Vice President for Mission and Ministry (VPMM)
: Job Details :

TITLE: Vice President for Mission and Ministry (VPMM)

DEPARTMENT: Mission and Ministry

REPORTS TO: President

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Vice President for Mission and Ministry (VPMM) provides strategic leadership and coordination for religious, spiritual and pastoral ministries within the university community. This role integrates the University Mission and the four pillars of the Dominican Order, ensuring the vitality of Dominican's identities as a Sinsinawa Dominican, multicultural, multifaith and Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The VPMM prioritizes developing collaborative relationships with university faculty, staff, community-based organizations, and philanthropic partners to advance the University mission and vision in strategic priorities. Rooted in the Roman Catholic intellectual, spiritual and social traditions, the VPMM is also familiar with and willing to immerse in the Dominican tradition. Additionally, the VPMM serves as the primary point of contact and collaborator with other Sinsinawa-founded organizations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership and Coordination:

• Advise the President on all matters related to Catholic and Dominican identity.
• Build ongoing communication channels and partnerships with the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, the Sponsor's Council, the Archdiocese of Chicago, and other regional and national Catholic organizations.
• Integrates HSI and multicultural identities with Dominican University's other identities – Catholic and Dominican – and collaborates actively with other senior leaders to strengthen these identities through strategic practices and programs.
• Supervises the departments within the Division of Mission and Ministry, including the PASOS Network, the Sr. Mary Nona McGreal, OP Center for Dominican Historical Studies, the St. Catherine of Siena Center, and University Ministry.

Vision and Guidance as the University Mission Officer:

• Mission integration and faith formation across campus, including supporting a rich and vibrant liturgical life on campus.
• Advancing the mission-critical priorities of social justice, inclusive excellence, and interfaith and intercultural relationships and demonstrating leadership for Catholic colleges and universities in that space.
• Builds and evaluates mission formation activities across campus, and actively works to build community and deepen engagement of diverse stakeholders with our mission.
• Assesses and advises for mission effectiveness and integration into all campus decision-making including but not limited to human resources, budgeting, strategic planning, equity and justice, curricular development, and environmental sustainability.
• Plays a vital role, with senior leaders, in articulating University positions in policy, holding community meetings/space related to campus/regional/world events, and supporting crisis communications and dialogue needs.
• Jointly staffs the Mission and Identity Committee of the Board of Trustees with the Vice President for Justice, Equity and Inclusion.

Active Engagement with Internal Stakeholders:

• Develops cross-campus partnerships to advance strategic priorities including co-curricular programming, student success and retention outreach, cultural liberation and anti-racism work.
• Works closely with the Office of Marketing and Communications and senior leaders to integrate our Dominican, Catholic and our values into various forms of communication.
• In collaboration with the Vice President for University Advancement, supports ongoing grant-writing within the Division and cultivation of donors for ministry/mission efforts, and the PASOS Network.
• Purposefully engages and collaborates with academic departments, including the Theology Department, to integrate mission across the student experience.
• Deepens ongoing institutional strategy and collaborative efforts to foster interreligious and intercultural dialogue on campus.
• Prioritizes building collaborative relationships that create opportunities for engagement with various university departments and stakeholder groups to support the mission (e.g., retreats, talks, immersion experiences, community engagement).

Program Development, Management, and External Relations:

• Strategically directs the units within the Division of Mission and Ministry to actively promote the Dominican mission and Catholic identity.
• Leads divisional efforts to engage with the local and national bodies of the U.S. Catholic Church, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and the Archdiocese of Chicago.
• Creates a strategy for the Division and the University to build partnerships with faith-based partners in the greater Chicagoland area, including local parishes and places of worship of different faiths, Latina/o Catholic organizations, and faith-based non-profits.
• Promotes the spiritual development, pastoral care and faith formation of undergraduate and graduate students, including opportunities for retreat, worship, justice education and promotion, student leadership development, and cultural celebration (University Ministry).
• Supports the developing national network for culturally responsive campus ministry (PASOS Network), sustain the funding for the work through grants, foundation requests, and fundraising in collaboration with Institutional Advancement.
• Strengthens Catholic, Dominican heritage and shares stories of Sisters, students, faculty and staff that have contributed to Dominican University's mission and vision throughout her history.
• Envisions and leads events and activities that engage diverse publics in exploring the Catholic intellectual traditions, the inherent compatibility of faith and reason, and interfaith dialogue.
• Develops and integrates mission formation for all employees of the University.
• Creates spaces and experiences as places of welcome, hospitality and belonging for all.
• Oversees the administration of departments, their staffing and policy compliance including the management of annual operating budgets and oversight of restricted gifts and grants.
• Cultivates relationships with community-based and national organizations which advance the strategic priorities of Dominican University.
• Performs other duties as requested by supervisor.

Required Qualifications:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proficiency in liturgical norms, traditions of the Catholic Church, and contemporary developments in Catholic ministry sponsorship.
• Appreciation for the sources, methods, and experiences of diverse communities within these traditions.
• Strong skills in leadership and strategic planning.
• Proven ability to prioritize and sustain ongoing collaborations with diverse stakeholders to achieve strategic goals.
• Demonstrated strong organizational skills.

Education and Experience:

• A Master's degree in Theology, Ministry, Higher Education, or related field.
• The VPMM will be a Roman Catholic of deep faith and practice, well-grounded in the diversity of Catholic tradition.
• A minimum of 5 years of leadership experience in a religious or educational or related setting.
• Proven experience in uniting communities through strong holistic care and interpersonal skills, with the ability to serve as a positive leader for students, faculty, staff and alumni.
• Ability to articulate a compelling vision for a Catholic institution with a multicultural, multifaith membership.
• Experience working in culturally responsive ministry and with historically marginalized communities.
• Experience supervising, building and supporting highly-functioning teams.
• Experience with mission integration and formation within a diverse community.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Awareness of best-practices and research related to Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), interfaith dialogue, and Latino/a Catholicism in the US.
• Experience in a pastoral context within higher education or a complex non-profit organization.
• A terminal degree or significant additional study/training demonstrating an ongoing commitment to education.
• Experience in grant writing or fundraising.
• Proficiency in multiple languages, with a strong emphasis on effective communication across diverse linguistic communities.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to spend long durations of the workday sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Salary and FLSA Status:

• FLSA Status: Exempt 37.5 hours.
• Retirement plan with employer matching contributions.
• Tuition remission for employees and their dependents.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• General paid time off (PTO).

Employment at Dominican University is contingent upon the successful completion of a background investigation.

About Dominican University:

Dominican University is a Catholic, comprehensive teaching university located in River Forest, a suburb of Chicago, with an additional campus in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Dominican University offers associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. It is highly regarded for its academic rigor, thoughtful accompaniment of students, intentional affordability, and values-based, relationship-centered learning environment.

Dominican currently enrolls over 3,300 students, including 2,280 undergraduates and 1,027 graduate students. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of undergraduate students identify as Latinx, 5% as Black or African American, and 3% as Asian. Under-represented minority students comprise 77% of the undergraduate enrollment and 38% of the graduate enrollment. Over 90 percent of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. Nearly half of all undergraduates are first-generation college students; over half are federal Pell Grant recipients, illustrating their families' level of income; and 58% are eligible for low-income MAP grants from the State of Illinois.

Recognized since 2011 as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education, Dominican is committed to expanding and enhancing educational opportunities for Latinx students and all students from historically underrepresented groups. For more information, visit www.dom.edu.

Expectations for all Dominican Employees:

To support the University's mission of preparing students to pursue truth, to give compassionate service, and to participate in the creation of a more just and humane world.

Institutional Statement:

Dominican University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic community. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Dominican University is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans.