President of Salish Kootenai College

As the Chief Executive Officer, the President of Salish Kootenai College is entrusted with the responsibility of carrying out the policies established by the Salish Kootenai College Board of Directors and overseeing the general administration of the College. This role calls for a visionary leader who is committed to advancing the mission of the College and empowering the Confederated Salish and Kootenai community.

Preference will be given to enrolled members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation.

Mission Statement: The Mission of Salish Kootenai College is to provide quality post-secondary educational opportunities and support for American Indians, locally and from throughout the United States, to achieve their academic and career goals. The College will perpetuate the cultures of the Séliš, Ksanka, and Qlispe’ peoples. The College will impact its community through service and research.

Vision: Salish Kootenai College aspires to be the pre-eminent educational center of excellence for American Indian Students, grounded in the cultures of the Séliš, Ksanka and QÍispé people of the Flathead Nation. The college will empower students to improve the lives of their families and communities through research, leadership and service.

Goals: The Salish Kootenai College Board of Directors has adopted the following goals to provide further specificity to the Mission and Vision Statements and goals outlined in the SKC Strategic Plan:

• Contribute to the preservation of the cultures, languages, histories, and natural environment of the Séliš, Ksanka and QÍispé people.

• Provide postsecondary educational opportunities for Indigenous peoples in the following areas: degree programs, vocational training, college transfer programs, community service, Indigenous culture and history, and adult education.
• Cultivate a learning environment in which students develop skills in effective communication, critical thinking, cultural understanding, and citizenship.
• Administer comprehensive student services.
• Implement lifelong learning opportunities for both personal and professional development through diverse instructional formats offered on and off campus.
• Support tribal entities and departments in staff preparation, planning, research, and services according to identified needs.
• Assist with the economic development needs of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation.
• Maintain financial resources for institutional support as directed by the board.

The successful candidate must be a leader who is committed to the following:

• Inspiring and empowering faculty, staff, and students of Salish Kootenai College through visionary leadership.
• Committed to upholding the vision, mission, and educational goals of Salish Kootenai College.
• Dedicated to fostering cultural exploration, personal empowerment, gender equity, and career success among students, faculty, staff, and the community.
• Knowledgeable about cultural traditions and a proponent of the Séliš, Ksanka and QÍispé cultural values, histories, and traditions.
• Advancing Salish Kootenai College’s next stage of development while honoring the strong legacy of self-determination and Indigenous knowledge.
• Communicating effectively with the stakeholders of Salish Kootenai College.
• Being a results-oriented leader who can move the College forward and achieve its goals.

Opportunities and Challenges: The President will be expected to exercise creative leadership in addressing the following areas:

• Building on the strong legacy of the academic degree and workforce certificate programs.
• Engaging in the recruitment, retention, completion, and success of the next generation of students.
• Provide supervision responsibilities throughout the college’s chain of command.
• Ensuring the financial stability of Salish Kootenai College through effective resource management and fundraising coordination.
• Continuing ongoing accreditation with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and pursuing World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC) accreditation.

Minimum qualifications:

• An earned doctoral degree from an accredited institution, Education emphasis preferred.
• Demonstrated successful senior-level administrative experience in a complex organizational setting in higher education or related field.
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and vision of Salish Kootenai College.
• Awareness of the sociological, cultural, and educational values, customs, and traditions of the Séliš, Ksanka and QÍispé people.
• Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes enrolled member preferred.