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Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Employer
Mercy College
Location
New York, United States
Salary
Salary Commensurate with experience
Date posted
Sep 29, 2021

View more

Position Type
Executive, Chancellors & Presidents, Provosts
Employment Level
Executive
Employment Type
Full Time

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Mercy College invites nominations and applications for the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The College seeks a strategic leader who will wholeheartedly embrace the institution’s mission and history while continuing the College’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. The next Provost will have the opportunity to develop new programs; form strategic partnerships; and further the College’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Mercy College is a thriving independent, comprehensive, and student-centered institution located alongside the Hudson River in Dobbs Ferry, New York, with additional campuses located in the Bronx and Manhattan, and with a substantial online learning community. The College has a diverse student population of more than 9,500 studying in over 100 undergraduate and graduate programs.

Mercy’s curriculum offering is enriched by the integrated resources of five academic schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Included among members of faculty across the five schools are Fulbright Scholars and well-published authors with national and international expertise in their field of study. 

Reporting to the President, the Provost is the chief academic officer, with executive responsibility for the faculty, academic schools, and administrative departments that support Mercy College’s academic programs, including the Registrar, Libraries, Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation, Center for Teaching & Learning, Mercy Online, Research and Sponsored Programs, and the Center for Global Engagement. Mercy’s five academic schools are Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The Provost leads and serves a full-time faculty of 235 (as well as more than 800 part-time faculty). The Provost administers an operating budget of approximately $60 million.

The Provost is responsible for maintaining the quality of Mercy’s academic environment through the development and assessment of curriculum and the facilitation of interdisciplinary teaching and research in an increasingly diverse community of faculty, students, and staff.  The Provost’s Office serves as the liaison to the College’s accrediting body as well as the State Education Department. The Provost advises the President on college-wide planning, budget-building, policy and operations, and acts on the President’s behalf in his absence or as designated. The Provost also functions as the primary academic liaison to the Board of Trustees, including working closely with the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board.

Mercy College will be looking for the next Provost to:

  • develop a deep understanding of the College as a whole;
  • embrace the College’s teaching- and student-focused mission;
  • champion a commitment to the faculty development;
  • promote and ensure proven evidence-based practices in equity, diversity, and inclusion in alignment with the values of the College;
  • collaborate and communicate effectively with faculty and staff across all areas of the College;
  • encourage the expansion of tenured and tenure-track faculty;
  • promote faculty research in pursuit of an increase in federal research funds;
  • provide opportunities for faculty members to enhance their efforts in teaching, scholarly activities, and service;
  • ensure the quality of Mercy’s academic programs though successful institutional and programmatic accreditations;
  • serve as a partner with the President in developing strategic priorities;
  • critically assess the College's academic strengths and weaknesses;
  • nurture and sustain centers and cultures of teaching excellence and innovation both locally and across our extensive network;
  • encourage and protect the free expression of constructive ideas and opinions among the members of the Mercy community.

Key attributes Mercy College seeks in the next Provost include: 

  • An institutional drive and passion for advancing inclusive student success;
  • An innovative and resourceful leader with a record of accomplishments grounded in strategy, assessment, and data-driven analysis;
  • An energetic, flexible leader who can work effectively in a fast-paced, multi-campus, urban environment;
  • A commitment to providing leadership to support and enhance the College’s commitment to academic excellence, scholarly values, and a strong curriculum in order to inspire and educate each student;
  • A proven commitment to creating equitable student outcomes;
  • An understanding and commitment to working collaboratively with essential areas of the College like the registrar, the Libraries, sponsored programs, and international education.
  • Extensive working knowledge of the issues facing colleges and universities with respect to such issues;
  • A track record of successfully promoting a culture that supports and empowers a diverse body of students, faculty, and staff;
  • A commitment to shared governance and shared decision-making with proven ability to act decisively;
  • An experienced, dynamic, and resourceful leader who combines collegiality, integrity, and vision with demonstrated management skills;
  • An outstanding communicator across different disciplines and constituencies and demonstrate the ability to build consensus, lead transparently, and support shared governance.

The successful candidate will have the following professional and personal attributes, among others:

  • An earned doctorate and have been awarded tenure with a distinguished record of accomplishment in teaching, active scholarship, service, program funding, and collaborative governance;
  • A demonstrated commitment to the College’s focus on effective teaching and students success;
  • A commitment to the life of the mind, substantial higher education experience, a distinguished record of progressively advanced administrative experience, ideally at the level of (but not limited to) vice president/provost, academic dean, or associate vice president/provost;
  • A demonstrated responsibility for a broad range of organizational areas including institutional and program-based accreditation, planning, and assessment, faculty development, operational and capital budgeting, human resource practices, and information technology applications and trends;
  • A practical understanding of the challenges facing higher education with particular knowledge of current and impending demographic changes, revenue dependency, and competitive market challenges;
  • The ability to thrive in a dynamic and nimble institution that is very open to innovation and new ideas;
  • An understanding of the challenges facing faculty and students of traditionally underrepresented groups in higher education, as well as a commitment to providing an inclusive and welcoming educational experience for all;
  • Intimate knowledge of institutional effectiveness measures and methods and strategic planning is essential;
  • Outstanding written and oral communication skills, along with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse groups.

For this critical senior leadership role, we strongly encourage applications from qualified candidates who share identities with those of our students and/or who are members of other historically underrepresented communities.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. All nominations and applications shall be confidential. Please send a cover letter and CV to:

Steve Leo, Managing Director

Brian Bustin, Senior Associate

Jeff Alston, EDD, Senior Associate

Storbeck Search

MercyProvost2021@storbecksearch.com

484-263-5534

For more information on Mercy College and its programs, please visit www.mercy.edu

Mercy College is an AA/EEO/M/F/Veteran/ADA employer.

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