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Provost/Chief Academic Officer

Employer
University of the Ozarks
Location
Arkansas, United States
Salary
Commensurate with experience
Date posted
Aug 17, 2017

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Position Type
Executive, Provosts
Employment Level
Executive
Employment Type
Full Time

University of the Ozarks invites applications and nominations for its next Provost. The successful candidate will join the University at an exciting time in the institution’s history. The University is in the middle of a $55 Million capital campaign, having raised $33 Million to date. Climb Higher: A Campaign for Students focuses on scholarship support and investments in science and athletics. University of the Ozarks is an intentionally small institution of approximately 750 students and 165 employees. It has several unique programs that allow it to recruit both nationally and internationally and also has a strong resource base that will allow it to fulfill its emerging new strategic plan. We are proud of our rich and storied legacy as a pioneer in education. Ozarks was:

  • the first University in the state to admit women (1871),
  • the first predominately white University in the state to confer a degree on an African-American (1959),
  • the first University in the state to racially integrate athletics (1963),
  • and the first University in the nation to create a program specifically designed for students with learning disabilities (1971) — now named the Jones Learning Center.

Ozarks has long been a trendsetter in higher education. The University can trace its roots back to 1834, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Arkansas and one of the oldest west of the Mississippi River.

Today, University of the Ozarks continues to push boundaries in a number of areas, including:

  • Cultural diversity: more than 20 percent of our students are from outside of the United States
  • Accessibility: the University has not raised the cost of tuition since 2012
  • Student Leadership: Ozarks Outdoors offers students the opportunity to obtain leadership skills and personal confidence while experiencing the picturesque nature of Northwest Arkansas, or
  • Athletically: more than 35 percent of our student body competes in intercollegiate athletics.

For more information about University of the Ozarks, please visit www.ozarks.edu.

POSITION AND QUALIFICATIONS

As the University’s chief academic officer, the Provost is a visionary and results-oriented leader of the academic functions driven by the school’s mission. The Provost is expected to understand, critically analyze, and provide solutions to underlying challenges that not only affect the faculty, but the entire institution. The Provost oversees multiple areas of academic support and administration, including four divisions (Business, Education, Humanities/Fine Arts/Communication, and Math and Sciences) and the nationally acclaimed Jones Learning Center, a fee-based comprehensive program designed specifically to assist students with learning disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the college level.  The Provost also oversees and administers the office of Student Support Services (SSS), a Trio program which supports college retention and graduation rates.  In addition to oversight of these areas, the Provost will:

 

  • Serve as the University's chief executive officer during the President's absence from campus
  • Lead efforts to achieve the ambitious goals of retaining 80% of first-year students and graduating 70% of all students within four years.
  • Encourage and support activities to enhance the professional and pedagogical skills of the faculty.
  • Support the faculty governance process through participation in meetings and policy discussions with faculty committees.
  • Oversee the ongoing process of comprehensive institutional assessment.
  • Contribute significantly to the revision process for the University’s strategic plan and oversee subsequent implementation.
  • Support, supervise, and evaluate the performance of direct reports, which includes Academic Deans/Directors (4), Director of the Jones Learning Center, and Director of the Library. The Director of the Center for Teaching and Innovation may report to either the Provost or the Director of Institutional Effectiveness.
  • Monitor and implement accreditation policies and procedures.
  • Negotiate and oversee the preparation of faculty contracts.
  • Create and monitor systems, processes, and practices which will ensure fiscal accountability and institutional sustainability.
  • Support the University’s commitment to diversity in recruitment and retention of faculty and academic staff.
  • Monitor the quality and condition of instructional facilities and offices and advocate responsibly for needed upgrades as part of the University master plan.

 

The successful candidate will have an earned doctorate from an accredited institution, demonstrated excellence in administration, and a liberal arts background. In addition, the candidate should exhibit evidence of a strong commitment to leadership and academic quality, an ability to foster and evaluate excellence in teaching, experience with program planning and assessment, strong interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to work collegially with faculty and diverse constituencies, and a commitment to University of the Ozarks’ Christian mission.  The ideal candidate will have prior experience in strategic planning, evidence of fiscally responsible management practices, and evidence of a commitment to international education and literacy.

 OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PROVOST

The successful candidate will join a lean, innovative and seasoned executive team consisting of a Vice President for Finance and Administration, a Vice President for Advancement, and a Special Assistant to the President. The team is led by a president entering his fifth year at Ozarks, having served 25 years in private, higher education.  The culture of the executive team dedicates itself to being mission-inspired, just, focused, results-oriented, and authentic.  Other positions serving on Senior Staff but not reporting directly to the President include; the Assistant Vice President for Advancement/Director of Enrollment Management, the Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, and the four academic deans.

The new provost will have the opportunity to immediately impact the institution by:

 

  • Working in consultation with a donor to fully realize an endowed $2.5M faculty development program.
  • Leading an interdisciplinary group of stakeholders to design and build a 17,000 square foot and approximately $20M addition to the Smith Broyles Science Center.
  • Fully implementing an innovative approach to the liberal arts. The newly adopted LENS Program (Learning Environment for New Synthesis) is a highly distinctive curriculum that allows students to graduate with an academic major and two minors across three academic areas or “lenses” – the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences.  
  • Creating a Center for Teaching and Innovation. The Center is conceptualized around instructional technology and the support for emerging teaching pedagogy.
  • Recruiting additional faculty, as the University enrollment has grown by more than 30% in the last four years.
  • Rejuvenating and revitalizing the institution’s tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review processes.
  • Working with the Senior Staff to deliver on the mission of the University: “True to our Christian Heritage we prepare students from diverse religious, cultural, educational and economic backgrounds to live life fully.”
  •  

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

University of the Ozarks was founded in 1834 and is a fully accredited, private, undergraduate university directly connected with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With an enrollment nearing 750 students and an endowment of $105 million, the University proudly provides access to an economically and academically diverse student base from 20 states and 10 countries. The University has held tuition constant since 2012 and in 2016 eliminated all compulsory fees without adversely impacting existing programs.  Its picturesque, 40-acre campus lies in a vibrant natural setting at the foot of the scenic Ozark Mountains in Clarksville, Arkansas, approximately 100 miles west of Little Rock and 60 miles east of Fort Smith.

University of the Ozarks has consistently been rated among the top institutions of higher education in the region by publications and surveys such as U.S. News & World Report, National Survey of Student Engagement, and The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Great Colleges to Work For. The University’s comprehensive academic program includes more than 60 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs, and its small class sizes and faculty-to-student ratio allow us to deliver on our primary focus, the education of our students and their post graduate success.

Our uniquely supportive, academically successful and challenging environment attracts a freshman cohort with an average high school core GPA of 3.4 and an average ACT composite of 23. Full and part-time faculty are dedicated to the mission of learning, service, and empowering students for their unique callings, with seventy-six percent of full-time faculty holding terminal degrees.  Faculty and staff actively engage students to both learn and practice Christian values, while respecting individual beliefs, to prepare those who seek to live life fully.

 

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The successful candidate will find a competitive salary and benefits package that vests immediately, including an 8% University contribution to one’s retirement without an employee match. The Provost receives housing adjacent to campus in an historic home and generous professional development allowance.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the search is completed.  Applications received before September 15, 2017 will receive full consideration.  Please send a letter of application; vita; and at least three professional references to Connie Booty, Executive Assistant to the President, at cbooty@ozarks.edu.

 

 

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