Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Mission or Goal of Unit

The Office of the Provost is dedicated to ensuring a safe, high-quality and engaged learning experience for all students; ensuring that the institution recruits and retains talented and diverse faculty and provides the resources necessary to promote and support world-class teaching, scholarship, research and creative expression; and maintaining a strong commitment to the global engagement of students, faculty and staff that transforms lives and communities.


Chief purpose of this position in support of above mission or goal

Reporting to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs provides strategic and operational leadership in overseeing the university's faculty, thereby building and strengthening the academic mission and infrastructure for VCU. Key components of the SVPFA’s responsibilities also include oversight for the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and developing other initiatives aimed at faculty success, retention and development.

Position Responsibilities

Faculty Affairs

• Act as a thought leader in faculty affairs, inspiring positive change and excellence with leadership, faculty, staff and administrators
• Provide strategic and operational leadership and oversight in faculty recruitment, mentoring, retention, and career success
• Lead collaborative efforts to improve faculty relations and help guide decision making about future faculty needs in alignment with campus strategic priorities
• Collaborate with the Office of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness and Success to launch strategic efforts aimed at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion among faculty while advancing our overall talent acquisition efforts across the university.
• Oversee the development of an inclusive faculty development program that fosters learning in the latest and impactful pedagogical and engagement practices that foster student success.
• Serve as an ambassador for both VCU and faculty affairs at national and international conferences

Promotion and Tenure

• Oversee the promotion and tenure process for-tenured, tenure-eligible and term (non-tenure track) faculty
• Coordinate the university’s annual P&T process and any expedited P&T recommendations with the schools/units, the provost, the vice president for health science and the Office of the President
• Oversee the review of all P&T recommendations for the Monroe Park Campus candidates and provide individual summaries for the provost
• Develop annual P&T calendar and procedures for the P&T process and communicate timeline and process to VPs, deans and other administrators, as applicable
• Serve as university expert on faculty promotion and tenure policies/procedures and provide consultation and guidance, as needed
• Oversee the university’s Promotion and Tenure Committee in the review/update of the university's promotion and tenure policies and procedures
• Serve as liaison for the provost to the university’s P&T committees, including providing training to the committees and overseeing the work of the chairs
• Oversee P&T appeals and the university’s P&T Appeals Committee
• Work with the university’s P&T Committee in providing guidance to schools/units in the development of P&T unit guidelines, etc.
• Oversee the development of P&T spreadsheets and reports
• Coordinate the reporting of all P&T actions to the BOV for all areas of the university
• Oversee the preparation of correspondence sent to faculty who are approved for promotion and/or tenure
• Ensure all expedited P&T actions are reported to the BOV, upon approval by the president and apprises the OFRR of these actions

Faculty success and faculty engagement

• Oversee the university’s performance planning and evaluation process for faculty
• Oversee the university faculty mentoring initiatives
• Provide oversight of annual performance planning and review process for faculty
• Review current annual assessment process and engage university stakeholders at all levels (senior leaders, department chairs, directors, faculty, etc.) in the development and implementation of a more equitable, consistent and systematic annual performance planning and evaluation process using best practice models.
• Coordinate a review of the current Annual Assessment of Faculty Performance and Faculty Roles and Rewards policies with university stakeholders, as applicable, and make recommendations for updating policies to be in accordance with revised assessment process
• Oversee the development of a series of ongoing trainings on performance management for all managers of faculty, including evaluation of the efficacy of multi-year contracts for term faculty
• Oversee the development of an inclusive faculty development program that fosters learning in the latest and impactful pedagogical and engagement practices that foster student success.

Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence

Oversee CTLE programs and initiatives including:

• New faculty orientation
• Inclusive teaching initiatives (including support of the Institute for Inclusive Teaching)
• Assignments for authentic learning
• Development of web-based and face-to-face teaching and learning resources
  
  

Faculty policies and procedures

• Ensure that policies and procedures relative to faculty are reviewed and updated on a regular basis, develop a timeline for review and ensure that reviews are in accordance with the university policy review procedures
• Make recommendations for development of new policies or enhancements to current policies in support of faculty success/retention such as scholarly leave (currently study-research/educational leave) and pre-tenure leave
• Coordinate the review of university policies and procedures with groups of university stakeholders, as appropriate, and make recommendations to the provost for any changes

Faculty awards

• Review and develop faculty award opportunities at the unit, school and university level
• Communicate award opportunities to the faculty and potential nominators
• Oversee the Faculty Awards Committee
• Review and provide recommendations to the provost regarding applications for emeriti, endowed chairs and professorships for the Monroe Park Campus and coordinate with the senior vice president for health sciences

Adjunct faculty personnel

• Develop and implement a university orientation program for adjunct faculty
• In conjunction with university stakeholders, develop an adjunct faculty handbook
• Oversee the development and implementation of a university wide performance planning and evaluation process for adjunct faculty
• Develop professional development programs on topics applicable to adjunct faculty
• Serve as university resource for adjunct faculty
• Work with the OFRR in ensuring compliance with work hour restrictions for adjunct faculty

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited university in a discipline taught at VCU or related discipline
• Demonstrated experience in fostering a diverse faculty, staff and student environment
• Research, teaching and service portfolio equivalent to a tenured full professor in a discipline taught at VCU
• A record of exemplary personal and professional integrity
• Demonstrated experience in faculty affairs in an academic environment

Preferred Qualifications

• At least five years of exemplary leadership experience in administrative positions within a university setting (e.g., department chair, director, associate dean, vice provost)
• Demonstrated experience working successfully with faculty governance
• Demonstrated experience in the area of faculty development and department chair leadership
• Demonstrated experience working with faculty from a diverse range of disciplinary and pedagogical perspectives

Required Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion issues and trends in higher education
• Experience in academic personnel administration, policies and procedures
• Ability to successfully provide leadership and function effectively on the provost’s senior leadership team
• Extensive understanding of a university’s promotion and tenure process
• Demonstrated ability to successfully develop and implement professional development programs/opportunities for faculty at all levels
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships across all levels, including internal and external to VCU
• Strong collaborator with the ability to engage and inspire others
• Passion for a high standard of excellence with continuous improvement
• Proven ability to independently make strategic decisions, generate innovative ideas and solutions and multitask
• Proven ability to manage projects and multiple assignments with attention to detail and deadlines
• Excellent analytical, planning and organizational skills

Application Process

Position will remain open until filled, however for priority consideration please apply by January 31, 2022. Candidates should complete the application through the VCU job site at: https://vcu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/636?c=vcu

Candidates should provide a resume, cover letter, a diversity statement, and the names and contact information of three references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval by candidates. All nominations and applications shall be confidential until finalists are named.

Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100
Tenure: Tenure Track
Rank: Open
Months: 12
Department: Office of the Provost

Salary: Commensurate

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Whitney Brown
Contact Email: brownwe3@vcu.edu