Provost & EVP, Academic Affairs

Description

As the chief academic officer of the University, the Provost is responsible for developing and implementing an academic vision that ensures excellence and aligns with Pace's mission. Reporting to the President and a member of the President's senior leadership team, the Provost oversees the recruitment, support, and development of deans, faculty, and staff in student support services; promotes best practices in teaching and learning; and maintains dialogue with industry leaders and key stakeholders. Working with the deans, the Provost advances the intellectual direction of the schools, supports their resource needs, and empowers them to realize ambitious goals in the areas of scholarly impact, enrollment, retention, and student success. The Provost leads a team of associate provosts, assistant provosts, vice presidents, directors, and administrative staff. These administrative areas include academic scheduling, advising and retention, the registrar, Honors College, student counseling, residential life, LGBTQA+, international student education, student engagement, tutoring services, accessibility, neurodivergent student support, wellbeing programs, the University Library, professional education, the Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Office of Research and Graduate Education. The total operating budget under the Provost's direction is $215 million, in collaboration with the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and the Associate Vice President of Academic Finance.

The Provost's primary charge is to enhance Pace's academic impact and reputation by leveraging the institution's strengths and dynamic multi-campus locations by balancing current demands with future needs, ensuring that Pace's programs remain relevant, high-quality, and sustainable.

Duties:

• Develop and communicate a compelling vision and strategy that elevates Pace's academic reputation, improves national rankings, and supports the 150+ programs across seven schools and colleges on three campuses, making a strong case for a Pace education.
• Engage with colleagues across the University to understand Pace's unique attributes and assets; support programmatic and competitive objectives and strategy; identify unrealized opportunities, including cross-school initiatives, study abroad, and other global programs; increase the cohesiveness among the three campuses and explore ways to promote student and faculty circulation through all locations; and chart a path for growth.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of current activities (as seen, for example, in educational outcomes, student success and persistence, marketability and sustainability); discern trends in higher education and student interests; identify potential for investment, including new online and interdisciplinary initiatives; and weigh the allocation and reallocation of resources.
• Advocate for, broadcast, and increase interest in and support of the University (i.e., share Pace's story with an expanding audience of prospective students, their families, alumni, donors, and industry leaders invested in the promise of higher education).
• Oversee the recruitment of new faculty cohorts and ensure their success by addressing their professional needs, supporting their development, and fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and collaborative academic environment.
• Work closely with deans and faculty to achieve the appropriate balance of full-time and part-time faculty, evaluate teaching loads, and foster a supportive climate in which students can derive the greatest educational benefit.
• Support, develop, and contribute to high-performing teams within academic affairs and among the deans by fostering a culture of transparency and accountability, promoting professional growth through aligned goals across disciplines and units.
• Develop institutional strategies by formulating processes and policies and setting priorities for resource allocations in partnership with non-academic executive leadership, including the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration.
• Provide guidance and advocacy to non-academic executive leadership regarding the impact of institutional decisions on academic programs and the overall student experience.
• Sustain and champion principles of inclusive excellence by embedding these values in academic programs, student support and engagement, and the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff at all levels, and set a strong example by fostering respect, belonging, and a more inclusive campus climate.
• Promote a vibrant academic environment by supporting scholarly work and strengthening pre- and post-award services to advance influential scholarship.
• In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, this position has been designated as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are individuals at the University who, because of their function at the University, have an obligation under the Clery Act to notify the University of alleged Clery Crimes that are reported to them in good faith, or alleged Clery Crimes that they may personally witness. CSAs will be required to complete training with respect to the Clery Act and the responsibilities of a CSA.

Qualifications:

• Candidate must possess a terminal degree, preferably an earned doctorate, and have compiled a distinguished academic record with strong scholarly achievements. They must possess qualifications for appointment as a full professor with tenure, with a preference for those who have senior administrative experience.
• Proven ability to create an effective strategy for managing the long-term financial health of a university by developing objective, transparent, and data-driven approaches, and working collaboratively with others, including the senior management team.
• Demonstrated emotional intelligence and experience in creating an environment that promotes retention and graduation rates through student-oriented strategies and successful community-building that fosters close relationships among students, faculty, staff, and strong connections with alumni and donors.
• Experience managing a complex organization, with a deep understanding of the academic, financial, and operational facets that define a multi-campus, suburban and urban, and multi-degree level (undergraduate, graduate, and law) university.
• Prior experience working in an institution centered on first-generation students and facilitating upward social mobility, reflecting the institution's motto of Opportunitas.
• A history of successfully attracting, mentoring, and retaining top talent, and building a cohesive team of academic leaders who work collaboratively to create innovative programs.
• Demonstrated commitment to transparency, ensuring data-driven decisions at all levels are accompanied by clear communication of processes, evidence, and rationale.
• Proven success in advocating for inclusive practices and supporting socially, culturally, and economically diverse students and faculty, with the ability to highlight specific initiatives and improvements in these areas.
• Proven ability to undertake high-quality creative or scholarly research, and the ability to obtain funding and management of grants that support an aspiring R2 institution.
• Proven track record in creating strategic vision that reflects a 21st-century education and success in improving institutional ranking and overall reputation.