Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Innovation

Virginia Information Technologies Agency•Chesterfield, VA

8d•$120,000 - $129,854

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 the development and execution of 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 provides guidance to faculty on research planning, scholarly productivity, professional portfolio development, promotion and tenure preparation, and long-term career advancement. The position also supports the Provost through faculty-focused academic communications, executive briefing materials, guidance documents, mentoring and professional-development programs, and leadership training for department chairpersons. It assists with review and resolution of escalated student academic issues and complaints involving instructional or departmental matters. The Assistant Vice Provost provides substantive academic review of proposed memoranda of understanding and agreement, contracts, academic partnerships, and academic program proposals. This review considers academic purpose, programmatic alignment, faculty and student implications, institutional commitments, and consistency with the University’s mission and 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 stakeholders. Working collaboratively 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 position requires strategic thinking, scholarly credibility, sound judgment, discretion, collaborative leadership, and a strong understanding of faculty development and academic culture. It also requires the ability to build trusted relationships, communicate complex academic matters clearly, facilitate constructive dialogue, and advance strategic initiatives from conception through implementation. The Assistant Vice Provost performs other related responsibilities and strategic assignments as directed 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.
Skill in establishing and maintaining 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.
Demonstrated 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.
Faculty must be appropriately credentialed to teach assigned undergraduate and graduate courses, consistent with VSU Faculty Credentialing Policy #2301 and applicable education, experience, licensure, and certification requirements.

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 emerging issues in higher education; 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

Lead university-wide initiatives that strengthen faculty development, scholarly productivity, academic leadership, mentoring, professional advancement, faculty engagement, and external academic relations.
Contribute to strategic planning and execution across Academic Affairs as a member of the Provost’s leadership team.
Develop and lead programs that build faculty capacity in 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 long-term career advancement.
Develop faculty-focused academic communications, executive briefing materials, and guidance documents for the Senior Vice President and Provost.
Coordinate mentoring and professional-development programs and provide leadership training and support for department chairpersons.
Assist with review and resolution of 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 University priorities.
Develop external partnerships and advance academic relations to support faculty development, collaborative research, academic programming, grant development, and the University’s academic profile.
Collaborate with deans, department chairpersons, faculty governance bodies, and university offices and 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