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Profile for PJC Presidential Search

Profile for PJC Presidential Search

Published or Revised January 02, 2024

This presidential profile is also available to be downloaded in pdf format by clicking here.

The Board of Regents at Paris Junior College (PJC) is seeking applicants to become the ninth President of the institution. Founded in 1924, PJC will begin celebrating 100 years of rich tradition and history in 2024. Under the leadership of the second-longest serving president of Paris Junior College, the institution has gone through many changes and improvements.

Paris Junior College is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges, having been reaffirmed in 2023 with no recommendations.

Our mission is to provide high quality education and training that improves the lives of all students and ignites economic vitality in the communities we serve.

Our vision is to become the college of choice for students seeking to improve their lives and for employers seeking to develop and grow a highly skilled workforce.

Opportunities and Challenges

The next President of Paris Junior College will embrace the opportunity to lead the institution during a phase of immense changes, including an entirely new performance-based funding model for Texas community colleges, and as well, the demand for more innovative and flexible offerings. The President will have the challenge of combining new models of delivery and scheduling, while at the same time preserving those delivery formats which are effective, and at the same time, building a robust marketing and recruitment program that results in enrollment increases and a better-trained workforce.

The institution has unlimited opportunities to serve as a catalyst for economic development, working with local and regional entities and leaders, local school districts, and elected and appointed officials in a coordinated effort to expand a qualified workforce that meets the needs of local business and industry.

The ninth President must foster a culture and an environment that promotes excellent faculty, staff and administration training and decision-making empowerment resulting in distributed decision making. The applicant will demonstrate a behavior of transparency and excellent communication. The next President will understand the challenges of serving a rural service area with two off-site centers and clearly develop strategies to assist first generation, and economically challenged students.

The President will address the following opportunities and challenges:

  • Team Building, Delegation, and Shared Governance: Paris Junior College will embrace the new president. The new president will foster team building, increase delegation to PJC's highly skilled employees, while ensuring that all constituents have greater control over their work environment and the freedom to strategically innovate, grow, and improve PJC.
  • Rebranding and Marketing: The next President will reinvent and evolve the College to attract more students by knowing and highlighting the unique selling points. Marketing plays a vital role in the rebranding endeavor at Paris Junior College and the institution will communicate energy and enthusiasm through multiple platforms including a new webpage and innovative outreach programs and materials to students and the community.
  • Partnerships: Expanding and strengthening the partnerships between high schools and universities and the regional community will provide PJC with an exciting future to strengthen the dual credit initiatives and build stronger university connections regarding transfer.

Essential Qualities and Characteristics:

  • Possess excellent communication skills; be able to speak, write, and present transparent and understandable explanations for shaping the direction of the College.
  • Exhibit an openness to receiving input from all levels of the College stakeholders.
  • Collaboratively develop and articulate a clear and inspiring vision of the future of PJC.
  • Demonstrate integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, and a strong moral compass of high ethical standards.
  • Exhibit a spirit of empathy; understanding and caring about the needs of the staff and the students.
  • Model accountability by taking responsibility for their decisions and actions, holding themselves and their team members accountable for their performance and results.
  • Exhibit a capability to build a strong, cohesive team by fostering collaboration, resolving conflicts, and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. This is to include shared governance among administrators and faculty.
  • Possess analytical and critical thinking skills and the utilization of data to make informed decisions that identify and address challenges, while inspiring and implementing solutions.
  • Recognize and reward accomplishments and provide constructive feedback when needed to create a culture of motivation.
  • Demonstrate knowledge, experience and success interacting with state and locally elected officials, and state agencies.
  • Exhibit a track record of successful development and growth of workforce programs within various segments of the workforce.
  • Possess a knowledge of current technological competence, awareness, and applications.
  • Demonstrate a proven track record in working with a college foundation, along with proven success in creating alternate revenue sources, including grants and philanthropic activities.

Desired Skill Sets:

  • Extensive rural community college experience.
  • Developing rapport with business/community leaders and proactively pursuing the training needs of business, industry, and the community.
  • Visible, accessible, and approachable by students, faculty, staff, and community members
  • Experience developing and implementing strategic and master facility plans, including addressing campus deferred maintenance.
  • A lifelong learner who promotes their own professional development and the professional development of all employees.
  • A demonstrated track record improving student success, including demonstrated improvements in access, retention, completion, transfer and entry into the workforce.
  • A demonstrated understanding of low-income, non-traditional, first-generation college students, and underserved student populations.
  • A financially responsible leader with in-depth knowledge about budgetary processes, fiscal expectations, and restraints.
  • Experience with Early College, dual-credit programs, and working with public and private school systems.
  • Well-informed regarding all issues surrounding institutional assessment and effectiveness experience with both regional and programmatic accreditation.

Qualifications:

  • Minimum of 3 - 5 years of senior level administrative experience with increasing responsibility in higher education.
  • Community College instructional experience is highly preferred.
  • Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required, a Doctorate is highly preferred.

Links to the history, programs, and various facets of Paris Junior College

PJC History: https://www.parisjc.edu/main/pjc-history/

PJC Programs and Significant Initiatives: https://www.parisjc.edu/main/pjc-20-year-significant-initiatives/

School districts served by PJC: https://www.parisjc.edu/downloads/service-area.pdf

PJC Memorial Foundation: https://www.parisjc.edu/main/memorial-foundation/

This is a confidential search process. To ensure full consideration, application materials should be received no later than February 6, 2024.