Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the College of Nursing

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Michigan State University in the search for a Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the College of Nursing.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Advancement for Health Sciences and to the Dean of the College of Nursing, the Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the College of Nursing will plan and direct the organization and operation of a comprehensive development and alumni relations program for the College of Nursing including the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of MSU alumni and friends and periodic special purpose appeals and programs with business, industry, and foundations. The Director will lead a philanthropic effort that supports the service and research-oriented vision and mission of the college and will play a pivotal leadership role in planning and spearheading the next campaign effort, focused on endowment and expendable support for the college. The Director will conduct a needs assessment of programs, develop the case for support, refine funding priorities, recruit and mobilize volunteers, prepare and review proposals, identify prospects, and actively solicit contributions with a primary focus on gifts of $100,000 and more. 

Michigan State University was established in 1855, and by 1862 it stood as the nation’s premier land-grant university. Over the decades, the university has continued to be a model of what a land-grant university can and should do. As a university of, for, and by the people, Michigan State University began a long tradition of empowering people through educational opportunity. Every day, Spartans work to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community. Located in East Lansing, three miles east of Michigan’s capitol in Lansing, MSU’s campus is one of the biggest and greenest in the nation. The 5,000-acre campus is home to more than 51,000 students. Top-ranked programs, high-quality opportunities, and a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community enable those students to create personalized paths that prepare them to succeed and lead. MSU offers more than 400 academic programs and over 300 education abroad programs. It has an outstanding record of students earning Rhodes, Goldwater, and other prestigious national and international scholarships. Wherever one goes, there are Spartans working to make a better world. The MSU community includes more than 12,000 faculty and academic support staff and an alumni network nearly half a million strong.

Michigan State University is recognized as a national leader in the advancement of knowledge by the most diverse and exemplary cadre of students, trainees, faculty, staff, and alumni who transform lives through equitable teaching, research, scholarship, and practice. Michigan State University believes differences are assets. It fosters a community that respects and values a broad range of backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences and encourages and creates opportunities so all Spartans can reach their full potential educationally and professionally.

The university is ranked in the top 10 nationally by U.S. News & World Report for learning communities, study abroad, and service-learning offerings. MSU also has 35 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations ranked in the top 25 nationally by the publication, including six top ranked programs—undergraduate and graduate programs in supply chain management and logistics, graduate programs in elementary and secondary education, as well as both online and on campus graduate programs in curriculum and instruction. The university has also been named a gold-status veteran-friendly school by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency eight years in a row and received a gold rating for sustainability achievements in 2022 through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

The Michigan State University College of Nursing has been training the next generation of nurses since its founding as the Department of Nursing Education in 1950. A belief in the power of research, practice, and education to affect lasting change and to improve health outcomes in communities is at the core of the work of the college. This is done through the recruitment of top faculty, staff, and students and continuously staying at the forefront of changes in the profession. Faculty, staff, and students at the College of Nursing are driven by its mission to advance the health of individuals, communities, and populations through inclusive and equitable nursing education, research, scholarship, and practice. This is all with an aim to be recognized as a premier nursing college and a transformative force in improving health disparities and social outcomes in Michigan and beyond.

All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of Michigan State University as well as the responsibilities and qualifications presented in the position prospectus. A bachelor's degree or knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing and/or Business is preferred for this position as is at least five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive experience in professional and higher education fundraising, public relations, or marketing or an equivalent combination of nursing and relevant experience. Michigan State University will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to MSU, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.

The salary range for this position is $133,000 to $138,000 annually.

Michigan State University is committed to the inclusion of all qualified candidates. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Marianna Divietro at mariannadivietro@aspenleadershipgroup.com.

To apply for this position, visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1375.