Georgia State University (GSU) invites nominations and applications for an innovative and mission-driven leader to serve as the next Vice President for Student Engagement (VPSE).

Blending academic rigor with a rich college experience since 1913, Georgia State transforms the lives of students, advances the frontiers of knowledge, and shapes future leaders. GSU is recognized as one of the nation’s premier urban research institutions, enrolling one of the most diverse student populations in the country. The University offers a rigorous academic environment that integrates research and applied learning across all disciplines, providing educational opportunities at the certificate, associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels. With six campus locations throughout the greater Atlanta area and a rapidly expanding online presence, Georgia State stands as the most comprehensive public university in the State of Georgia. The University enrolls more than 53,000 students in over 250 degree programs offered through twelve colleges, schools, and institutes. Its sixteen varsity athletic programs compete at the NCAA Division I level. Situated in the heart of metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia State University offers exceptional experiential learning and co-curricular opportunities and serves as a catalyst for innovation in research, scholarship, and creative activity. For the past decade, the University has been consistently ranked among the most innovative institutions in the nation and is recognized as the national model for how novel, data-informed initiatives drive student achievement. Conferring degrees to 10,000-plus students each year, GSU has experienced one of the most dramatic graduation-rate increases of any university in the country since 2003. Georgia State remains deeply committed to expanding access to higher education, removing barriers, and helping students from all backgrounds achieve academic and career success.

As Georgia State continues to strengthen its national reputation as a model for student success, the Vice President for Student Engagement (VPSE) will play a central role in shaping a holistic, equity-driven student experience that supports learners from their first point of contact through graduation and beyond. The next VPSE will join a university deeply committed to serving one of the nation’s most diverse student bodies and to creating environments where all students—regardless of background, pathway, or campus—can thrive academically, socially, and personally. Georgia State’s scale, complexity, and urban footprint present a unique opportunity for an accomplished and visionary student affairs leader to drive innovation in how engagement, belonging, well-being, and co-curricular learning support student success at every level.

The VPSE will lead a large, multifaceted student engagement enterprise that spans six campuses, encompasses more than 5,000 residential beds, and includes hundreds of programs and services that shape the student experience. This leader will continue to strengthen the University’s efforts to intentionally measure and connect co-curricular engagement to student outcomes—ensuring that involvement, belonging, wellness, leadership development, and campus vibrancy remain core components of Georgia State’s nationally recognized student success strategy. With Georgia State well into the implementation of its strategic plan, Blueprint to 2033, the VPSE will help advance key initiatives centered on identity, placemaking, and belonging, as well as student success—further activating physical and cultural spaces across the University to foster community and connection. The University seeks an experienced, collaborative, data-informed leader with a deep understanding of the transformative impact of student engagement. The next VPSE will work across academic and administrative units, serve as a trusted member of the President’s Cabinet, and partner closely with the Senior Vice President for Student Success to ensure that student engagement is seamlessly aligned with institutional goals for recruitment, retention, progression, and graduation. In addition, the VPSE will steward significant operational, financial, and facility-related responsibilities; support student safety, wellness, crisis response, and conduct processes; and ensure a cohesive, equitable experience across the Atlanta Campus and the Perimeter College campuses.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic and student-centered leader to join a forward-thinking institution and to shape the next era of student engagement at a university nationally recognized for eliminating achievement gaps, scaling innovation, and redefining what is possible in higher education. The incoming VPSE will inherit a strong foundation, a talented and dedicated staff, and an institutional culture that believes deeply in the power of engagement to transform students’ lives.

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile. 

WittKieffer is assisting Georgia State University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by March 18, 2026. Please direct all nominations and applications through the WittKieffer Candidate Portal. Additional inquiries can be directed to Jen Meyers Pickard, Ph.D., Christine Pendleton, Corin Edwards, and Bronwen Bares Pelaez, Ph.D at GSU-VPSE@wittkieffer.com. 

Georgia State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants due to race, ethnicity, gender, veteran status, or on the basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.