Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

Regis College•Weston, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs (Provost) will be an energetic and innovative leader who will provide vision for all aspects of academic life at the university. The Provost will ensure both the high quality of academic programs and their alignment with student demand and workforce need; strengthen teaching and research; and support the success of diverse students in their academic work and post-graduation planning. The Provost will play a significant role on the university’s leadership team in achieving the institution's strategic goals, including expanding Regis' standing, locally and nationally, as a leader in the education of health professionals, building on the university’s reputation in nursing to encompass its broader scope of health professions programs, grounded in Regis' mission and in the durable capacities of the liberal arts, which underpin every major. The new Provost must be a seasoned, strategic leader with demonstrated accomplishments; the ability to embody and promote the university’s mission; and a clear sense of the complex challenges of an institution serving traditional and non-traditional undergraduate and graduate students in professional and in liberal arts schools, with both campus based and online offerings. This is a role that depends on partnership. The Provost will work closely with colleagues across every division – enrollment management, advancement, finance, student affairs, ministry and service, and marketing and communications – and success will come through building shared purpose rather than directing from the academic side alone. Extraordinary communication skills are essential, as is the ability to foster a culture that is both collaborative and innovative. The successful candidate will be both empathetic and accountable. Regis is a community that knows its people by name and takes seriously the CSJ commitment to excellence tempered by gentleness. It is also an institution that must make disciplined decisions about programs, resources, and structures. The next Provost will need to do both: to lead change with genuine care for the people affected by it, and to hold themselves and others to clear expectations and measurable results. The ideal candidate will bring experience in online education, a demonstrated record of improving outcomes for students with diverse needs and experiences, and success in developing partnerships that benefit both Regis and its partners. In addition to experience comparable to that of a provost, vice president, or dean, the Provost will have an earned doctorate or terminal professional degree and a record of scholarly achievement that would merit a faculty appointment in one of the university’s schools. As chief academic officer, the Provost leads the deans of the School of Arts, Sciences and Education, the School of Health Sciences, the School of Business and Communication, and the Richard and Sheila Young School of Nursing, and holds responsibility for all academic programs, the Library, the Registrar, academic advising, the Office of Strategic Partnerships, and the Office of Career and Professional Development.

Requirements

A record of teaching, scholarship and service that merits appointment in one of the faculties of the university.
An earned doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree from an accredited institution.
A distinguished record as a teacher, scholar and academic administrator in positions of increasing responsibility.
A minimum of eight years of progressive leadership experience in higher education or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
A record as an academic administrator who led significant programmatic growth.
Experience in successfully leading change with courage and compassion.
The ability to engage the faculty around a strategic vision for the future of academic programs.
The communication and interpersonal skills necessary to advocate for that future.
An understanding and regard for the work of faculty both in the classroom and as members of their scholarly and professional communities.
An overriding focus on student success, diversity and inclusion.
The ability to listen to a broad array of constituents and the fortitude to make tough decisions that put the best interests of the university first.
Significant, relevant and progressively responsible experience in academic administration, preferably at an institution similar to Regis.
Ability to serve as a strong, self-assured leader and scholar with the intellectual stature to inspire the faculty, staff and students with a sense of pride, purpose and quality.
A commitment to the mission of the university and its strategic priorities.
The capacity to promote the Regis mission through a deep understanding of and commitment to the ideals and goals of Catholic education and the intellectual tradition that shaped them.
The capability to both develop and implement academic and university-wide strategic plans.
The ability to imagine new possibilities for the university and to develop relevant and realistic goals and initiatives for the university.
The ability to work effectively with faculty and a successful track record recruiting, developing, supporting and retaining an outstanding, diverse faculty.
Demonstrated success in cultivating a student-centered environment including administrative processes, especially in the areas of academic support services, and career and professional development, to ensure student success.
Demonstrated success in leading and managing faculty and staff at an institution with a varied academic portfolio.
A collegial, collaborative management style and the ability to be a decisive leader.
Strong negotiation, management, organizational and supervisory skills.
Data-informed decision-making.
Strong financial and budgetary competency.
The ability to strategically allocate resources and navigate the pressure of competing demands on finite resources.
A strong demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion among faculty, staff and students, including in scholarship and curricula.
A leadership style that reflects a commitment to transparency and authenticity, the ability to listen carefully and openness to listening to the concerns of all members of the university community.
The political insight to work effectively in a complex environment.
Ability to cultivate a high-trust culture throughout the Regis community.
A strong commitment to shared governance structures and principles.
Experience supporting and constructing avenues for effective faculty governance and participation as well as facilitating open and authentic communication between faculty and administration.
An entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to take considered risks and seize opportunities.
Intellectual curiosity, sophistication, empathy, creativity, and high standards for personal and professional achievement.
Grace under pressure and a sense of humor.
The character and maturity to serve as an engaged citizen.
A passion for improving the human condition.

Nice To Haves

Experience in online education.
A demonstrated record of improving outcomes for students with diverse needs and experiences.
Success in developing partnerships that benefit both Regis and its partners.
Experience comparable to that of a provost, vice president, or dean.
A record of scholarly achievement that would merit a faculty appointment in one of the university’s schools.

Responsibilities

Lead and supervise the deans and academic leadership team, setting clear expectations, developing talent, and holding the academic enterprise accountable for results.
In partnership with Enrollment Management, Finance, and Marketing and Communications, lead systematic academic portfolio optimization – evaluating programs against student demand, workforce need, academic quality, and financial contribution, and acting on what the evidence shows.
Develop and expand the academic portfolio beyond the university’s current reputation, building strength across various helping professions while sustaining excellence in nursing and ensuring that liberal arts formation remains foundational across every program, and that its value is visible to students, families, and employers.
Build and steward strategic partnerships with employers, health systems, community colleges, and community organizations that expand learning, career, and enrollment opportunities.
Advance teaching and learning practices suited to today's students and technologies – using artificial intelligence where it genuinely deepens learning, setting it aside where it does not, and protecting the relationship between teacher and student that no technology can replace.
Ensure that artificial intelligence is treated as curriculum and not only as pedagogy, so that Regis graduates enter their professions able to use these tools capably, critically, and ethically if required.
Oversee the integration of academic advising and career development to strengthen retention, persistence, and post-graduation outcomes.
Serve as senior staff liaison to the Board Committee on Academic Affairs and supports the work of the Board.
Recommend to the President all faculty to appointed to rank, promotion, tenure, sabbatical leave, salary, and compensation.
Perform other related duties as required.