Vice President of Student Success Open Forums

Download Executive Search Profile (PDF)

Minnesota State College Southeast seeks a visionary, strategic, innovative, and collaborative leader as its Vice President of Student Success (VPSS). As a visible and engaged member of the campus community, the VPSS will partner with the President in advancing the college's mission by providing leadership and strategic direction for the Academic and Student Affairs division. By working collaboratively with, and advocating for, MSC Southeast's dedicated and accomplished faculty and staff, the VPSS will foster continued programmatic innovation and create new opportunities for enrollment growth. The successful candidate will have a passion for equity and inclusion; be a data-informed decision-maker with a tolerance for risk; and will be an exceptional listener who works to understand the pulse of the college and the communities we serve.

Three candidates for this position will visit the college and participate in open forums on September 13 and 14, 2023. You are invited to join us for the open forums on campus in Red Wing or online via Zoom.

• Red Wing Campus Location: 308 Pioneer Road, Red Wing, MN
• For the Zoom links and passwords, please email Alecia Spagnoletti at [email protected]

Mark Johnson

Wednesday, September 13, 2023
9:30 am -10:15 am
Red Wing Campus Room 310 or online via Zoom

A first-generation college graduate, Mark Johnson is the Academic Dean at Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, where, since 2018, he has led the largest academic division, including Liberal Arts and Sciences, developmental education, and eight distinct technical programs.  Last year, from 2022-2023, Mark was appointed to serve as the Interim Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Central Lakes College (CLC) in Brainerd, where he successfully led the college through its Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Comprehensive Evaluation and site visit.  At CLC he also collaborated with Enrollment Services to implement case management advising and made the closing of equity gaps a central focus of CLC's Culture of Caring. From 2010-2018 he held numerous positions at San Jacinto College (SJC) in Houston, Texas, including English Professor, Department Chair, and Dean of Business and Technology.  At SJC, he led the transition of the campus's industrial programs to a state-of-the-art Center for Industrial Technology, which is now the centerpiece of their North Campus. He also led the development and implementation of SJC's Open Educational Resources (OER) Degree program, a collaboration with several other Texas community colleges, which saved SJC students $1.25 million in course material costs during the first three semesters of the program launch.  He holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from William Mitchell College of Law, a Master of Arts (M.A.) from Winona State University, and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse. He is currently completing his Educational Doctorate (Ed.D.) at Winona State University.

Jennifer Fager 

Thursday, September 14, 2023
11:00 am - 11:45 am
Red Wing Campus Room 310 or online via Zoom

Dr. Jennifer Fager has over 25 years of experience working with and supporting faculty, students, and staff colleagues.  She served as Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at South Central College and as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Mid Michigan College.  She has served higher education in a variety of roles including the Director of University Assessment and Associate Professor of Educational Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Interim Dean of Occupational Programs at Kirtland Community College; Head of the School of Education and Associate Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Health, and Education at Xavier University; Department Chair at Saginaw Valley State University; Director of Academic Assessment at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Specialized Accreditation at Central Michigan University; and as a faculty member and teacher where she worked with students to meet their academic and personal goals.  Currently, Dr. Fager is a consultant working with individuals and colleges on several efforts related to assessment.  She has participated in and collaborated with academic and student affairs colleagues on numerous shared-governance committees to address the needs of students and the various institutions she has served.  Dr. Fager served as a Peer Reviewer and Assessment Mentor for the Higher Learning Commission, as a peer reviewer for NCATE/CAEP, and was an elected member of the Eau Claire Area School District School Board.  Dr. Fager earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and PhD in Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction and graduate degrees from the University of Nebraska.

Todd Ecklund 

Thursday, September 14, 2023
2:30 pm - 3:15 pm
Red Wing Campus Room 310  

Dr. Ecklund has worked for 16 years in higher education, starting as an adjunct instructor and continuing through the ranks as a program chair/full time faculty, dean, and vice president. Prior to starting his career in education, Dr. Ecklund served nine years in the US Army. He has also worked as an office manager and a corporate trainer. Dr. Ecklund is a community college graduate having attended North Hennepin Community College. As a community college graduate, he knows the value of the education that is provided by community colleges. He received a Bachelor of Business and a Master's of Education in human resource development from the University of Minnesota. He also has an MBA from the Minnesota School of Business. He completed an Ed.D. in educational administration with an emphasis in adult and higher education at the University of South Dakota. Dr. Ecklund's philosophy of education is students first. Great educators are able to reach each student by discovering the best ways to motivate and engage them. If educators can meet those individual needs, students will be successful in school, mastering the knowledge they need to have in their chosen field and applying that knowledge in the industry. Dr. Ecklund and his wife Lourdes ("Bing") have four children and three grandchildren. He is an avid bicyclist. They enjoy spending time in the outdoors.