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MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER | 1
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA
http://www.mcla.edu/
Send Nominations or Cover Letter and Resume to:
Faith Eutsay
Search Director
617-262-1102
The Opportunity:
As Massachusetts’ designated public liberal arts college,
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is committed to
helping students develop the critical thinking and
communication skills that employers seek in today’s complex
global economy. It provides a transformative education in a
rich and inclusive living and learning environment. With a
focus on academic excellence and a commitment to
innovation and experiential learning, MCLA prepares students
to become successful and engaged global citizens.
MCLA has been ranked for four consecutive years as a national Top Ten Public Liberal Arts College by U.S.
News & World Report. Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine voted MCLA in the 100 best colleges that
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER | 2
combine outstanding academics with an affordable cost for 2015. A member of COPLAC (Council of Public
Liberal Arts Colleges), MCLA is recognized for championing the cause of liberal arts education of superior
quality in the public sector, providing students of high ability and from all backgrounds access to an
outstanding education. In 2016, MCLA was awarded a $2.177 million Title III “Strengthening Institutions
Program” grant from the U.S. Department of Education to increase retention and graduation rates of
students. MCLA was named to the 2014 President's Honor Roll for Service by the Corporation for National
and Community Service for the fourth consecutive year.
MCLA continues to ensure broad access to educational opportunities for all
students to succeed and graduate. This strategy encompasses increasing
financial aid resources through advocacy and philanthropic engagement.
MCLA believes a high-quality liberal arts education should be available and
affordable to all who aspire to it and are prepared for its challenges, and the
College is committed to providing this opportunity. Its students feel that
MCLA is the right choice because they receive a combination of quality
academics and affordability.
The Vice President of Institutional Advancement (VPIA) will play a critical
role in advancing the College’s mission and increasing the support for its
students, deepening endowed resources, and making enhancements and
additions to campus infrastructure. This is an ideal opportunity for a
mission-driven and highly motivated development leader eager to have a significant impact on an
institution and its student body.
With new MCLA President, Dr. James Birge, and a Foundation Board dedicated to advancing the financial
resources of the College, the VPIA is well-positioned to bring increased revenue to MCLA, maximizing
support from all key stakeholders: alumni, parents, corporations and foundations, and the regional
community. The incoming Vice President will provide the leadership and expertise to inspire, increase and
diversify philanthropy, raising funds that will have a direct impact on today’s student experience and the
future of MCLA.
Position Overview – Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Reporting directly to the President, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement is responsible for
developing and implementing all of the College’s internal and external resource development initiatives;
alumni development, annual giving, campaign initiatives; campus fundraising; corporation, foundation and
other major gifts solicitation. S/He serves as President and member of the Foundation Board.
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER | 3
The VPIA also supervises subordinate professional, classified and student employee personnel assigned to
the Advancement area.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Responsible for the development and implementation of annual strategic and operating
advancement plans for all aspects of the College’s comprehensive fundraising program including,
but not limited to campaigns in support of college priorities and initiatives, annual giving, planned
giving, major gifts, corporation, foundation and public sector giving, capital gifts, major fundraising
events and grants in support of MCLA’s programs and activities. Advancement Plans to include
quantifiable metrics and targets for productivity.
Serves as President of the MCLA Foundation, Inc. As Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, the
VPIA reports out to the Foundation’s Board of Directors, supervises the affairs of the Foundation, and
acts as the liaison to the Foundation Corporators (members of the corporation). Serves as ex-officio
member on all Foundation committees.
Plans, manages and evaluates the effectiveness of the Development staff and programs to ensure
performance aligns with established annual and multi-year goals. Provides guidance and mentoring
to enhance the staff’s effectiveness, skills and professional development.
Ensures use of systematic policies and procedures for gift solicitation and recognition including
appropriate stewardship. Sets the vision and strategic direction for programs seeking to involve
alumni and friends in advancing the College’s fundraising priorities as well as to strengthen alumni
relations. Maintains the alumni databases, ensuring accuracy and proper development of reports.
Reviews and oversees the development of public relations and fundraising materials including print,
broadcast, web and social media components; oversees implementation of Alumni and Foundation
publications.
Develops and monitors annual budget for division and ensures adherence to spending guidelines.
Advances the core principles of the College’s mission, vision and strategic priorities; provides
leadership and opportunity in this area for all staff; sets a high standard of performance for both self
and staff.
Ensuring effective communication throughout both the Advancement area and the college
community.
Participates as a member of the President’s Executive Management Team in establishing and
monitoring college policy and management matters.
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Qualifications:
Ability to demonstrate a proven track record of personally cultivating, soliciting, closing and
stewarding gifts at leadership levels.
Seven to ten years’ experience in successful fundraising, in private fundraising and gift solicitation;
annual giving, alumni and foundation relations including capital campaigns.
Demonstrated leadership working with teams through significant change. Minimum of five years of
progressive leadership responsibility of an advancement team.
Ability to assess, motivate, and evaluate staff and advancement operations.
Understanding of current and emerging institutional advancement best practices and the capacity to
adapt these to MCLA, including effective use of social media tools.
Ability to execute keen and effective operational, management and systems direction. Possess
strong operational management skills, organizational and analytical ability, that can be
demonstrated.
A set of personal and professional characteristics that includes integrity, creativity, and flexibility.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including presentation capabilities.
Demonstrated appreciation for and reliance on data, quantifiable outcomes and reporting.
Possession of knowledge of the legal and ethical aspects of fundraising and obligations to donors
and their intent as well as proper alignment with College’s goals, priorities and decisions.
Proven ability to work effectively and respectfully with a wide variety of individuals and groups
including students, faculty, administrators, alumni, potential donors, Boards, corporate and
government leaders.
Familiarity with technology, preferably razor’s edge, as a means of managing and tracking key
components of advancement office functions.
Knowledge of public higher education principles, practices and procedures.
Bachelor’s degree.
Advancement Overview
The MCLA Office of Institutional Advancement includes alumni
relations, fundraising, conference planning, grants, and
the MCLA Foundation, Inc. These departments work together to
support the goal of advancing the mission of the College. The
MCLA Foundation, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization
dedicated to the growth, development and support of
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and its faculty, staff, and
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER | 5
students. Special emphasis is placed on academic quality and the assurance of access to higher education
through the receipt, management, and disbursement of funds and other charitable contributions secured
through private sources and grant funding.
MCLA completed its first comprehensive capital campaign, Sowing Seeds for Success: The MCLA Campaign
for the Future, on June 30, 2015. The campaign successfully raised $30.57 million, well exceeding its original
goal of $22.5 million. The campaign supports the College's Strategic Plan – specifically, the goal of
"Responsive and Intentional Stewardship." In October 2013, as part of this effort, MCLA announced the
largest gift in its history – a $5 million naming gift for the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation.
With the continued challenges facing public support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as
increasing resource and program costs, MCLA has an incredibly strong case for support from its closest
constituencies. These not only include alumni and parents, but the local and regional community, its
foundations and corporations. As the largest employer in North Adams, MCLA has a tremendous impact on
the local economy, and its residents – both full-time and seasonal – have a vested interest in the institution’s
appreciation. Great opportunities exist for increased engagement from corporate and foundation partners
and regional philanthropists, in addition to the more traditional donor base of alumni and parents.
The College has established a Charitable Gift Annuity
program, and executes regional alumni events, as well
as non-alumni cultivation activities with community
members. Faculty are eager partners in these efforts. A
student philanthropy program has been created and
the importance of philanthropy will likely be
emphasized even more strongly, both on-campus and
off, with the arrival of Dr. James Birge, who has been
successful in partnering to raise significant funds in
prior roles.
Alumni Association:
Over 18,000 alumni, more than half of whom continue to live in Massachusetts, are served by the MCLA
Alumni Association. Housed within the Office of Institutional Advancement in downtown North Adams, the
Association not only organizes reunions, networking programs, and regional activities, but also helps locate
graduates and keeps them up to date on College events through the Class Agent program, publications
such as the alumni magazine, and a monthly email newsletter, E-Trail. With alumni in all fifty states, the
Association hosts local and regional alumni events.
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The MCLA Alumni Association has its own dedicated Board of Directors, who provide opportunities for
alumni to serve and promote the College, and also to promote the high standards of public higher
education in the Commonwealth. The Alumni Board plans, reviews, and implements programs and activities
consistent with the College’s vision and mission.
Leadership:
Dr. James F. Birge
President
Dr. Birge was named president of MCLA in December 2015 and began
working at the College March1, 2016. He has worked in higher
education for more than thirty years and spent much of his early
career in the student affairs area. Birge has worked in public and
private higher education as well as with an association of academic presidents. Most recently, his work has
been in private higher education.
President Birge has initiated a strategic planning process for MCLA, re-engaged the College with the
Northern Berkshire County community, implemented a process for adding new academic programs for fall
2017, and launched a diversity and inclusion initiative. The College has planned a Presidential Inauguration
for Dr. Birge on April 21, 2017—an opportunity to engage alumni, donors, and local community members in
the activities of MCLA.
Birge holds a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., an M.Ed. in guidance
and counseling from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, and a B.S. in elementary education from
Westfield State University in Massachusetts.
Client Overview
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is the Commonwealth's
public liberal arts college and a campus of the Massachusetts state
university system. MCLA promotes excellence in learning and teaching,
innovative scholarship, intellectual creativity, public service, applied
knowledge, and active and responsible citizenship.
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Since its inception as the Normal School in North Adams in
1894, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has
provided educational access and exceptional learning
opportunities to generations of students and alumni. Over
the years, MCLA has evolved to meet the needs of changing
times. In 1932, the Normal School became the State Teachers
College of North Adams, reflecting the increased importance
of education as an academic discipline. In 1960, it changed
its name to North Adams State College and expanded its
focus to include professional degrees in business administration and computer science. In 1997, with eyes
focused on the horizon of a new century, the College assumed a unique mission within the state university
system, as Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the public liberal arts college for the Commonwealth.
Today, MCLA continues to innovate. It guides students as they develop critical thinking, communication and
leadership skills both in class and through a range of high-impact experiences. Though changing times
present new challenges and opportunities, the essential nature of MCLA remains constant: a place that
delivers a high-quality, affordable public liberal arts education in an environment that supports the
development of intellectual and practical skills, promotes scholarship and inquiry, and challenges students
to model personal, social and civic responsibility.
MCLA offers nineteen majors and more than fifty programs of study which lead to a Bachelor of Arts or
Bachelor of Science degree. MCLA's graduate program offerings include Post-Baccalaureate Educator
Licensure, a Master of Education (M.Ed.), a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a Leadership Academy,
and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS).
MCLA is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), a national consortium of
visionary public institutions that works to advance and promote the mission and distinctive role of the
liberal arts in public higher education; its 26 COPLAC
partners include Keene State College, Geneseo State
University, New College of Florida, and St. Mary's College of
Maryland.
MCLA is a Division III NCAA athletics program that promotes
excellence in academics and athletics, and encourages
student-athletes to develop leadership skills on and off the
field.
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Sample Programmatic Highlights
Cultural Connections:
MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC) is a creative economy incubator that provides technical
assistance, professional development, and programming to support the region’s creative economy.
BCRC programs operate from MCLA Gallery 51 on Main Street in North Adams. Gallery 51 is an economic
engine that supports the revitalization of the downtown business district in North Adams. DownStreet Art, a
summer cultural program, has welcomed over 100,000 visitors to the downtown business district since 2008.
The Berkshire Hills Internship Program (B-HIP) matches early career professionals with opportunities in the
county’s cultural organizations. It is a model collaboration and an employment pipeline for the creative
economy through which participants have turned their internships into jobs in the creative sector in
Berkshire County.
Student Research Opportunities:
The Undergraduate Research Program
encompasses independent scholarly activity by
students in the arts, humanities, and sciences.
Driven by the many opportunities for interaction
between students and faculty, undergraduate
research at MCLA has expanded dramatically in
recent years. The program supports students with
independent study opportunities in many
disciplines, small Research and Travel Grants, and
a dynamic campus-wide Undergraduate Research
Conference (URC) for presenting their work.
Community Collaborations:
Established in 2005, the Berkshire Compact for Education is a regional collaboration that unites educational,
business, nonprofit, and community leaders, and elected officials in a commitment to promote educational
access, raise student aspirations, and advocate for educational opportunities as cornerstones of the regional
economy. An example of a signature Compact program, Berkshire County Goes to College, brings third- and
sixth-grade students to MCLA annually. The visits are recognized as a statewide model.
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STEM Initiatives:
MCLA is the Berkshire region Pipeline of the Science, Technology,
Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Initiative in Massachusetts. It serves a
pivotal role in promoting these areas of study in the K-12 and higher
education systems and works to forge links between the two. STEM
programming and activities are primarily focused on encouraging interest
and enthusiasm for the subject areas among current educators, and to help
increase the number of qualified K-12 STEM teachers. STEM provides
curriculum ideas, hands-on and in-class training, and extracurricular activities
to educators throughout the Berkshire Region.
The STEM Academy is a five-day program that will introduce incoming
freshmen to careers in STEM areas, build connections to other STEM students, faculty, and staff. The primary
goal is to provide students with a foundation as they start their academic career at MCLA, and assist them
on their way to earning undergraduate degrees in STEM areas. The Academy accepts up to twenty incoming
freshmen who are enrolled in a STEM major or have expressed interest in STEM fields. The program is open
to all students.
Location
The Berkshires
North Adams, MA:
Located in a beautiful valley at the base of the Berkshire
Mountains, North Adams is an ideal community in which to
work and raise a family. Entrepreneurs from around the country
have found that its natural beauty and growing cultural and
creative economy are two very good reasons to locate and do
business in North Adams.
It is very fortunate as a small city to have the five
underpinnings of a much larger area. Located here is a vibrant liberal arts college in MCLA, a world class
museum in the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), medical services, and of course,
the beauty of the natural environment.
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Beyond the North Adams community, the Berkshire region serves
Massachusetts as a substantial and substantive cultural resource. A
few attractions of note include the Tanglewood Music Center,
summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Jacob’s Pillow, the
longest running dance festival in America; several theatre festivals,
including the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Berkshire Theatre
Festival; and the Bang on a Can Summer Festival for contemporary
music. Nearby Williamstown offers the world-class Clark Art Institute,
Williams College and the Williams College Museum. North Adams
also boasts the state’s highest mountain peak, Mount Greylock, and
numerous state parks and natural wonders.
The campus is close to the Vermont and New York state borders and within a three-hour drive of both
Boston and New York City. MCLA students, faculty, and staff enjoy the benefits of living where nature and
culture coexist. More information about the region may be found here.
Steeped in art, culture, and community – what's happening
in Massachusetts' smallest city may surprise. North Adams is
the Berkshire hub from which to delve into contemporary
art, indie music, outdoor recreation, fine dining,
independent retail, and antiques.
To learn more about North Adams, please click here.
Background Checks:
Prior to submitting your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. LLLS does verify academic
credentials for its candidates, and our clients frequently conduct background checks prior to finalizing an
offer.
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER | 11
To learn more, call
Faith Eutsay, Search Director at
617-262-1102
or send nominations or cover letter and resume to
All inquiries will be held in confidence.
Setting the Standard in Development Search
420 Boylston Street, Suite 604, Boston, MA 02116
617.262.1102
www.LLLSearches.com
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS BACKGROUNDER | 12
Organization Charts
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