Senior Vice Provost Student Success

Penn State seeks a visionary, collaborative, and results-oriented leader to serve as its inaugural Senior Vice Provost for Student Success (SVPSS).

Founded in 1855, Penn State fulfills its land-grant mission through teaching, research, and public service that benefit the citizens of Pennsylvania. In partnership with industry, education, government, and agriculture, the University leads in research, learning, and engagement—driving innovation, inclusion, sustainability, and global impact. Under President Neeli Bendapudi's leadership, Penn State operates as a comprehensive, global institution with a university-wide budget of approximately $11.1 billion, a $5.2 billion endowment, and 33 million square feet of infrastructure spanning more than 2,100 buildings—including housing, utilities, and public safety services.

As Pennsylvania's largest non-governmental employer, Penn State has a presence in all 67 counties. With more than 86,000 students across multiple campuses and its top-ranked World Campus, Penn State is a digitally advanced, geographically distributed university. Its research expenditures have steadily grew, fueling innovation and economic development. Recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a top-tier research university, Penn State prepares globally minded leaders.

This newly created position represents a transformative opportunity to shape the future of student success at Penn State. Reporting directly to Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos, the SVPSS will serve as the University's chief strategist for student success, responsible for advancing a comprehensive, institution-wide vision that enhances student persistence, retention, graduation, career readiness, experiential learning, and post-graduate success, while also preparing students for civic engagement.

The SVPSS will provide leadership for key student success functions while collaborating closely with leaders across academic and administrative units, the Commonwealth campuses, and the colleges to create a more integrated and effective student success ecosystem. The SVPSS will lead the new Office for Student Success, a central coordinating hub that will bring together existing and new student success functions.

At a pivotal moment in the University's evolution, Penn State is making student success a strategic institutional priority and seeks to become a national model for student success ving one of the nation's largest and most complex student populations across the University Park campus, the Commonwealth campuses, and World Campus, the University is creating this role to develop a more coordinated, data-informed, and outcomes-oriented approach to supporting student achievement and flourishing.

The SVPSS will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive, university-wide student success strategy, establish a shared framework and measurable goals, strengthen accountability for student outcomes, and foster deeper collaboration among key partners. That framework will emphasize on-time graduation, education for democracy and civic engagement, and structured academic pathways that give students clearer routes to degree completion. By aligning efforts across organizational and geographic boundaries while honoring the unique strengths of Penn State's campuses and colleges, the SVPSS will help ensure that all students have equitable access to the resources, experiences, and opportunities necessary to succeed academically, personally, and professionally.

The successful candidate will be a highly visible and influential leader with a demonstrated record of driving meaningful change in complex organizations. Possessing a deep commitment to students and an appreciation for the unique…