leadership and other administrative personnel to review achievements and discuss required changes in goals or objectives resulting from current status and conditions.
• Provide executive leadership and management for departments that report to the Division of Student Affairs including, the Student Engagement and Leadership Center (student leadership programs, student organizations, fraternity and sorority life, and student events), Spirit Operations (Cheer, Dance and Mascot teams), Student Media and Publications (student newspaper and magazine), and several campus-wide initiatives.
• Establish strategic direction, align priorities and resources, oversee budget planning and stewardship, and ensure effective hiring, supervision, professional development, and performance management of directors, managers, and staff. Coaches team members to high-performance expectations for quality, consistency, innovation, and accountability in meeting divisional and institutional goals.
• Provide strategic leadership and vision for the student experience including specific high-impact practices. Anticipate, evaluate and address changes in student needs, in order to design and implement programs and services to improve the student experience. Reviews analyses of activities, costs, operations, and forecast data to determine department progress toward stated goals and objectives.
• Provides leadership and oversight of UTEP’s co-curricular pathways, including the promotion and communication of pathways and the overall assessment of the program in order to increase student completion of high-impact experiences and increase student persistence.
• Provides strategic leadership for the advancement of UTEP Engage by partnering across the institution to expand and connect students to meaningful opportunities in industry, business, nonprofit, and government sectors. Collaborates with units under the AVP’s purview and across the Division to design and deliver co-curricular experiences that strengthen career readiness, deepen engagement, and support student success. Leverages data to monitor participation, assess impact, and drive continuous improvement and measurable student success outcomes.
• Supports departments in developing and implementing comprehensive assessment plans that measure student engagement, learning, and satisfaction. Reviews and analyzes program outcomes, costs, and operational data to track progress toward goals through dashboards and impact reports. Partners with the Director of Assessment and Planning to administer the annual student life and engagement survey, translate findings into actionable insights, and guide data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Leads division-wide strategic initiatives that enhance the student experience and expand equitable access to engagement opportunities for diverse student populations, including commuter, first-generation, transfer and graduate students. Builds strong partnerships across Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Institutional Research, Office of Business, Community, and Government Engagement and other campus units to align co-curricular engagement with institutional priorities and student success goals. Provides regular executive-level reports and recommendations to the Vice President and senior leadership on participation trends, outcomes, emerging student needs, and opportunities for continuous improvement and organizational change.
• Designs and implements processes, practices, and targeted programmatic interventions that empower staff to deliver vibrant, high-impact student experiences for all UTEP students. The AVP also provides oversight of program planning and execution, ensures effective stewardship of resources, and leads comprehensive assessment and evaluation efforts to continuously strengthen impact and outcomes.
• Remain knowledgeable and assure compliance with federal, state, institution and UT System policies in all areas of responsibility, creating and modifying policies, procedures, and practices in order to remain compliant, and advising others in the interpretation and application of laws and regulations as appropriate.
• Serve as a key leader in the University’s response in an emergency or crisis, including outreach and support to students and their families. Responds proactively to student concerns and manages student crises effectively. Ensures that comprehensive emergency response and risk mitigation plans are developed, implemented, and regularly reviewed for all major events and programs under their purview. Coordinates with university police, emergency management, and key stakeholders to ensure protocols are clearly communicated, staff are appropriately trained, and response procedures are effectively executed to safeguard the well-being of all participants.
• Lead and serve as a member of management committees and participate in professional trainings, industry conferences, and conventions.
• Review proposals, licenses and contracts associated with respective departments.
• Cooperate with other top management personnel in formulating and establishing policies, operating procedures, and goals.
• Confer with top management personnel preparatory to formulating a fiscal budget.
• Act as a liaison to both the El Paso and campus community.
• Work with city, county, and state officials.

Requirements

• Education: Master’s degree from an accredited university.
• Experience: Seven (7) years of progressively responsible management experience in student affairs, with a strong record of leadership in student life programming and initiatives including large-scale event planning and execution. Demonstrated knowledge of current trends, issues, and best practices in higher education and student affairs. Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and act decisively. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to effectively engage and collaborate with diverse individuals and constituencies. Demonstrated capacity for innovation, adaptability, and flexibility in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication, analytical, and organizational skills.
• A commitment to a highly collaborative approach to program development and implementation.
• Strong data analytic and assessment skills and orientation.
• An understanding and appreciation of the unique role of UTEP as America’s Hispanic-serving institution.
• A thorough understanding of student development and learning theories and their application to student life programs and initiatives.