The first year as a senior student affairs officer (SSAO) is
one of the most challenging and most important years on the
job, especially for newly-minted vice presidents. Success in
the first year can go a long way in establishing your brand and
building your confidence as a new SSAO. The first year is also
fraught with challenges: determining priorities; making crucial
decisions about dozens of projects with minimal information;
providing leadership and management to a diverse staff: securing scarce financial resources to achieve goals; and responding
to undefined expectations of colleagues, students, and parents.
This article sheds light on a range of topics for student
affairs vice presidents who are making the transition to leadership including answers to questions such as: How does a new
vice president for student affairs determine priorities and
establish a foundation for a successful long-term career?
How does one determine those battles to take on and those to
walk away from? What are the key relationships that need to
be established? What are the common first-year mistakes
to avoid?
The First 90 Days
Every year thousands of executives take on new leadership
responsibilities in fields ranging from higher education to
multinational corporations. Yet most executives would agree
that little is done to help or teach them to transition into
leaders have contributed as much value to their new organiza-
tions as they have consumed from it.”
Watkins identifies the first 90 days as a target for executives
to make a full transition. The sooner executives can transition
from new employee to contributing members of the organiza-
tion—the breakeven point—the sooner they will find “…time
to concentrate on fixing problems and exploiting opportuni-
ties…” Transition periods are opportunities to start afresh, but
they are also periods of acute vulnerability. While success in
the transition period can result in a productive career, failure
in the transition period can spell an uphill battle or the end of
a promising career.
First-year Priorities
Watkins’ work sheds light on a lingering need among student affairs executives: advice and support when making the
The first year is a reasonable time span to
focus on learning as much as possible about the
institution, establishing priorities, and building
essential relationships.
their new leadership roles. First-time college presidents and
vice presidents are no different. They receive little coaching
to prepare them for the complexity of decision making at the
institutionwide level.
Author Michael Watkins studied and wrote about executive
transitions for the Harvard Business Review. In his bestsell-ing book, The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New
Leaders at All Levels (Harvard Business School Press, 2003),
Watkins suggests the top priority for new executives is to
reduce the time it takes to transition into the new role (
transition acceleration) and begin adding value to the organization
(breakeven point). Transition acceleration involves getting mentally out of the old and into the new job as fast as possible.
He defines the breakeven point as, “…the point at which new
transition to the role of SSAO. His model suggests a 90-day
transition period to the breakeven point, which may be more
feasible for a fast-paced, high-stakes business environment.
A more appropriate timeline for an SSAO might be the first
full academic year. The first year is a reasonable time span to
focus on learning as much as possible about the institution,
establishing priorities, and building essential relationships.
In most academic environments, it will require at least a
full year to build a reputation and understand the culture of
the institution.
Dozens of issues are brought to the attention of SSAOs
every week from student complaints about parking availability to financial analysis of long-term debt. The first-year
challenge is determining the most appropriate investment
