Associate Vice President of Student Services

About the role

Under the general direction of the Vice President of Student Services, the Associate Vice President (AVP) of Student Services will be responsible for serving as a senior district leader responsible for systemwide leadership, strategy, and operational oversight of Admissions and Records (A&R), Financial Aid, and integrated student services systems across all Los Rios' colleges. This position provides enterprise-level leadership across assigned colleges and District Office, ensuring the alignment, modernization, and continuous improvement of student services systems, policies, and service delivery models. The AVP leads with strong personal initiative, organizational abilities, and strategic planning to ensure the timely completion of systemwide projects and initiatives. Leadership capabilities in this role reflect student-centered practices steeped in equity-mindedness and understanding of marginalized student populations, that support the full student lifecycle—from application through completion. The AVP serves as a key partner with District Information Technology (IT), Institutional Research, categorical programs’ leadership, and college leadership to implement scalable, compliant, and innovative solutions that enhance access, equity, and student success.

Responsibilities

• Providing leadership and strategic oversight for Admissions and Records and Financial Aid operations across all colleges, ensuring alignment, compliance, and consistency in service delivery.
• Leading the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of districtwide student services systems, including financial aid processing, enrollment services, Degree Planner, and academic records.
• Supporting the implementation and adoption of greater automation and alignment of financial aid processes, unified student graduation and transcript-related petition processes, front end transcript evaluation, Degree Planner, proactive and responsive student communications, and other priorities to enhance the student experience and operational efficiency.
• Facilitating critical thinking about the systems and structures in place, and how efficiencies and effectiveness can be continuously reevaluated to ensure marginalized student access and success.
• Overseeing two-college operations, ensuring equitable resource allocation, standardized procedures, and high-quality service across all sites.
• Directing large-scale system implementations and enhancements, including financial aid platforms, degree audit systems, student communication tools, and onboarding technologies.
• Establishing and enforcing districtwide policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
• Overseeing budgets, resource planning, and long-term financial strategy for assigned functional areas.
• Providing leadership for districtwide initiatives supporting special populations, ensuring integrated and equitable access to services.
• Guiding the development of staffing models, organizational structures, and workforce strategies aligned with systemwide goals.
• Leading cross-college strategic planning and redesigning efforts focused on improving the student experience, increasing efficiency, and removing systemic barriers.
• Overseeing the implementation of updates from state and federal compliance frameworks (e.g., Title IV, FERPA).
• Driving enterprise process redesign, including automation of financial aid processing, transcript evaluation, petition workflows, and student onboarding systems.
• Championing data-informed decision-making, leveraging dashboards, analytics, and performance metrics to improve outcomes and accountability.
• Leading organizational change management for major system implementations and process transformations, ensuring successful adoption across colleges.
• Establishing and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) related to access, service delivery, compliance, and student success.
• Advancing equity-centered practices, ensuring services are culturally responsive and designed to close equity gaps.
• Designing systems that address the unique needs and interests of marginalized student populations to better support their access, engagement and success with A&R and Financial Aid processes.
• Supporting the development of districtwide communication strategies, including digital engagement tools, messaging platforms, and student