Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

About the University

Founded in 1911, ETSU is a comprehensive, regional university, with total enrollments in excess of 14,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. ETSU provides a student-centered community of learning, reflecting high standards and promoting a balance of liberal arts and professional preparation, and continuous improvement.

The university conducts a wide array of educational and research programs and clinical services including a comprehensive Academic Health Sciences Center. Serving its students through 11 colleges and schools, ETSU offers 140 academic programs to choose from at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The vision for ETSU is to provide a world-class environment to enhance student success and improve the quality of life in the region and beyond.

The University is situated in what is commonly known as the “Appalachian Highlands” region and Johnson City is ranked by Forbes as a “Best Small Place for Business and Careers” in the U.S. Surrounded by rivers, lakes, mountains, and parks, Johnson City is an outdoors enthusiast’s dream. ETSU is a sponsor of Division I athletics in the Southern Conference and a Center of Excellence in Sport Science and Coach Education. The area enjoys a moderate climate, a variety of festivals, and attractions, such as the Corazon Latino Festival, the Umoja Festival, Tri Pride, and the Birthplace of County Music. Additional information about the university can be found at https://www.etsu.edu/ehome/.

About the Position

The Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs reports directly to the President and serves as the chief academic officer for ETSU. The Provost oversees the creation, implementation, and advancement of the university's teaching, research, and service mission. The Provost is responsible for the academic integrity of the university and fostering an environment that supports the institution’s mission, vision, and values.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties are customary for this position, but are not to be construed as all-inclusive. Duties may be added, deleted, or assigned based on management discretion and institutional needs.

• Provides leadership in all areas relating to academic affairs;
• Leads, strengthens, and supports shared governance;
• Recruits, retains, and mentors academic leadership;
• Provides leadership in the implementation of the university's strategic plan and budget model to support the strategic, operational, and financial direction of the university;
• Serves as the chief academic policy officer and liaison with local, state, and federal entities;
• Identifies and engages in activities to increase research funding opportunities through partnerships and community engagement;
• Provides leadership for curricular development and transformation in partnership with the faculty;
• Provides leadership in the qualitative enhancement of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs;
• Demonstrates strategic leadership for institutional initiatives that foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for faculty, staff, and students;
• Identifies, develops, and maintains a marketplace of ideas and interdisciplinary connections across the campus;
• Identifies and pursues new extramural funding opportunities;
• Leads the continuous alignment between academic affairs and student life and enrollment for effective and efficient student recruitment and enrollment management; and,
• Performs other related duties as requested by the President.

Essential Attributes

• Proven record of academic leadership with a distinguished record of teaching, scholarship, and service;
• Earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree in an academic discipline with qualifications meriting appointment at the rank of professor with tenure;
• Significant academic leadership experience at the level of academic dean or higher;
• Demonstrates a high degree of authenticity, humility, and personal and professional integrity;
• Demonstrates commitment to academic quality and integrity, and possesses an intimate knowledge of programmatic and institutional accrediting structures, processes, and operations;
• Demonstrates ability to be a strategic leader in building diversity among the study body, faculty, and staff, and to create an equitable and inclusive university community;
• Demonstrates ability to be a strategic leader building a resilience-informed university community and establishing continuous leadership development expectations throughout the academic leadership structure;
• Demonstrates exceptional interpersonal communication skills and ability to interact effectively, honestly, transparently, and decisively with academic leadership, faculty, staff, and students;
• Demonstrates success with strategic planning, budgeting, and an understanding of decentralized budget models;
• Demonstrates a track-record of fundraising success; and,
• Demonstrates the ability to exercise sound judgment, decisiveness, and to perform effectively in a leadership capacity.

Nomination and Application Process

Parker Executive Search is assisting East Tennessee State University in the search for the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications, (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references, or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to March 1, 2021. Please submit applications through the Parker Executive Search website. For additional information, please contact:

Laurie Wilder, President

Porsha Williams, Vice President

Grant Higgison, Principal

Parker Executive Search

Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875

Atlanta, GA 30328

770-804-1996 ext.: 118

LaurieWilder@parkersearch.com || pwilliams@parkersearch.com || ghiggison@parkersearch.com

East Tennessee State University is an AA/EEO Employer and does not discriminate against applicants due to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or or any other protected class.