Senior Vice President, Provost & Chief Academic Officer

Capella University seeks an academically accomplished, financially adept leader to serve as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. This critical role provides strategic leadership for the university’s academic enterprise, aligning academic priorities with fiscal stewardship while advancing high-quality, affordable, and cutting‑edge learning experiences. The provost leads the institution through complex internal and external challenges, including accreditation, regulatory compliance, and evolving market demands, while fostering faculty engagement and academic innovation in support of student success.

Reporting directly to the President, the ideal candidate should possess a solid record of scholarly achievements combined with a broad vision and commitment to upholding the position of Chief Academic Officer in a leading university. We seek a candidate with substantial administrative experience, preferably at the dean level or higher, overseeing graduate and undergraduate programs. We value a history of operational leadership highlighting excellence, growth, financial effectiveness, and a proven capability to manage complex organizations, including personnel, resources, and budget.

The successful applicant will bring a strong motivational capacity, inspiring excellence, and dedication to academic success. They should demonstrate an energetic and engaged approach to leadership, paired with decisive execution skills and proven business acumen. The individual must be fully committed to furthering Capella University’s mission as a premier institution of adult higher education.

This role is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and requires an on‑site presence. As the university’s Chief Academic Officer, the Provost is expected to be present to effectively support academic affairs, shared governance, and institutional decision‑making. In addition, the provost serves as a visible senior leader in the local professional and civic community representing Capella and cultivating partnerships that advance institutional priorities.

• Lead effectively within a complex, matrixed organizational structure, aligning academic, operational, and financial stakeholders to advance institutional priorities without direct line authority.
• Exercise influence with impact by building trust‑based partnerships, shaping agendas, and driving outcomes across academic units, shared services, and enterprise leadership.
• Provide strategic leadership for faculty and academic administrators through intentional talent development, performance management, and succession planning to ensure continuity, resilience, and long‑term academic excellence.
• Lead the development and implementation of a cohesive academic strategy that supports instructional quality, equity, student success, and sustainable growth.
• Oversee academic program planning, curriculum development, evaluation, and outcomes assessment, ensuring programs align with market needs and academic standards.
• Provide executive leadership for faculty recruitment, development, evaluation, promotion, and tenure processes.
• Foster a culture of scholarship, professional growth, and collaborative governance across colleges and academic units.
• Build and mentor a high‑performing academic leadership team.
• Cultivates a culture focused on outcomes, continuous improvement, innovation, and engagement that recognizes and rewards high performers and creates a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.
• Continually benchmark against external best practices including innovative technology, products, and platforms to promote faculty engagement and support academic success.
• Collaborate with the President and other internal stakeholders to formulate and implement strategic, operational, and quality metrics.
• Act as the primary liaison to the Board of Trustees, leading the preparation, presentation, and reporting of academic and student affairs materials for the Academic Affairs and Student Affairs committees. Advocate for Capella University as a competency‑based learning and assessment model, ensuring its comprehensive…