The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

JBHE is dedicated to the conscientious investigation of the status and prospects for African Americans in higher education.

Oregon State University — Vice President for University Relations and Marketing
Filed in Administrative on March 11, 2023

Search for the Vice President for University Relations and Marketing
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University (OSU), Oregon's land grant university, seeks a visionary, strategic, innovative, and inspiring leader to serve as the next vice president for University Relations and Marketing (VP for URM). The vice president will join OSU's new president, Jayathi Y. Murthy, as a key member of her leadership team as she and the OSU community embark upon an ambitious agenda to further enhance their position as one of the nation's leading land grant universities.

Oregon State has a steadfast commitment to exceptional 21st-century teaching, scholarship, research, discovery, innovation, inclusion, and engagement. OSU integrates its research and engagement mission by providing a high-quality, globally relevant and affordable education for the people of the state and beyond. OSU is committed to the ideal that higher education is a public good, enables social mobility, and should be accessible to all learners. OSU serves more than 35,000 students, with more than 5,000 faculty and staff, and a $1.53 billion annual budget.

It is an exciting time to join the OSU community. In addition to welcoming President Murthy in 2022, the OSU Foundation recently launched the university's second university-wide fundraising campaign, Believe it: The Campaign for Oregon State University. Donors have already committed more than $1 billion to the campaign, which seeks to raise $1.75 billion to support priority initiatives including student access and success, faculty positions, academic programs, research, statewide community engagements programs, OSU athletics, and facilities on each of OSU's two campuses. The VP for URM will be essential in assisting the university and OSU Foundation in promoting donor stewardship and growing philanthropy. The university has also set an ambitious goal to double research funding over the next few years, increasing its impact on the State of Oregon and the world. The University Relations and Marketing (URM) team is integral to strengthening and extending OSU's brand, reach, and impact across the state and beyond.

Reporting to President Murthy and serving in her cabinet, the VP for URM will work with the leadership team, community partners, and marketing, public affairs and communications staff throughout the university community to support the growth and impact of OSU's strategic priorities. In doing so, the next VP for URM will address the following opportunities and challenges:

Create and deliver a comprehensive and modern strategic communication and marketing vision that better positions OSU as a premier land grant university locally, nationally, and globally.
Anticipate emerging issues, respond to crises, and develop strategies and messages that effectively communicate with the full range of constituents with diverse perspectives.
Leverage, harness, and align the power of marketing and communications across OSU.
Act as a key advisor to the president and her leadership team.
Strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts internally and externally to support and bolster the reputation of OSU's vibrant university community.

Inspire and mentor the URM staff through visionary leadership to promote a culture of responsiveness, innovation, excellence, and collaboration.

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/oregon-state-university/vice-president-university-relations-and-marketing. Electronic submission of materials is required.

Julie Filizetti, Rafa Escobedo, and Katie Pusecker
Isaacson, Miller
1000 Sansome Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94111

OSU commits to inclusive excellence by advancing equity and diversity in all that we do. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.