Provost and Senior Vice President Academic Affairs

William Paterson University (WP) is seeking a Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs to shape the academic direction of the University. WP is a public regional university in suburban Wayne, New Jersey, just 20 miles from New York City. One of the largest universities in the state, WP enrolls more than 12,000 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and dual enrollment students.

It offers more than 150 bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate programs, three doctoral programs, and 57 fully online degree programs through WP Online. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education recently designated WP one of the nation’s Research Colleges and Universities. A $40 million state-funded Recreation and Health Sciences Center is scheduled to open in 2027.

The University’s new  Strategic Plan, WP 2031:
Framing the Future, is expected to receive Board of Trustees approval in November 2026.

WP is among the most diverse universities in New Jersey and the region. It is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Minority-Serving Institution, and approximately 40 percent of its students are the first in their families to attend college. The University ranked No. 55 nationally in the 2025 College Net Social Mobility Index. It has been named a “Great College to Work For” two years in a row and one of Forbes’ Best-In-State Employers for the third consecutive year.

The Provost will academically position WP as a standout choice in New Jersey’s evolving higher education landscape.

Reporting to President Dr. Richard J. Helldobler, the Provost will serve as chief academic officer and as a visible, collaborative partner to the President, Cabinet, deans, and faculty governance bodies.

• the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
• the Cotsakos College of Business
• the College of Education
• the College of Science and Health, which includes the School of Nursing

The Provost also oversees the David and Lorraine Cheng Library, the Honors College, the College of Adult and Professional Studies, WP Online, Institutional Effectiveness, the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Office of Sponsored Programs, and the Office of Transfer Programs and Special Sessions. The Provost will lead the academic alignment of the University’s emerging strategic plan and set clear goals and KPIs across the academic division.

Founded in 1855 as a normal school, William Paterson is the third oldest public institution in New Jersey. Its 407-acre campus borders the High Mountain Park Preserve. Its 257 full-time faculty include Fulbright scholars, a Guggenheim Fellow, and recipients of awards from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Institutes of Health, and more. In the 2024-25 academic year, the University received $13 million in funding from federal, state, and local government sponsors.

WP’s approach to student success includes the following:

• Dedicated Student Success Teams for first- and second-year undergraduates
• The Power Paths Career Experience Program
• The Pledge 4 Success program, which served as the model for the New Jersey Garden State Guarantee

Ninety percent of the Class of 2024 had successful career outcomes six months after graduating.

The Provost will grow the health-related professions pipeline. That includes the School of Nursing, established in 2023, whose enrollment is currently the largest in the northern half of New Jersey. The Provost will position WP as the premier healthcare regional public institution in New Jersey. The Provost will also build on WP’s success with adult and online learners. The College of Adult and Professional Studies was established in 2024.

The University has created more than 100 new…