Provost and Vice President Academic Affairs - Empire State University

Position: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs - Empire State University
Job Description:

The Opportunity:

SUNY Empire seeks an experienced academic leader who has the drive and the skills to build on the institution's strengths and unique brand identity as New York's first and only online public university.

SUNY Empire is in a chapter of dynamic growth. In addition to high-quality online educational delivery, the university has a strong foundation serving learners of all ages, awarding credit for prior learning, and recognizing full transferability. For four years in a row, the university has enjoyed significant growth at a time of regional enrollment declines. With a current student enrollment of 18,000 students, the university is on track to serve 20,000 students by 2028.

The Provost plays a key role in supporting faculty and staff in service to the university's growing and diverse student population. Leading the division of Academic Affairs, the Provost oversees a budget of $48M (exclusive of benefits), five academic colleges, the library, the office for research and sponsored programs, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and Empire Online. As Chief Academic Officer, the individual is responsible for the oversight and professional development of their leadership team;

238 tenure-line faculty; 128 professional employees and classified staff; and 634 adjunct faculty.

The Provost is charged with leading the academic core of the institution in alignment with the university's access mission. The successful candidate will be a skilled communicator and relationship builder with a record of translating a student-focused strategic vision into action. The individual must be knowledgeable about online teaching and learning and capable of leading and managing a remote workforce. Success in the role will depend on the ability to inspire stakeholders to embrace a data-informed, student-focused approach to decision-making, program development, and academic quality.

Primary responsibilities include:

Academic Leadership

* Serve as the chief academic officer, leading all academic strategy and ensuring high-quality academic program delivery that aligns with best practices for a responsive, access-driven online public university.

* Recruit, retain, and develop an academic workforce committed to SUNY Empire's mission and diverse student population.

* Advance student, faculty, and staff success.

* Lead enterprise change management across five colleges and distributed teams, aligning people, processes, and technology with institutional strategic priorities.

* Build a high-performing leadership team to strengthen organizational effectiveness.

* Steward the division's fiscal resources responsibly.

* Cultivate a culture of excellence and accountability within Academic Affairs.

Middle States Accreditation

* Provide leadership for successful Middle States accreditation in 2028.

* Ensure ongoing implementation of effective, consistent accreditation, assessment, and program-review efforts that deliver the institution's commitment to continuous improvement.

* Create an execution strategy to support accreditation, including an overall calendar with accountable owners, on-time completion, and action plans.

Student Success

* Lead and support student success through intentional, data-informed, outcomes-driven student success efforts in collaboration with academic stakeholders and the Vice President for Student Success and Institutional Effectiveness.

Strategic Plan Alignment

* The Provost serves as a member of the President's cabinet and is a key partner in driving the university's strategic plan, Elevate '28.

* Lead strategic plan implementation efforts for Academic Affairs in collaboration with deans, faculty, and staff in a shared governance environment.

* Meet annual strategic goals to ensure long-term objectives can be achieved.

* Deliver an Academic Affairs operating cadence tied to Elevate '28 with priorities, owners, timelines, and monthly dashboard reviews with deans.

Strategic Enrollment Management

* In collaboration with the Office of Enrollment Management and Marketing, build on four years of continuous enrollment growth to propel the university to its strategic enrollment management goal of serving 20,000 students in 2028.

* Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver fiscally responsible enrollment management.

Create and Deliver High-Quality Academic Programs

* As the chief academic officer, the Provost is responsible for the creation and delivery of high-quality academic programs.

* Create programs that respond to the employer and community partnerships brought forward by the Partnerships and Workforce Development office.

* Advance a framework and policy structure for online academic quality, including responsible use of AI in teaching and learning.

Requirements:

Required Qualifications:

* A doctoral degree from an accredited institution.

* Five years of experience at the Dean, Associate Vice President, equivalent level, or higher.

* Academic credentials consistent with appointment with tenure at the rank of professor, as…