Description

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, the land-grant, flagship university of the University of Massachusetts System, invites nominations and applications for the position of vice chancellor for equity and inclusion. The university seeks an experienced, principled, and deeply relational leader who will provide institutional leadership and serve as an integrator of equity, inclusion, and belonging.

This is a defining moment for UMass Amherst, as it is for higher education more broadly. As a public, residential, research-intensive flagship university with a long-standing commitment to social progress and justice, UMass Amherst is positioned to lead with clarity, integrity, and care amid political complexity, demographic change, and evolving expectations of public universities. Reporting to the chancellor and working in close partnership with senior leadership and the entire UMass Amherst community, the next vice chancellor will play a critical role in advancing a cohesive and sustainable vision for equity and inclusion that honors the university's values, builds upon existing strengths, and supports the flourishing of students, faculty, and staff.

UMass Amherst enrolls approximately 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and more than 7,800 graduate and professional students, across 12 schools and colleges. The campus is home to approximately 1,900 faculty members and nearly 4,500 staff, with more than 313,000 alumni living across the Commonwealth, nation, and globe. A Carnegie-classified Research 1 institution, UMass Amherst generates more than $300 million annually in sponsored research and operates with an annual budget of approximately $1.8 billion.

Central to UMass Amherst's mission and values is a deep and enduring commitment to inclusive excellence, respect for difference, and the belief that equitable communities are essential to academic distinction and societal impact. As a public land-grant university, UMass Amherst understands equity and access not as ancillary commitments, but as core obligations. The vice chancellor will help ensure that these commitments are reflected not only in aspiration, but in day-to-day practices, campus culture, and lived experience.

The university is located in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, a region known for its intellectual vibrancy, natural beauty, and strong sense of community. Amherst is consistently recognized as one of the nation's great college towns and benefits from the presence of the Five Colleges Consortium and its proximity to major urban centers in New England and the Northeast.

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, which is available on the WittKieffer site.

WittKieffer is assisting University of Massachusetts Amherst in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by August 3, 2026, and may be submitted through the WittKieffer Candidate Portal.

Nominations and inquiries may be directed to the university's consultants, Charlene Aguilar, Robin Mamlet, and Corin Edwards, at UMassAmherst-VCEI@wittkieffer.com.

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