Provost & Chief Academic Officer

Provost & Chief Academic Officer

At Colorado Mesa University, we look at every position as a seat. Every seat is vital and the individual in the seat contributes significantly to our mission of providing an affordable and accessible education and forming meaningful and mutually enriching partnerships that support the well-being and vibrancy of our community. As a human centric organization, a priority is to ensure we have the "right seats" in our organization, and that the expectations, ownership and accountabilities are defined and communicated clearly for the success of the individuals holding the seats.

The Provost & Chief Academic Officer serves as the University's chief academic leader and is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the academic enterprise. Reporting directly to the President and serving as a key member of the University leadership team, the leader in this position provides strategic vision, leadership, and oversight for instructional programs, academic outreach activities, academic support services, and institutional academic planning efforts.

This role includes responsibility for academic programs and services across CMU's main campus, CMU Montrose, CMU Tech, online offerings, and the academic and administrative units that support teaching, learning, scholarship, student success, and institutional effectiveness including Office of Sponsored Programs, Tomlinson Library, Registrar and Institutional Research & Decision Support.

The Provost & Chief Academic Officer will:

• Act as the primary advisor to the President on matters related to academic affairs and academic support services.
• Provide strategic leadership for the University's academic programs, curriculum development, assessment, accreditation, instructional delivery, and academic planning efforts.
• Foster a culture of academic excellence, innovation, student-centered learning, faculty development, and continuous improvement.
• Support and guide academic department heads and academic leaders in matters related to faculty recruitment, evaluation, promotion, tenure, retention, professional development, and succession planning. In consultation with the President, the Provost establishes and approves salaries for existing and new faculty members.
• Coordinate resources, personnel, and operations across academic departments and academic support offices to achieve the academic mission of the University.
• Collaborate closely with the President and University leadership to align academic priorities with institutional planning, enrollment management, budgeting, student success initiatives, and fiscal sustainability efforts.
• Work closely with the Faculty Senate and Faculty Senate Executive Committee to establish priorities and address concerns.
• Foster a culture of shared governance and transparency, ensuring faculty input on budgetary matters, academic policies, and strategic planning.
• Oversee academic operations, including instructional planning, scheduling, academic outreach activities, and the publication and delivery of instructional schedules and programs.
• Support and maintain productive partnerships with the Board of Trustees, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, the Higher Learning Commission, and other governing and accrediting organizations.
• Work collaboratively with the Senior Vice President for Student Services, the Chief Financial Officer, and other University leaders to strengthen academic and student support functions, including recruitment, admission, advising, transfer, financial aid, and registrar services.
• Provide leadership and oversight for library services, academic support services, and instructional technologies to ensure alignment with the instructional goals and student success mission of the University.
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for CMU Tech, in partnership with the Vice President of Technical Education & Workforce Development, to align technical education and workforce programs with regional employer needs, academic pathways, student success initiatives, and institutional priorities, while operating within the guidelines established by governing and accrediting agencies.
• Plan and oversee budgetary aspects of the academic division while monitoring expenditures and ensuring fiscal accountability and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Lead with transparency, humility, professionalism, collaboration, and accountability while fostering strong relationships across the University and broader community.
• Support a culture of data-informed decision-making by helping prioritize institutional data needs, ensuring effective use of Institutional Research capacity, and utilizing evidence to guide recommendations, planning, and institutional improvement efforts.

CMU seeks a leader who:

• Demonstrates a strong commitment to student success, academic excellence, and faculty support.
• Actively advocates for faculty and fosters an environment of trust, respect, and shared…