Provost & Chief Academic Officer

Colorado Mesa University•Grand Junction, CO

6d•$240,000 - $280,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Provost & Chief Academic Officer serves as the University’s chief academic leader and is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the academic enterprise. Reporting directly to the President and serving as a key member of the University leadership team, the leader in this position provides strategic vision, leadership, and oversight for instructional programs, academic outreach activities, academic support services, and institutional academic planning efforts. This role includes responsibility for academic programs and services across CMU’s main campus, CMU Montrose, CMU Tech, online offerings, and the academic and administrative units that support teaching, learning, scholarship, student success, and institutional effectiveness including Office of Sponsored Programs, Tomlinson Library, Registrar and Institutional Research & Decision Support.

Requirements

Earned terminal degree from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the CMU Board of Trustees; doctorate preferred.
Minimum of five years of progressively responsible senior academic administrative leadership experience at the dean, director, vice president, provost, or equivalent level.
Record of teaching, scholarship, and service sufficient to qualify for a faculty appointment in a discipline relevant to the University.
Demonstrated experience in academic leadership, strategic planning, budgeting, accreditation, faculty development, and institutional administration.
Demonstrates a strong commitment to student success, academic excellence, and faculty support.
Actively advocates for faculty and fosters an environment of trust, respect, and shared responsibility across academic and administrative units.
Builds strong partnerships between academic and administrative departments, recognizing their distinct roles, shared service to the broader campus community, and collective contribution to the University’s mission.
Has proven success building trust-based collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, students, community partners, and external stakeholders.
Leads with integrity, humility, and professionalism, communicates transparently and directly, and demonstrates a growth-oriented leadership style that builds trust and shared accountability.
Understands and actively supports shared governance, faculty engagement, and collaborative leadership as essential to institutional effectiveness.
Possesses strong strategic planning, organizational leadership, project management, and budget management skills.
Has experience supporting organizational development, institutional effectiveness, and fiscal sustainability.
Demonstrates excellent written, interpersonal, and group communication skills.
Is comfortable leading through change, navigating complex institutional challenges, and pursuing innovative solutions while respecting institutional mission and culture.
Demonstrates the ability to analyze data and use evidence-based approaches to support strategic and operational decision-making.
Demonstrates adaptability, willingness to learn, and the ability to effectively utilize technology and software systems relevant to the position.
Demonstrates respect for institutional identity and builds on CMU’s strengths while thoughtfully addressing areas for growth.
Ability to read, analyze and interpret general written materials, professional journals, technical procedures, or government regulations.
Ability to write reports and prepare and conduct verbal and visual presentation of materials.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from top management, public groups, and board of directors.
Strategic and analytical reasoning skills are necessary.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.
Applicant must be able to verify U.S. employment eligibility.

Nice To Haves

Doctorate preferred.

Responsibilities

Act as the primary advisor to the President on matters related to academic affairs and academic support services.
Provide strategic leadership for the University’s academic programs, curriculum development, assessment, accreditation, instructional delivery, and academic planning efforts.
Foster a culture of academic excellence, innovation, student-centered learning, faculty development, and continuous improvement.
Support and guide academic department heads and academic leaders in matters related to faculty recruitment, evaluation, promotion, tenure, retention, professional development, and succession planning.
In consultation with the President, the Provost establishes and approves salaries for existing and new faculty members.
Coordinate resources, personnel, and operations across academic departments and academic support offices to achieve the academic mission of the University.
Collaborate closely with the President and University leadership to align academic priorities with institutional planning, enrollment management, budgeting, student success initiatives, and fiscal sustainability efforts.
Work closely with the Faculty Senate and Faculty Senate Executive Committee to establish priorities and address concerns.
Foster a culture of shared governance and transparency, ensuring faculty input on budgetary matters, academic policies, and strategic planning.
Oversee academic operations, including instructional planning, scheduling, academic outreach activities, and the publication and delivery of instructional schedules and programs.
Support and maintain productive partnerships with the Board of Trustees, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, the Higher Learning Commission, and other governing and accrediting organizations.
Work collaboratively with the Senior Vice President for Student Services, the Chief Financial Officer, and other University leaders to strengthen academic and student support functions, including recruitment, admission, advising, transfer, financial aid, and registrar services.
Provide leadership and oversight for library services, academic support services, and instructional technologies to ensure alignment with the instructional goals and student success mission of the University.
Provide strategic leadership and oversight for CMU Tech, in partnership with the Vice President of Technical Education & Workforce Development, to align technical education and workforce programs with regional employer needs, academic pathways, student success initiatives, and institutional priorities, while operating within the guidelines established by governing and accrediting agencies.
Plan and oversee budgetary aspects of the academic division while monitoring expenditures and ensuring fiscal accountability and responsible stewardship of resources.
Lead with transparency, humility, professionalism, collaboration, and accountability while fostering strong relationships across the University and broader community.
Support a culture of data-informed decision-making by helping prioritize institutional data needs, ensuring effective use of Institutional Research capacity, and utilizing evidence to guide recommendations, planning, and institutional improvement efforts.
Participation in weekly Leadership L10 meetings following the EOS process.
Leadership of Academic Affairs L10 meetings following the EOS process.
Convening and supporting Academic Council activities.
Collaboration across divisions to support institutional priorities and strategic initiatives.