Openings at the Leysin American School in Switzerland (LAS)

[Marc Ott]

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Switzerland! Let me start with an update of what is happening here in the Swiss Alps. After two years as Director of External Relations - essentially doing admissions - I assumed the position of Associate Executive Director in August 2007. It is a transition function as my father steps back. The LAS Board recently nominated me to become Executive Director/Head of School starting August 2009.

The past 3 ½ years things have been moving forward very well at the school. We started actively fund-raising and, to our surprise, we have been quite successful at it despite the challenges of being an international school (fund-raising is primarily an American tradition). We strengthened our admissions to the point where we have had waiting lists and have become more selective over the past 3 years. Our 2008 college acceptance list was the best in the history of the school (acceptances at all top 10 schools in the United States).

Last spring, the school purchased a large building called the Grand Hotel. It was a beautiful luxury sanatorium from the 1890s, when it first opened, through the first half of the 20th century (sanatoriums were hospitals for patients with tuberculosis or TB). Since the 1950s it has been a hotel and it hosted the American College of Switzerland. This academic year it is closed for renovation. In August 2009, it will reopen to host 100 students doing the International Baccalaureate Diploma program. As a result of the purchase of the Grand Hotel, the capacity of the school will go from 380 to 550 of which 200 students will live in the Grand Hotel. Our aim is to reach 550 students within 5 years. Note this building is about 15 minute on foot away from the main campus, thus it will be run fairly autonomously. For more information on the Grand Hotel, visit:

http://www.las.ch/history/grand-hotel-expansion.html

The next change and main reason why I am writing you is that our Headmaster (not Head of School but person responsible for the faculty and all academic matters) is leaving at the end of the school year. Vladimir Kuskovski has been at LAS for 6 years and would like to become Head of School (an international school) somewhere in the Russian-speaking countries (he is American but grew up in Belorussia). In addition, our Academic Dean and Dean of Students have also decided to move on at the end of this school year.

As a result of our Headmaster's departure, we decided to redefine our administrative structure to reflect a more modern organization (essentially flatter) and take in consideration the growth of the school. Up to now the Headmaster was responsible for all faculty, academic programs, residential life, discipline, and extra-curricular programs. The Academic Dean and Dean of Students report to the Headmaster. He has been like a Director of Operations for all academic and extra-curricular matters. The new structure will have 4 Deans who report directly to the Head of School:

- Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs (responsible for the faculty and academic programs)

- Dean of Students (residential life, discipline, health & counseling, student life)

- Dean of the IB School (person responsible at the Grand Hotel but working closely with the Dean of Faculty & Academic Affairs and Dean of Students)

- Dean of the Junior High School (we are adding an 8th grade next year and separating 8th and 9th grade from the other grades) (this person will be responsible for Junior High School but working closely with the Dean of Faculty & Academic Affairs and Dean of Students)

I am in the process of posting all the openings. The Associate Dean openings will be posted next week. Some of the opening will be filled internally. I have spoken with several of our administrators who are applying internally for higher positions. They will be permitted to keep their current position if they do not get the position they are apply for. Consequently, I am posting their position as well. That is one of the reasons why there are many openings in the administration in addition to simply needing to hire more people due to the expansion.  

LAS is a very dynamic and exciting place to work at. In addition, Leysin and the surrounding area offer an outstanding quality of life (www.leysin.ch). Why not go to Paris for a weekend? Or let’s go skiing in Zermatt, at the foot of the Matterhorn? For next school year, we are looking for forward thinking and dynamic administrators and teachers willing to work at a wonderful international/American boarding school located in a beautiful part of the world. For more information on all the openings, visit

http://www.las.ch/careers.html

If you are interested in applying, feel free to email me. Please also forward the link with the openings to people who may be interested in applying. Many of our excellent members of staff have come through word-of-mouth.

I hope all is well.

Best regards,

Marc

Marc-F. Ott

Associate Executive Director

-----------------------------------------

Leysin American School

Tel: +41 24 493 3777

Fax: +41 24 494 1585

www.las.ch