Job description
The Opportunity
The University of Virginia, one of the nation’s leading public institutions, invites applications for its next Executive Vice President and Provost (Provost). UVA seeks a strategic thinker with a passion for achieving excellence in both education and academic research. We are looking for a talented leader who makes decisions, frequently in collaboration with other university leaders, that reflect an ability to develop and execute initiatives guided by a clear and compelling vision consistent with institutional mission and goals.
Reporting to the President, the Provost is the academic leader of the University and partners with the President and senior leaders to advance academic priorities, preserve and elevate the stature of the University, provide guidance and support on University policy, and execute on a broad and wide-ranging portfolio of discrete projects and initiatives. As chief academic officer, the Provost is responsible for ensuring educational quality, ensuring prudent financial resource stewardship and growth to support sustainable excellence, and fostering an environment for student success. The Provost will build on the University’s renowned student experience, as well as its impressive retention and graduation rates.
The Provost works closely with the Deans of UVA’s Schools, libraries, and UVA | Northern Virginia to support their objectives and operations related to faculty affairs, research, scholarship, and teaching, and facilitates collaborative efforts between the schools to support institutional priorities. UVA has a talented group of deans who lead impactfully within their schools and drive further innovation via strong collaboration and cross-University initiatives.
The Provost also partners with the senior leadership team to sustain, promote and advance high levels of research; to strengthen and expand the research enterprise, given contemporary compliance requirements; and to broaden research funding, while also investing in targeted growth areas. UVA has an excellent and growing record of translating research and transforming faculty discoveries into solutions that benefit society, and the Provost has an important role in facilitating this work and enhancing the University’s global stature and reputation in this regard.
The next Provost joins the University at a moment of opportunity. UVA has significantly completed its “Good and Great” strategy, launched in August 2019, and has recently begun a new strategic planning process for the next decade. The Provost’s work will include, along with senior leadership, deans, and faculty, the development and implementation of the strategic plan. UVA has strong momentum including record number of student applications, highly ranked schools and faculty, and transformational research centers including The Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, The Dave and Kathy LaCross Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence, and The Karsh Institute of Democracy. The Manning Institute of Biotechnology was recently established as a translational research center designed to more quickly bring breakthroughs in medical research to patients who need it. The LaCross Institute was recently established to advance UVA’s impact in this critical field. Launched in 2021, the non-partisan, pan-university Karsh Institute connects scholars, students, practitioners, and communities to advance democracy through research, teaching, public engagement, and real-world impact. The University’s main library has been recently renovated into a world-class facility. And planning is underway for a new performing arts center.
The Role and Responsibilities
The Provost will demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing public education while upholding the essential principles of shared governance. The Provost is responsible for teaching, scholarship, and research at UVA’s 12 schools-as well as at its libraries, art museums, centers and institutes, UVA | Northern Virginia programs, and foreign study programs-overseeing all academic affairs and the recruitment and retention of faculty.
Integral to the University of Virginia’s identity is a deeply held belief in the importance of an excellent undergraduate education leading to professional and personal success. The Provost ensures that research complements teaching, generating new knowledge that supports instruction at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels, so that students can benefit fully from their education at a leading research university.
The Provost also works closely with the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs (EVPHA) and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The Provost must have the ability to understand and impactfully work with an integrated academic health system with a world-class medical center and have significant financial acumen. The School of Medicine (SOM) Dean and School of Nursing Dean have a dual report to the Provost and EVPHA. With ~1500 faculty in the SOM (the largest at UVA), and the significant investment in the Manning Institute of Biotechnology, it is anticipated that the Provost will need to spend significant time in STEM areas.
The following will be key priorities for the next Provost:
Partner to the President
The Provost is a trusted partner and advisor to the President, who will preside over meetings, attend events and deliver remarks as the University’s representative, and may act in place of the President as necessary.
Leadership and Academic Vision
The Provost works with the President, Deans, Executive Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts and others to carry out a strategic vision that will continue to shape the University and solidify UVA as one of the world’s top institutions of higher education. The Provost recruits the Deans, sets and pursues high standards for excellence in each School, and supports both their individual and School success, galvanizing support for the Schools to work together on efforts that advance institutional priorities when needed.
The Provost is responsible for overseeing the planning, quality, and implementation of education for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at UVA. This will require a comprehensive and inclusive approach that merges academic and student affairs to foster the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of every student. The Provost oversees UVA’s curriculum, academic planning and program review, and develops and implements strategic policies and practices that define and pursue future academic priorities. These efforts include working in partnership with the schools and the faculty on initiatives that enhance the student experience, including providing quality global opportunities and programs/partnerships.
The Office of the Provost encompasses offices and units responsible for the academic mission of the university. The Provost leads a highly experienced and talented team that includes Vice Provosts, special advisors, and senior administrative staff to oversee and support its many responsibilities and initiatives across the University.
Faculty Excellence
The Provost supports the recruitment and retention of an outstanding faculty, overseeing the process by which faculty members and their departments or schools prepare for tenure and promotion reviews and chairing the final review committee. The Provost publishes and enforces University standards for faculty conduct, including ethics in instruction and research, and compliance with relevant laws, requiring that the Deans do so as well. The Provost consults with the Faculty Senate and relevant employee councils about matters of concern to faculty and academic staff.
Research Excellence
Providing oversight for sponsored research awards of more than $550 million, the Provost provides oversight to research and scholarship activities across the University to promote a culture of intensive scholarly output and to elevate UVA’s national and global stature, impact, and funding as an AAU, R1 and global institution. The Provost seeks to improve the quality and significance of research endeavors alongside the Vice President for Research.
Chief Academic Budget Officer
The Provost works with the President and fellow EVPs to manage a budget of approximately $7 billion. The Provost supports UVA’s financial strength and resilience by ensuring strong enrollment, growing resources, and fostering external partnerships. The Provost supports, advocates for, and enables the success of the Deans and the academic and enrollment management units, as well as UVA’s broad range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
Ideal Experience and Characteristics
As the Provost is the University’s chief academic officer, a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree and a record of distinguished scholarship, research, and teaching excellence requisite for a tenured appointment as a full professor at the University of Virginia is a requirement.
UVA seeks an experienced academic leader with exceptional strategic and operational ability complemented by advanced management expertise and success as a dean or equivalent.
Additional experience ideally includes:
- Proven success leading within a complex, high-quality organization
- Demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary research
- Proven success recruiting, developing, and retaining high-caliber leaders, faculty and staff
A track record of measurable success in research growth, talent acquisition, financial management, and student achievement leading an academic unit of significant scope and stature
Strong financial management skills exemplified by a comprehensive understanding of university financial models, planning, and reporting and the relationship between academic priorities and budgeting, and demonstrated ability to deliver sustainable results therein
Ability to grow resources and efficiently steward existing resources, including capital projects. Creates and/or advocates for compelling fund-raising opportunities to support the academic mission
An understanding of and ability to deliver impact within the culture of a top-tier comprehensive public research university with an academic medical center (and affiliated Biotech Institute), and top athletics program
Experience working with governing boards and the shared governance framework of public universities
Characteristics of the successful candidate will include:
- Servant leadership that is collaborative and courageous
- Unwavering integrity, strong moral compass, and humility
- Drive and energy to innovate, improve and executive in a timely fashion
Desire and ability to build trust and productively work with the President and University leadership team in support of the strategy and mission
Commitment to make informed, analytical, strategic, compassionate, and tough decisions under constraints
Calm under pressure, excellent judgment, highly developed emotional intelligence, and crisis and compliance management capability
Broad intellectual and global orientation, and willingness to travel as needed. Respect for the wide-ranging interests and concerns of all constituents of the University, and ability to establish productive relationships with people from all perspectives and all walks of life
Genuine enthusiasm for the University of Virginia, its history, and its mission
Strategic vision and the ability to translate that vision into pragmatic and impactful actions and initiatives
How to apply
Link to job posting: https://executivesearch.virginia.edu/se arches/executive-vice-president-and-provost-1
The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.
