VP Legal Affairs & Gen.Counsel

DO NOT CLICK ON "APPLY ONLINE". See instructions under Applications and Expressions of Interest below to apply

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Columbia College Chicago invites nominations and applications for the position of Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel (GC).

Reporting directly to President Dr. Shantay N. Bolton, the Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel (GC) serves as the College’s chief legal officer, principal advisor to the President and Board of Trustees, and a key member of the President’s Cabinet. This position provides strategic leadership, counsel, and oversight for all legal, compliance, risk-management, and policy matters affecting the College. The Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel ensures that institutional actions, policies, and initiatives reflect the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and accountability.

As Columbia embarks on Renaissance Rising: Shaping Tomorrow Together—a bold, multi-year strategic plan—the General Counsel will play an essential role in supporting governance, safeguarding the institution’s mission, and enabling the creative and academic freedom that define Columbia College Chicago.

Founded in 1890, Columbia College Chicago is a private, not-for-profit college whose curriculum is focused on the creative disciplines, including academic programs in film and theatre, communications and writing, media and digital arts, music, and sound, performing arts, visual arts, and business and management. Located in the heart of downtown Chicago’s Cultural Mile, Columbia College Chicago thrives within a vibrant cultural landscape, leveraging the city’s artistic and professional opportunities to deliver a unique student experience. Columbia’s unique culture is rooted in social progress and in serving a creative community of approximately 4,500 students, 170+ full time and 400+ part-time faculty, and 400+ staff members. To learn more about Columbia College Chicago, visit: www.colum.edu.

A complete Leadership Profile with additional information may be found above.

Applications and Expressions of Interest

To apply for the Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel position, candidates should submit:

• A curriculum vitae or resume
• A letter of interest addressing how the candidate’s background and experience align with the role and its priorities
• Contact information for five professional references (references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission).

For best consideration, application materials should be submitted by

December 1, 2025, to generalcounselapplicant@colum.edu. The search will remain open until the position is filled.

Position Minimum Annual Salary: $250,000

Position Maximum Annual Salary: $275,000

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including department budget.

At Columbia, we offer a rewarding work environment for our faculty and staff. We take pride in offering competitive benefits with affordable health, dental and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; commuter benefit program, life, and accidental, death & dismemberment coverage; paid and unpaid leave options; work/life benefits; educational assistance programs; and retirement and financial planning benefits. Click here for more information.

We invite you to join our talented faculty and staff and become part of our collective aspiration to ensure Columbia prepares students for success in their creative fields through innovation, engagement, and real-world experiences.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Position subject to a background screening
• This is a non-union position
• This is a full-time position
• This position is overtime ineligible