Point Loma Nazarene University VP for Student Life and Formation

Vice President for

Student Life and Formation

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

---

OVERVIEW

Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) is a thriving

Christian university located on a stunning oceanfront

campus in San Diego, California. Founded in 1902 within

the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition of the Church of the

Nazarene, PLNU exists to provide higher education in

a vital Christian community where minds are engaged

and challenged, character is modeled and formed, and

service is an expression of faith. Today, the university

serves nearly 5,000 students across undergraduate,

graduate, and professional programs offered in multiple

learning modalities.

PLNU has experienced steady enrollment growth in

recent years, reaching nearly 5,000 students in Fall

2025, with notable strength in graduate and accelerated

undergraduate programs. The university is recognized

for academic quality, strong faculty engagement,

and meaningful student formation, reflected in high

retention rates, a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, and

graduates well-prepared for vocation, service, and

leadership. Students represent more than 45 church

denominations and an increasingly diverse population,

contributing to a vibrant Christ-centered community.

A defining strength of PLNU is its integration of faith,

learning, and community life. Through the OnePLNU

strategic framework, the university is aligning its

commitment to cultivating its Christian mission,

fostering community and belonging, advancing

academic innovation, and stewarding its resources

to support long-term vitality. PLNU remains deeply

committed to a residential undergraduate experience,

robust spiritual formation, and the holistic development

of students, even as it continues to expand programs

and reach new learners.

This is an important leadership season for Student

Life and Formation. The university has recently unified

student life and spiritual life functions into a single

division, creating opportunity for greater clarity,

collaboration, and shared vision. This moment presents

a unique opportunity for a leader who can strengthen

organizational health while shaping a deeply

integrated model of student formation. The next Vice

President for Student Life and Formation will play a key

role in strengthening organizational health, cultivating

student belonging, and advancing integrated formation

across undergraduate, graduate, and regional contexts.

PLNU’s 90-acre Point Loma campus, overlooking

the Pacific Ocean, is widely regarded as one of the

most beautiful university settings in the country.

Located within the vibrant San Diego region, PLNU

benefits from a strong Christian community, rich

cultural opportunities, and exceptional quality of life.

Acknowledging the region’s high cost of living, the

university offers relocation and employee housing

support programs to assist senior leaders and faculty in

establishing long-term stability.

Building on a strong institutional foundation, PLNU

seeks a Vice President for Student Life and Formation

who is spiritually mature, relational, and strategic —

a leader who can unify teams, strengthen student

formation and belonging, and help prepare students to

live as thoughtful, committed Christlike citizens.

---

OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

FOUNDATIONAL STATEMENTS

Our Mission Statement

Point Loma Nazarene University exists to provide higher education in a vital Christian

community where minds are engaged and challenged, character is modeled and formed,

and service is an expression of faith.

Our Vision

As part of a Christ-centered community committed to Christian discipleship, students will

be shaped and empowered by their learning and growth at PLNU to become thoughtful

and committed Christlike citizens who live out their calling in ways that transform their

homes, churches, vocations, and communities.

Core Values

Being of Wesleyan-Holiness heritage, we are a learning community where:

• Truth is pursued

• Grace is foundational

• Holiness is a way of life

---

FOUNDATIONAL STATEMENTS

Truth: Encountering the Wonder of God — We

believe that God is the Creator and Sustainer of the

universe. Since God is the Source of all that is, we

believe in God’s Truth revealed in the person of Jesus

Christ, to which Scripture and all of Creation give

witness. We recognize that there are a multitude of

truth claims both in academia and in our cultural

context. We believe that Truth is not just a human

construct but involves our ongoing discovery of God’s

revealed Truth. The marks of the Creator are in the

Creation. We further believe that we come to God’s

Truth through the primacy of Scripture as embraced

by the historic Christian Church, supported by

reason, and confirmed by experience. We value the

knowledge we have gained through our academic

training, and we also see the glory and majesty of

God’s redemptive work in Christ and Creation. We

affirm with confidence and without contradiction

both our faith in Christ and our commitment to

academic excellence.

Grace: Living in the Hope and Optimism of God’s

Transformative Work — We believe that God is

active and present in our world, working in all of

creation to redeem and restore us in God’s own

image. As we respond to God’s redemptive purposes

both individually and in our life together, we believe

that we have new life in Christ, being reconciled to

God and one another. Because it is God who is at

work in us we are hopeful, even optimistic, about

the possibilities of becoming who God calls us to

be. Because it is God who is also at work in our

world, we seek to advance justice, peace, mercy, and

reconciliation in our time and look forward to the day

when all will be made right by the gracious, loving

power of God.

Holiness: Maturing in Christ through the Story

of God and Practices of Christian Community —

We are called to be a distinctly Christian community

in education, as a part of the larger Church of Jesus

Christ and the mission of God in the world. We find

our purpose in the person of Christ, Scripture, the

creeds, and the practices of the Church across the

ages. We understand these practices to be “means

of grace” that God’s Holy Spirit uses to shape us both

individually and corporately in the character of Christ.

These practices include both acts of piety and works

of mercy, such as gathering for worship, prayer,

Bible study, caring for those in need, and sharing

the Gospel of Christ. Practices of forgiveness, trust,

empathy, compassion, mindfulness, and gratitude

are characteristic of our life together.

As part of a Christ-centered community committed

to Christian discipleship, students will be shaped and

empowered by their learning and growth at PLNU to

become thoughtful and committed Christlike citizens

who live out their calling in ways that transform their

homes, churches, vocations, and communities.

---

HISTORY

PLNU was founded in Los Angeles in 1902 by Dr. Phineas Bresee, who was also the

founder of the Church of the Nazarene. Originally named Pacific Bible College, its

purpose was to prepare women and men for service as ministers and missionaries.

In 1910, the school relocated to Pasadena where it was known for most of the next 60 years as Pasadena

College. Over those years, it grew into a reputable small Christian college due to the sacrificial leadership of

administrators, faculty, and staff, as well as committed Nazarene constituents.

In 1973, under the leadership of President Shelburne Brown, the university moved to Point Loma in San Diego

and was eventually renamed Point Loma Nazarene University. Today, PLNU is a thriving university on five

campuses with academic programs offered in multiple modalities.

---

AT-A-GLANCE

STUDENT PROFILE

Fall 2025

4,996 TOTAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT

OVER 45 CHURCH DENOMINATIONS REPRESENTED

Male

33%

67%

Female

Average Freshman Test Scores

27(ACT) /1268 (SAT)

FACULTY AND STAFF

1% INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

25 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

13/1

168

82%

174

Student-to-Faculty Ratio

Full-Time Faculty

Full-Time Faculty with Terminal

Degrees

Full-Time Staff

YEAR

ENROLLMENT

FALL 2021 4.450

FALL 2022 4.346

FALL 2023 4.546

FALL 2024 4,813

FALL 2025 4,996

CURRENT STUDENT BODY

Fall 2025

2,671

712

1,613

Traditional Undergraduate

Accelerated Undergraduate

Graduate

First-Time Freshman

Retention/Graduation Rates

87.5%

64%

77.1%

First-time Freshman Retention

Four-year Graduation Rate

Six-year Graduation Rate

ETHNIC DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS

48.9%

31.2%

7.1%

6.6%

3.2%

0.5%

0.3%

Total Ethnic Diversity

Hispanic/Latino

Multi-Race

Asian American

African American

Native American

Pacific Islander

Degrees Conferred (2024-2025)

850

492

Bachelors

Graduate

35,335 TOTAL NUMBER OF ALUMNI

HIGHLIGHTS

• Total enrollment increased 3.8% (183

students) over last fall.

• PLNU’s total undergraduate enrollment of

3,383 is up 2.5% with 81 more students

than last fall.

• Traditional undergraduates decreased by 35

students from last fall.

• PLNU’s accelerated undergraduate

enrollment climbed to 712 students. This is

a 19.5% increase (116 students) over Fall

2024. Average unit loads increased from

8.92 to 9.28.

• Graduate enrollment increased 6.8% (102

students) over last fall. Graduate student

average unit loads continue to increase

going from 8.34 to 8.42.

---

AT-A-GLANCE

$ 47,500

$ 15,620

35%

TUITION

Tuition

Room, Board and Fees

Discount Rate

92% OF TRADITIONAL UNDERGRADUATE

STUDENTS RECEIVE AID

$

$155 M

$372 M

$72 M

$11 M

$110 M

FINANCES

Annual Budget

Total Assets

Current Debt

Gifts and Grants

Endowment

ATHLETIC TEAMS

Athletic Teams are NCAA Division II,

Pacific West Conference

11 athletic team are offered:

MEN — Baseball, Basketball,

Soccer, Tennis

WOMEN — Basketball, Cross

Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis,

Track and Field, Volleyball

Since 2014

27 former student-athletes go

on to play professional sports

39 All-Americans

21 conference championships

6 NCAA Championships

appearances

Home to what is commonly referred to as

“America’s Most Scenic Ballpark”, PLNU offers

beautiful athletic facilities that include Golden

Gymnasium, a soccer field, track, and tennis courts

that overlook the Pacific Ocean.

PLNU student-athletes have a combined GPA of

3.52, regularly have the highest Academic Success

Rate in the nation and have earned the NCAA

President’s Award for Academic Excellence in each

of the past 10 years.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT POINT LOMA

NAZARENE UNIVERSITY, VISIT THESE RESOURCES:

ACADEMICS AND FACULTY

PLNU offers 6 different types of

Undergraduate Degrees and 8 different

types of Graduate Degrees in more than 70

areas of study.

PLNU has the following Schools,

Departments, and Colleges:

College of Health Sciences

Fermanian School of Business

School of Education

School of Humanities, Arts, and Public

Engagement

School of Nursing

School of STEM

Reuben Welch School of Theology &

Christian Ministry

School of Behavioral and Social

Sciences

Undergraduate Top Majors (based on

degree-seeking undergraduate students on

the Point Loma Campus):

315 Nursing

225 Psychology

189 Business administration

166 Biology

146 Marketing

131 Finance

123 Health Science

120 Management

90% PLNU students’ admittance rate for

medical, dental, optometry, pharmacy,

and veterinary schools.

PLNU is in the Top 3 for CPA exam results

among all California universities.

PLNU is a member of the Council for Christian

Colleges and Universities.

ACCREDITATION

PLNU is numbered among those institutions

of higher education that meet or exceed the

rigorous standards of accrediting associations

and commissions. PLNU is accredited by the

WASC Senior College and University Commission

(WSCUC), for which it periodically completes a

self-study that addresses recognized standards

and principles of excellence. The full list of

accreditations may be found HERE.

---

PLNU CAMPUS

One of the most beautiful college campuses in the U.S., Point Loma's

campus is located right along the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, California.

The 90-acre Point Loma campus is home to over 2,500 undergraduates

and 70% of them remain on campus all four years.

PLNU was ranked in the Top 20 Regional Universities in the West by U.S.

News & World Report and a Top 10 Best Christian College in America by

Niche.

---

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

STRATEGIC PLAN: ONEPLNU

OnePLNU is Point Loma Nazarene University’s

strategic framework for strengthening its Christcentered

mission while preparing students for a

rapidly changing world. Rather than a static longrange

plan, OnePLNU is organized around four

enduring priorities that guide decision-making,

resource allocation, and innovation across the

university. These priorities help PLNU build on

its academic, spiritual, financial, and community

strengths while ensuring long-term sustainability

and impact.

Cultivating our Mission

PLNU is committed to remaining a transformative

Christian university where faith is central to teaching,

learning, hiring, and community life. This includes

intentional alignment of institutional practices,

leadership structures, and core documents with

the university’s mission and Wesleyan-Holiness

heritage. Initiatives include strengthening mission

integration across academic and co-curricular

programs, resourcing faculty and staff formation,

and embedding mission-centered evaluation and

hiring practices throughout the institution.

Fostering Community & Belonging

PLNU seeks to cultivate a Christ-centered community

characterized by shalom — right relationships with

God, self, others, and creation. Strategic efforts

focus on equipping students, faculty, and staff to

build a flourishing campus culture that reflects the

diversity and unity of the body of Christ. This includes

expanding resources that support belonging,

strengthening institutional practices that foster

community health, and growing the university’s

capacity to reflect a global Christian community.

Shaping Tomorrow’s Academy

Through Tomorrow’s Academy, PLNU is developing

innovative academic models that prepare students for

a dynamic future. Priorities include interdisciplinary

learning, integrated educational experiences, and

expanded pathways for undergraduate, graduate,

and professional learners. The university aims to

strengthen program vitality, support individualized

student development, and ensure graduates are

equipped for meaningful careers, service, and

lifelong learning.

Stewarding our Promise

PLNU is committed to ensuring long-term institutional

sustainability through faithful stewardship of

financial, physical, and human resources. Strategic

priorities include strengthening the university’s

endowment, expanding external partnerships,

aligning resources with mission priorities, and

improving operational effectiveness. These efforts

are intended to position PLNU for financial resilience

while supporting continued investment in students,

faculty, and programs.

The full Strategic Framework can be found at HERE.

---

THE POSITION

The Vice President for Student Life and Formation (VPSLAF) serves as a key member of the President’s Cabinet

and provides strategic, pastoral, and administrative leadership for the holistic development of Point Loma

Nazarene University students. Reporting directly to the President, this leader oversees the full Student Life

and Formation division, guiding programs and services that support student belonging, spiritual formation,

wellness, engagement, and community life across PLNU’s campuses and learning environments.

PLNU seeks a spiritually mature, relational, and organizationally strong leader who can help the university

cultivate a cohesive and integrated student experience rooted in its Wesleyan-Holiness theological tradition. The

VPSLAF will play a central role in strengthening collaboration across Student Life, Spiritual Formation, Academic

Affairs, Enrollment, and Mission and Calling, ensuring that students experience a consistent, Christ-centered

approach to learning, community, and service.

This is an important season for Student Life and Formation at PLNU. The university recently brought together

previously separate student life and spiritual life functions into a single division, creating both opportunity

and need for renewed clarity, alignment, and organizational health. The next VPSLAF will help unify teams,

strengthen trust, and establish sustainable structures that support students and staff while advancing PLNU’s

mission and institutional priorities.

Current SLAF Organizational Chart

# = Number of Total Reports

Executive

Asst to the

President

President

(342FT)

VP for

Enrollment &

Marketing

(88)

Athletic

Director

(14)

VP for

Strategy,

Planning, &

Chief

Financial

Officer

(22)

VP for

Intercultural

Engagement,

Retention,&

Community

Success

Initiatives

(11)

VP for

Mission

& Calling

(0)

Provost &

Chief

Academic

Officer

(214)

Admin

Assist/Office

Manager

VP for

Student Life

& Formation

(72)

Chief of

Staff &

Associate

VP for

Comms

& Public

Affairs

(0)

VP for

University

Advancement

(12)

VP for

University

Services

(27)

Dean

of Students

(25)

Dean

of Student

Care

(12)

Exec Dir of

International

Programs

(4)

Exec Dir of

Worship &

Creative Arts

(3)

University

Chaplain

(7)

Exec Dir

of Wellness

(14)

---

THE POSITION (CONTINUED)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Institutional Leadership

• Serve on the President’s Cabinet, contributing

to institutional vision, strategy, and decisionmaking.

• Collaborate with Cabinet leaders to advance

mission coherence, student success, and longterm

institutional vitality.

• Partner closely with the Vice President for

Mission and Calling, Provost, Enrollment

leadership, and intercultural engagement

leadership to strengthen the student experience

across the university.

Student Life and Formation Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight for student affairs

functions including residential life, student

conduct, student engagement, multicultural

and international student services, wellness and

counseling services, study abroad, and student

leadership development.

• Oversee spiritual formation initiatives including

chapel, discipleship, worship, service, missions,

and campus ministry programs.

• Foster integration of “Upreach, Inreach, and

Outreach” across student life programming and

ministry initiatives.

Organizational Leadership and Team

Development

• Supervise and develop a diverse leadership

team including the Dean of Students, Dean of

Student Care, Executive Director of International

Programs, Creative Arts, Executive Director of

Worship, and the University Chaplain.

• Strengthen collaboration across historically

separate student life and spiritual life functions.

• Build a healthy, collaborative culture that

supports staff effectiveness, clarity of roles, and

shared purpose.

Strategic Planning and Stewardship

• Lead assessment and strategic planning for cocurricular

programs aligned with institutional

goals and student learning outcomes.

• Steward divisional budgets, personnel, and

resources responsibly.

• Ensure effective student safety, crisis response,

behavioral intervention, and policy compliance

systems.

---

EXPECTATIONS

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• Advanced degree required (doctorate preferred)

in higher education, theology, student affairs,

educational leadership, counseling, or a related

field.

• Significant leadership experience in student

affairs, campus ministry, Christian higher

education, or a comparably complex

organization.

• Demonstrated success leading teams, managing

budgets, and fostering cross-functional

collaboration.

• Experience with student development theory,

crisis response, and higher education regulatory

environments.

Leadership Characteristics

• Relational, collaborative, and emotionally

intelligent leadership style.

• Strategic thinker with strong administrative

capability.

• Ability to build trust, lead through complexity,

and foster organizational alignment.

• Courageous yet pastoral leadership presence

with demonstrated gravitas.

Spiritual and Missional Alignment

• Deep personal Christian faith and commitment

to spiritual maturity, discipleship, and service.

• Alignment with PLNU’s Wesleyan-Holiness

theological tradition and Community Life

Covenant.

• Active participation in a local church and ability

to mentor students and staff in faith and

leadership.

---

PROCESS OF CANDIDACY

EXPECTATIONS

To provide prospective candidates

with a picture of success in the first five

years, the Vice President for Student

Life and Formation will have helped

PLNU achieve the following outcomes:

• Student Life and Formation operates as a

cohesive, collaborative division, with clear

roles, effective communication, and healthy

team culture.

• The university demonstrates clear mission

alignment and shared vision across the

Cabinet, particularly around student formation

and community life.

• Students experience measurable and

continuous improvement in integrated

spiritual, vocational, and developmental

formation, demonstrating strong participation

in discipleship, worship, service, and community

engagement.

• Student belonging, wellness, and retention

indicators measurably improve, supported by

data-informed decision-making and coordinated

student support services.

• The Student Life and Formation team

demonstrates high morale, stability, and

professional effectiveness, with reduced

burnout and stronger collaboration across

departments.

• The VPSLAF has helped the university navigate

cultural and theological tensions with clarity,

courage, and pastoral wisdom, strengthening

trust among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and

the Board.

• Student Life and Formation programs are

consistent and mission-aligned across

traditional undergraduate, graduate, and

regional campus contexts, while preserving

the distinctive residential experience at the Point

Loma campus.

---

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA & COST OF LIVING

Located along Southern California’s Pacific coastline, San Diego offers an exceptional quality of life shaped

by its natural beauty, vibrant neighborhoods, and year-round mild climate. With miles of beaches, scenic

coastal landscapes, and abundant outdoor recreation, the region provides a lifestyle that blends professional

opportunity with everyday enjoyment. The San Diego metropolitan area is home to more than three million

residents and is known for its diverse economy, strong innovation sector, and welcoming civic culture.

The Point Loma community, where Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) is located, is especially valued

for its coastal setting, historic character, and proximity to downtown San Diego, Liberty Station, and Balboa

Park. Residents enjoy access to arts and culture, professional sports, excellent dining, and family-friendly

neighborhoods throughout the region, as well as convenient travel through San Diego International Airport.

San Diego is also home to a vibrant Christian community. Hundreds of congregations across many Christian

traditions provide meaningful opportunities for worship, service, and spiritual formation. Many PLNU faculty

and staff find deep connection through local churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations serving the city.

PLNU Housing Assistance

While the cost of living—particularly housing—

is higher than the national average, Point Loma

Nazarene University provides meaningful support

for new faculty and senior administrators relocating

to the area. PLNU provides moving assistance for

eligible faculty and senior administrators, including

payment of moving expenses through a designated

moving company (up to 12,000 pounds of household

goods) or reimbursement for self-move expenses,

along with a relocation stipend ranging from

$1,000 to $5,000 depending on distance moved.

In addition, the university offers a comprehensive

Employee Housing Program to help employees

establish long-term housing stability in the

San Diego market. Options may include rental

assistance for up to seven years based on the

circumstances of each participant, with monthly

support that gradually steps down over time, as well

as a housing purchase co-investment program in

which the university may invest alongside eligible

employees to help make homeownership in the

region more attainable. These programs reflect

PLNU’s commitment to supporting faculty and

leadership in a high-cost housing environment.

Together, San Diego’s coastal setting, thriving Christian community, cultural vitality, and PLNU’s intentional

relocation and housing support create an environment where faculty and leaders can flourish personally,

professionally, and spiritually while serving the university’s mission.

---

PROCESS OF CANDIDACY

If you believe that your talents and experience may be a good fit for the position VP for Student Life and

Formation of Point Loma Nazarene University, we invite you to begin the inquiry process. Inquiries and

expressions of interest regarding this search may be forwarded to Laura Coverstone at JobfitMatters Executive

Search (615.261.4623) and will remain confidential.

Please submit the following for review:

1. Current Resumé

2. Responses to the following essay prompts:

• Describe your testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. How is God using you in your work, in your church,

and in your community? How has your relationship with Jesus shaped your career and influenced your

decision to apply for this position?

• Using what you have learned about PLNU from the PLNU website and the Opportunity Profile, describe

how your life, career, and leadership development have equipped you to lead and grow PLNU’s VP for

Student Life and Formation.

3. Provide the names and contact information (phone number and email address) of four references who

know you and your career well enough to comment on your suitability for this position. (Note: References

will only be contacted after we have received your permission to do so later in the candidacy process.)

Submit this information in one pdf to:

LAURA COVERSTONE

JobfitMatters Executive Search

resumes@jobfitmatters.com

Phone: 615.261.4623

Please include “Point Loma Nazarene University VP for Student Life and Formation” in the email subject line.

SEARCH TIMELINE: All candidate materials will be reviewed upon receipt and continue until the position is

filled. For fullest consideration, applicants are encouraged to submit materials by April 20, 2026. The university

anticipates the successful candidate beginning service prior to Fall 2026.