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Vice Provost

Employer
Simmons University
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Salary
Salary Not specified
Date posted
Apr 14, 2021

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Position Type
Faculty Positions, Business & Management, Accounting & Finance
Employment Level
Executive
Employment Type
Full Time


Vice Provost

Main Campus - Boston, MA
R07498

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Vice Provost is a key member of the senior academic leadership team and makes decisions for the office in the Provost's absence. The Vice Provost is primarily responsible for the execution of strategic priorities including: the CompleteDegree@Simmons program for adult learners, supported by 2U; the Simmons Experience Program, supported by Gallup; supervision of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and the Career Education Center; establishment of Carnegie Foundation Elective Classification in Leadership; and other priorities as determined by the Provost or other senior leadership and strategic planning. In addition, the Vice Provost collaborates and partners with the Provost and works directly with the Deans and other members of the Provost's staff on, including but not limited to, curricular and personnel issues, on strategic academic plans and policies, and on the effective implementation of the Faculty Policy Manual.

Key functional areas of responsibility for the Vice Provost role include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Responsible for the implementation of the CompleteDegree@Simmons program in collaboration with 2U: Oversees the entirety of the project, including the establishment of new programs, monitoring of program development across the colleges, and coordination of operations of other university departments such as enrollment management and the registrar's office;
  • Collaborate with Central Administrative Units including Fiscal Planning and Budget, Enrollment Management, and Information Technology to define the operations plan for the continued launch of exclusively online and hybrid programs;
  • Establish and monitor online enrollment goals and student success metrics to identify successes and opportunities for improvements;
  • Responsible for the academic components of the Simmons Experience Program in collaboration with Gallup. Works with student affairs, human resources and Gallup personnel on interpreting data to enable positive improvements in the engagement and experience of students, faculty, and staff;
  • Supervises the Center for Excellence in Teaching and the Career Education Center; strives to improve student and faculty services, in all modalities, delivered by these entities;
  • Implements programs needed to achieve and validate the Carnegie Foundation Elective Classification in Leadership for Simmons University; works to establish leadership as a fundamental component of a Simmons education at all levels;
  • Represents the Provost at both internal and external meetings; builds effective relationships across the university with students, faculty, and staff; communicates effectively on behalf of the Provost's Office; enables a diverse and equitable work environment; and promotes a positive image of the academic administration;
  • Serve on the Deans' Council and other institutional standing and ad hoc committees. Represent the Provost and the academic interests of the University at campus and community events, and at national and international professional conferences and meetings; serve on the student and academic experience committees of the Simmons University Board of Trustees;
  • Advance the University's ongoing commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce and to professional development for all members of the community.


CANDIDATE PROFILE

Viable candidates for the Vice Provost position will be an accomplished leader with extensive, high-level strategic and innovative academic planning, academic and administrative leadership, and budgetary experience needed to drive initiatives that provide critical commitment and support of projects that promote learning, innovation, and creativity.

To provide the leadership required in this position, the Vice Provost should demonstrate a combination of exemplary personal qualities and relevant professional experience, including the following:
  • High level of integrity, transparency, a passionate desire to lead, and a commitment to academic and inclusive excellence, continuous improvement, and cultural intelligence;
  • Nuanced communication skills to effectively translate financial data, analytical outcomes, and assessment findings to different audiences as appropriate;
  • Experience leading through influence and persuasion, building consensus with multiple constituencies with diverse backgrounds and establishing credibility at all levels (e.g., board members, faculty, staff, students);
  • Experience working with external partners to identify mutually beneficial collaborations and a commitment to advancing partnerships with leadership from underrepresented groups;
  • Willingness to embrace and overcome challenges and advance the University through a close and collaborative working relationship with the Provost and other members of the senior leadership team, and colleagues across the University;
  • Understanding of contemporary issues faced by academic institutions related to student learning outcomes assessment and accountability expected for change management;
  • Champion and inspire a commitment to innovation in teaching and learning that is both student-centered and results-oriented.


REQUIRED CREDENTIALS / SKILLS / EXPERIENCE:
  • An earned doctorate or other terminal degree from an accredited institution is required, as is a record of scholarship and teaching commensurate with immediate appointment to the rank of associate professor;
  • Minimum of five to seven years in an academic administrative leadership position, preferably at or above the Dean level;
  • Strong preference for experience in online education and with online program management (OPM) partnerships;
  • Demonstrated leadership skills and understanding of the changing higher education environment on both local and global scale;
  • Demonstrated commitment to staying current with emerging technologies, pedagogies, and best practices related to digital learning and online programs;
  • Proven experience and ability to work effectively and collaboratively with faculty and administrators across the spectrum of a higher education institution;
  • Ability to manage and drive projects and plans to completion and to influence others outside of span of control;
  • Ability to work and communicate inclusively and effectively within a broadly diverse community of faculty, staff, and students;
  • Demonstrated commitment to teaching and learning, research, community engagement, academic integrity, diversity and intercultural understanding, and collaborative and participatory decision-making.


ABOUT SIMMONS UNIVERSITY

Located in the heart of Boston, Simmons University is a private university, home to a respected women's undergraduate program and coeducational graduate programs in nursing and health sciences, liberal arts, communications, social work, public health, and library and information science. Simmons has established a model of higher education that only today are other colleges and universities beginning to adopt: the rigorous intellectual foundation of the liberal arts combined with education for leadership in high-demand professional fields. The result is a Simmons graduate prepared not only to work, but to lead in professional, civic, and personal life — a vision of empowerment that Simmons calls preparation for life's work.

Since the founding of Simmons College in 1899, its mission has been to expand opportunities for women, forging fields that advance equity and justice locally and globally. The vision of founder, John Simmons, “to establish a female college best calculated to enable the scholars to acquire an independent livelihood,” is reflected in Simmons's singular accomplishments, which include the following: the School of Social Work was the first in the nation to take a clinical approach to the field; the School of Nursing has long been among the most highly regarded by leaders of Boston's world-class hospitals; and the School of Library and Information Science is one of the top-ranked such programs in the country.

The University's mission is to provide transformative learning that links passion with lifelong purpose. For more than 100 years, Simmons has put the needs of its students first. Through an education that combines intellectual leadership with professional preparation, Simmons helps students lead meaningful lives and build successful careers for the 21st century.

When Simmons College became Simmons University in 2018, the institution implemented a new academic structure, including the creation of the following four interdisciplinary colleges led by four deans:
  • Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities
  • College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences
  • College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences
  • College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice


Simmons offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, 60 minors, and more than 30 certificate, master's, and doctoral programs, including five “3+1” year accelerated bachelor's/master's programs, and nine “4+1” accelerated bachelor's/master's programs. More than half of Simmons undergraduates major in health or sciences fields such as nursing, biology, physical therapy, or chemistry and physics. Other distinguishing characteristics about the University include the following:
  • Undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1;
  • Average class size of 14 students;
  • Almost three-quarters of the 230 full-time faculty members are women;
  • Nearly 90 percent of liberal arts faculty members hold doctorates or terminal degrees; and
  • Faculty members have received research awards from the Ford Foundation, Freeman Foundation, the National Science Foundation, United States Institute of Peace


Building on a decade of growth, the vision for the University's next 100 years, articulated in the Redesigning Simmons: The Strategy 2022 plan, is for Simmons to become a beacon of leadership in the world of higher education; a resource to the nation and world; known for expertise in fields that improve the human condition; sought out for the findings of highly reputable research and seen as the global expert in educating women for their own empowerment and leadership. The plan is outlined here: https://www.simmons.edu/about/our-future/strategy-2022.

Strategy 2022 crystalized two vital needs: updating science facilities at a time when STEM education has taken on regional and national importance; and uniting residential accommodations and athletics facilities, currently on the Residential Campus, with existing academic and administrative facilities on the Academic Campus, as “One Simmons.”

One Simmons represents the University's vision for the future as it enters a new phase. Because of an enduring commitment to meeting the needs and aspirations of current and future students, One Simmons is designed to integrate the future living and learning environment on campus. The initiative involves redesigning the academic campus to house the entire academic and residential experience in a more sustainable and accessible way. The planned campus changes are designed to complement recent curriculum redesign, which seek to foster interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaborations for all students from every major.

In August 2020, the University announced its ten-year plan for residence and academic campuses, Institutional Master Plan (IMP), which details the renovation of an existing hall to enhance the science program and outlines the One Simmons vision for one, unified campus. Proposed projects include renovations to Lefavour Hall and the Main College Building to accommodate the University's Library and the College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences and demolition of Park Science Center to allow the construction of a new, 18-story Living and Learning Center, which will provide athletics space, a dining hall, and approximately 1,100 dormitory beds.

Another important development is the partnership between Simmons and 2U, a company providing technology and services to power online graduate degree programs. Since 2012, this partnership has doubled graduate program enrollment and tuition revenue through five online master's degrees. In May 2020, Simmons expanded this productive partnership to develop and deliver a fully online, reimagined undergraduate experience for new and returning students for the fall semester. With the technological support of 2U, the Simmons faculty redesigned hundreds of courses from the undergraduate catalogue for online delivery with a blend of synchronous and asynchronous coursework. The partnership enabled the University to move all teaching and activities online for the fall 2020 semester because of confidence in the ability to deliver an engaging, high-quality digital undergraduate option while ensuring educational continuity for students.

While in the process of moving courses online due to COVID, with the support of 2U, Simmons had the opportunity to develop a fully online undergraduate program, CompleteDegree@Simmons. Complete Degree will launch in May 2021, and will serve adult learners who wish to complete their college education. The University's partnership with 2U has been instrumental to the growth of the University's graduate programs, prompting the recent expansion of the partnership into distinctive undergraduate offerings, including adult degree completion. Skillful management of this partnership will be critical to Simmons' long-term success.

Procedure for Candidacy

Consistent with the University's goals to achieve diversity at all levels of university leadership, Simmons encourages nominations and applications from individuals in traditionally underrepresented groups and those dedicated to building a culture of inclusive excellence at Simmons. The University is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, ancestry, class, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

All nominations and/or inquiries should be directed to ViceProvostSearch@Simmons.edu. Formal application submission (Resume/CV and Letter of Interest) will be required for full consideration: External Applicants and Internal Applicants.

Salary Grade
Annual Compensation Grade

Instructions to Applicants: Please upload all applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv, cover letter, writing sample, teaching philosophy, etc.) in the "Resume/CV" box on page 2 ("My Experience") of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).

Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual's community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices-at all levels, for all positions-ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.


To apply, visit https://simmons.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Simmons-Careers/job/Main-Campus---Boston-MA/Vice-Provost_R07498-2

Located in Boston’s historic Fenway area, Simmons College is a small, private, non-sectarian College which has educated students for enriching careers and purposeful lives since 1899. Working at Simmons means joining a collaborative, diverse and mission-driven community of educators and professionals.

We prepare students to be leaders for themselves, their communities and the world. Our faculty and staff members lead by example - sharing a commitment to excellence and putting the students first.

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