Vice President of Policy, Compliance, and Government Relations — General Counsel

The College of Southern Maryland

The College of Southern Maryland, the sixth largest community college in Maryland, is a public, regional community college with a far-reaching goal to help students and the community meet the challenges of individual, social, and global changes. Today the college serves the tri-county area that includes Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s counties.

The college’s history began with the establishment of Charles County Community College in 1958 as part of the continuing expansion of the community college in America. At its inception in 1958, the college was governed by the Charles County Board of Education, with the first classes conducted at La Plata High School in the evenings. The Friendly Hall Campus, which is now the La Plata Campus, was established in 1968. The college expanded its services to St. Mary’s County in 1978 and Calvert County in 1980.

On July 1, 2000, the college officially became the College of Southern Maryland, a regional college serving all three counties that comprise Southern Maryland. Today, CSM is known as a progressive, innovative, and technologically advanced institution. CSM prides itself on delivering high-quality educational services and for its role as a catalyst for business, industry, and government to identify the resources needed to grow and maintain a healthy economy and community.

The college is funded by the tri-counties it serves at 32.7%, by the State of Maryland at 33.9%, and by tuition and fees at 29.8%. CSM offers an array of associate degree programs, industry certifications, career training, personal enrichment, wellness, and fitness activities. The college prepares and provides students with the tools and resources needed to immediately succeed in a competitive marketplace.

The Vice President for Policy, Compliance and Government Relations - General Counsel

The Vice President for Policy, Compliance and Government Relations - General Counsel serves as the Chief Legal officer for the college, providing expert legal counsel to the President, Board of Trustees, senior leadership, and other college stakeholders.

This role is responsible for overseeing all legal aspects of the college’s operations, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, managing legal risks, and representing the college in legal matters. The Vice President and General Counsel plays a critical role in policy development, governance, and strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with the institution’s mission and goals.

This position is responsible for overseeing compliance and risk management and managing litigation and agency complaint investigation and response. This position oversees and provides direction to the government relations function.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides comprehensive legal advice to the President, the Board of Trustees, and senior administration on matters affecting the college and its operations.
• Guides the President, Board of Trustees, and senior administration on a wide range of legal issues including contracts, employment law, compliance, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate legal documents, contracts, and agreements on behalf of the college.
• Advise on issues related to governance, academic freedom, student affairs, and institutional policies.

• Develop and implement strategies for managing legal risks across the college.
• Oversee compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations impacting higher education, including Title IX, FERPA, ADA, and labor and employment laws.
• Ensure the institution’s policies and procedures are legally compliant and aligned with best practices.
• Identifies college risk management, compliance, and legal issues and, when appropriate, develops and implements proposed actions to address them.
• Drafts, reviews, and negotiates contracts, agreements, and other legal documents related to real estate, construction, partnerships, and employment.

• Manage and oversee all legal disputes and litigation involving the college.
• Engage and manage outside counsel as needed for specialized legal matters.
• Represents the college in litigation and external agency complaints or investigations and selects and supervises appropriate outside counsel.

• Collaborate with college leadership in the development, implementation, and enforcement of Board policies that govern the college’s operations.
• Serves as a key legal advisor on institutional governance issues, including ethics and compliance with Board member fiduciary responsibilities, policies, and bylaws.
• Assists with the preparation of Board resolutions and other related documents.
• Recommends and reviews proposed changes to college administrative and Board policies and drafts new policies as advised.
• Manages a comprehensive insurance program, assesses insurance coverages, and evaluates and obtains appropriate insurance.

• Collaborate with senior leadership on strategic initiatives, including institutional governance and long-term planning.
• Assist in the development and review of college policies, ensuring they support institutional goals and are legally sound.

• Advise on issues of governance, Board policies, ethics, and conflict of interest, supporting a strong culture of integrity and accountability.
• Serve as a key resource for matters relating to institutional governance, Board relations, and the legal aspects of fiduciary duties.

• Prepares, reviews, monitors, and analyzes state and federal legislation and advises on impacts while ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
• Manages and coordinates the government relations function and assists in legislative advocacy initiatives.
• Liaises with external regulatory agencies, accreditors, and other relevant bodies in response to audits and investigations to ensure compliance and appropriate defense.
• Directs and/or participates in internal investigations related to discrimination or misconduct claims to ensure fair and thorough processes.

Additional Duties

• Leads and manages a team, including their recruitment, development, and evaluation.
• Creates, monitors, and oversees the budget for the office.
• Performs other related work as required.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school.
• Must be licensed to practice law in Maryland and in good standing with the Maryland Bar within 18 months of start date.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of increasing legal experience in a government, higher education, or other regulated institution on a range of matters.
• Three years’ experience representing or working for a higher education institution.

• Demonstrated experience advising institutions on employment and labor law and human resource practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Experience with compliance program development, implementation, and/or oversight.
• Experience with policy and procedure development in a higher education institution.
• Three years of experience in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• Familiarity with the unique challenges and regulatory environment of public institutions of higher education.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of complex legal, risk, and policy issues facing higher education.
• Demonstrated ability to provide legal advice to management concerning unions and collective bargaining agreements desired.
• Strong knowledge of laws and regulations affecting higher education institutions, including labor, employment, compliance, and regulatory matters.
• High degree of ethics, integrity, and confidentiality consistent with the position.
• Strong problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to work effectively as a key strategist who is innovative, collaborative, flexible, and committed to diversity and inclusion.
• Ability to successfully work independently and collaboratively with diverse populations and members of the various college constituencies.
• Proven track record of effectively managing litigation, risk, and legal compliance within complex organizations.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and leadership skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.