How to hire an academic affairs vice president

How to hire an academic affairs vice president, step by step

Here's a step-by-step academic affairs vice president hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an academic affairs vice president job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new academic affairs vice president
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The academic affairs vice president hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An academic affairs vice president's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, academic affairs vice presidents from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of academic affairs vice presidents and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Academic Affairs Vice President	Description	Hourly rate
   Academic Affairs Vice President	Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, student life, or the office of the registrar.	$36-92
   Registrar	A registrar's role is to process and maintain accurate records within an institution or establishment. They are the main point of communication to obtain various kinds of information... Show more	$13-26
   Dean	A dean is responsible for overseeing the educational operations of the assigned department, enforcing school policies, and monitoring the students' progress by coordinating with the teachers and setting up procedures to improve teaching methods. Deans administer educational training and programs for the students, as well as extra-curricular activities to develop the students' social behavior, maximize their potentials, and increase their self-confidence... Show more	$23-72

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Academic Affairs
   • Student Learning
   • Program Development
   • Faculty Development
   • Curriculum Development
   • Strategic Plan
   • Academic Standards
   • Enrollment Management
   • Academic Support
   • Vpaa
   • Educational Programs
   • Campuses
   • Administrative Leadership
   • Student Retention

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and track individual sorority members monthly study hour requirements.
   • Experience in the support of transition and retention strategies for multicultural student populations to address differentials in attrition and retention.
   • Create a new mathematic credit course bridging the gap between developmental mathematics and credit mathematics.

   More academic affairs vice president duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your academic affairs vice president job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An academic affairs vice president salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an academic affairs vice president in Arkansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level academic affairs vice president usually earns less than a senior-level academic affairs vice president. Additionally, an academic affairs vice president with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average academic affairs vice president salary

   $122,120yearly

   $58.71 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level academic affairs vice president salary

   $76,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average academic affairs vice president salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$168,323	$81
   2	Nevada	$149,591	$72
   3	District of Columbia	$141,391	$68
   4	North Carolina	$134,376	$65
   5	New York	$127,914	$62
   6	Ohio	$127,909	$61
   7	Washington	$124,289	$60
   8	Maryland	$122,412	$59
   9	Missouri	$122,242	$59
   10	South Carolina	$117,328	$56
   11	Texas	$116,779	$56
   12	Florida	$116,559	$56
   13	Mississippi	$108,079	$52
   14	Puerto Rico	$61,515	$30

   Average academic affairs vice president salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$134,612	$64.72	9
   2	Gemological Institute of America	$131,266	$63.11
   3	UWC-USA	$129,588	$62.30
   4	Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion	$125,792	$60.48
   5	Cornish College of the Arts	$116,865	$56.19
   6	Hartnell College	$100,490	$48.31
   7	The City University of New York	$92,983	$44.70	14
   8	Parking Solutions	$90,186	$43.36
   9	Mount St. Mary's University	$87,260	$41.95
   10	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	$86,095	$41.39
   11	Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College	$80,213	$38.56
   12	Raritan Valley Community College	$65,403	$31.44
   13	Virginia's Community Colleges	$65,205	$31.35	17
   14	Harris-Stowe State University	$62,952	$30.27	1
   15	Baltimore City Community College	$62,195	$29.90
   16	Northeast State Community College	$49,972	$24.02
   17	BridgeValley Community and Technical College	$45,483	$21.87
   18	William Peace University	$40,106	$19.28
   19	Lane College	$36,221	$17.41	5
   20	Los Angeles Trade-Technical College	$33,243	$15.98

4. Writing an academic affairs vice president job description

   An academic affairs vice president job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an academic affairs vice president job description:

   Academic affairs vice president job description example

   1. Master’s degree and 3-5 years of experience in higher education.
   2. Must have knowledge of management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, and leadership techniques.
   3. Should have a knowledge of the principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
   4. Should have knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, learning and motivation.
   5. Must be able to analyze information and evaluate results, develop goals and plans including long-range objectives and specify the strategies and actions to achieve them.
   6. Able to supervise employees with a servant’s attitude.
   7. Must have good communication skills, both verbally and written.
   8. Must understand and maintain confidentiality, particularly as regards FERPA.
   9. Must be able to work independently and show good judgment.
   10. Must have a working knowledge of computer software systems including Microsoft Suite and Populi and have good keyboarding skills.
   11. Must be organized, efficient, and show good time management skills.
   12. Must be reliable and dependable with regular, timely attendance.

   WORKING CONDITIONS:

   These duties will be conducted in an office environment with limited exposure to hazardous materials. The majority of the shift will be spent seated and working on a computer. Must have adequate sight to meet the responsibilities of the job. Must be able to lift 40 pounds on an occasional basis.

   DRESS CODE:

   Within the office, “business casual” dress is expected. Jeans are acceptable as long as they are clean and well-kept. If any questions arise regarding what is appropriate, speak with the supervisor.

   STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING:

   This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the work being performed by the person assigned to this position and does not state or imply that it is all-inclusive. Other duties and responsibilities may be added with consideration of the job requirements and skills needed and can be changed verbally or in writing at the discretion of the job's immediate supervisor.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find academic affairs vice presidents for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any academic affairs vice presidents they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level academic affairs vice presidents with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find academic affairs vice president candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting academic affairs vice presidents requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new academic affairs vice president

   Once you've selected the best academic affairs vice president candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new academic affairs vice president. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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