Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Innovation

DHRM•Chesterfield, VA

About The Position

The Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs provides senior-level leadership for university-wide initiatives that strengthen faculty development, scholarly productivity, academic leadership, mentoring, professional advancement, engagement, and external academic relations. Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Provost, the Assistant Vice Provost serves on the Provost’s leadership team and contributes to developing and executing strategic priorities across Academic Affairs. The role develops and leads programs that expand faculty capacity in teaching, research, grant writing, scholarly communication, mentorship, service, and academic leadership. It advises faculty on research planning, scholarly productivity, professional portfolio development, promotion and tenure preparation, and long-term career advancement. The position also supports the Senior Vice President and Provost by preparing faculty-focused academic communications, executive briefing materials, guidance documents, and initiatives that strengthen communication across the academic enterprise. The Assistant Vice Provost coordinates mentoring and professional-development programs, provides leadership training and support for department chairpersons, and assists with reviewing and resolving escalated student academic issues and complaints involving instructional or departmental matters. The role reviews proposed memoranda of understanding and agreement, contracts, academic partnerships, and academic program proposals for academic purpose, programmatic alignment, faculty and student implications, institutional commitments, and consistency with the University’s mission and academic priorities. The position advances external engagement and academic relations through partnerships with colleges and universities, professional associations, academic consortia, foundations, governmental entities, industry partners, community organizations, and other external stakeholders. These relationships support faculty development, collaborative research, academic programming, grant development, and the University’s broader academic profile. Working with deans, department chairpersons, faculty governance bodies, Research and Economic Development, Sponsored Programs, Institutional Advancement, Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation, Student Affairs, and other university partners, the Assistant Vice Provost promotes faculty excellence and a responsive, collaborative academic culture. The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate strategic thinking, scholarly credibility, sound judgment, discretion, collaborative leadership, and a strong understanding of faculty development and academic culture. The role requires the ability to contribute to academic planning and executive decision-making; build trusted relationships; communicate complex academic matters clearly; facilitate constructive dialogue; and move strategic initiatives from concept through implementation. Other related responsibilities and strategic assignments may be given by the Senior Vice President and Provost.

Requirements

Broad understanding of academic administration, including shared governance, student success, articulation agreements, graduate and undergraduate studies, research oversight, and academic support units such as libraries.
Familiarity with the responsibilities and working relationships of academic leaders, including chairs, deans, coordinators, and directors.
Knowledge of contemporary issues and trends in higher education.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate successfully across academic units and/or institutions.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse constituencies, including faculty, administrators, staff, students, state officials, and accrediting agencies.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and affiliations in a team-oriented environment.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work successfully with external funding agencies, academic partnerships, or sponsored programs.
Knowledge of university and state-level policies, procedures, and regulatory expectations.
Capacity in program development, grant writing, faculty mentoring, professional development, academic communications, research advisement, professional portfolio preparation, academic leadership training, academic partnership development, external engagement, review of academic agreements and program proposals, and consideration of complex student academic concerns.
Strategic thinking, scholarly credibility, sound judgment, discretion, collaborative leadership, and an understanding of faculty development and academic culture.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of land-grant universities such as VSU, including their complexities, culture, structure, and processes, and a proven ability to work effectively across units.
Experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders and unit leaders to achieve goals.
Prior success securing external grant support related to academic innovation and collaboration.
Creative leadership in addressing emergent higher-education issues; experience at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is preferred.
Experience with faculty and staff professional development.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated capacity to lead collaboratively while maintaining confidentiality.
Commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Responsibilities

Contribute to university-wide academic planning, executive decision-making, and strategic initiatives as a member of the Provost’s leadership team.
Develop and lead programs supporting faculty teaching, research, grant writing, scholarly communication, mentorship, service, and academic leadership.
Advise faculty on research planning, scholarly productivity, professional portfolio development, promotion and tenure preparation, and career advancement.
Develop faculty-focused academic communications, executive briefing materials, guidance documents, and initiatives that improve communication across the academic enterprise.
Coordinate faculty mentoring and professional-development programs.
Provide leadership training and support for department chairpersons and academic leaders.
Assist with reviewing and resolving escalated student academic issues and complaints involving instructional or departmental matters.
Review proposed memoranda of understanding and agreement, contracts, academic partnerships, and academic program proposals for academic purpose, alignment, implications, institutional commitments, and consistency with the University’s mission and priorities.
Develop external academic relationships and partnerships to support faculty development, collaborative research, academic programming, grant development, and the University’s academic profile.
Collaborate with deans, department chairpersons, faculty governance bodies, university offices, and other partners to promote faculty excellence and a collaborative academic culture.
Perform other related responsibilities and strategic assignments as directed by the Senior Vice President and Provost.

Benefits

Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) with immediate vesting, portability, and investment choice
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) defined-benefit pension with lifetime monthly income
457 Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP)
403(b) (TIAA)
Comprehensive medical and dental plans
Employee Assistance Program
Paid annual and sick leave
Paid state and federal holidays
Employer-paid life insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts
Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility