President

Austin Peay State University

Presidential Search

Austin Peay State University (APSU) seeks a strategic, innovative, and collaborative leader to serve as the University’s 11^th President. Located in Clarksville, Tennessee, Austin Peay is a thriving campus that serves the northern Middle Tennessee region, the state, the nation, and the world abroad. The University has three locations; the Clarksville campus, the Austin Peay Center at Fort Campbell located next to the Tennessee/Kentucky border on the Fort Campbell U. S. Army Installation, and the Highland Crest Campus in nearby Springfield, Tennessee. The search committee invites nominations, expressions of interest, and applications for this exciting leadership opportunity at an institution with proven momentum.

Austin Peay is located in Clarksville, Tennessee, the state's fifth largest city, which was recently named the No. 1 place to live in America by Money magazine. Established in 1927, APSU has become one of the premier liberal arts universities in the region, distinguishing itself for its innovations in student success. Austin Peay has a strong relationship with the military and serves more than 2,700 current or former service members and their families, making APSU the largest provider of education for both active-duty and military-connected students in the state. In 2009, the University opened the Austin Peay Center at Fort Campbell, making Austin Peay one of only two universities in the country to operate a dedicated facility on a military post. The University prides itself on serving those who have served, and those who actively serve in the military.

With more than 100,000 alumni and a diverse population of more than 11,000 students (Fall 2019), Austin Peay is classified as a Master’s Large institution by the Carnegie Foundation and offers doctoral, graduate, bachelor’s, and associate programs, with many programs offered fully online. Neary 9,900 undergraduate students and nearly 1,100 graduate students are currently enrolled. The University is composed of six colleges – the College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences (home to the School of Nursing), the Eriksson College of Education, the College of Graduate Studies, and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Austin Peay has 402 full- and part-time faculty known for their dedication to teaching, mentoring, scholarship, and service. A full- and part-time staff of 650 members are partners in the academic enterprise and embrace their roles as co-educators. The student-faculty ratio is 17:1, and the average undergraduate class size is 24 students.

Austin Peay students are involved in more than 130 clubs and organizations, including the Student Government Association; honor societies, career-oriented groups; and social, service, and special interest clubs. The Austin Peay Governors compete in the highly competitive Ohio Valley Conference in NCAA Division I. A traditional OVC powerhouse in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, women’s tennis, and men’s golf, the University also competes in football, softball, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s soccer, women’s golf, men’s tennis, and women’s track and field.

In unprecedented times in higher education, our nation, and our world, the Austin Peay community has come together to ensure continuity of the University’s mission and values. The next President will work with all internal and external constituents at Austin Peay to ensure the continued safety of students, faculty, staff, and Clarksville residents moving through the COVID-19 era and its aftermath. Ensuring the long-term fiscal health of the University and the strength of its academic offerings will be of paramount importance as will sustaining existing and building new partnerships locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. The next President will also have the empathy and emotional intelligence to lead essential dialogues on campus to ensure an inclusive and equitable environment in which all Austin Peay community members can thrive.

Reporting directly to the University’s Board of Trustees, the next President will serve as Austin Peay’s Chief Executive Officer. The ideal candidate will be an imaginative and experienced leader with a track record of proven success within a contemporary academic, or similar, environment. The President will have strong leadership skills, a highly relational approach, a deep understanding of and commitment to the mission and values of Austin Peay, and a thorough understanding and appreciation of the University’s student-centered culture. The next President will also have an enduring appreciation and respect for Austin Peay’s relationship with members of the U.S. military and their families, as well as the University’s academic presence at Fort Campbell. The next President of Austin Peay should be visible and engaged with the campus and the community and have an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is highly desired that the President have a terminal degree from an accredited institution.

Further information about the position, the leadership agenda, desired attributes, and the application process are available in the search profile at www.storbecksearch.com/active-searches/.

The Search Committee will begin reviewing candidates immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Nominations and applications should be submitted electronically, and for best consideration, no later than October 23, 2020. Applications should include a letter of candidacy that responds to the agenda for leadership and the desired attributes for the new President and a complete résumé or vita. All application materials will be considered in full confidence and should be submitted electronically to APSUPresident@storbecksearch.com. 

Ms. Julie E. Tea, Partner and Mr. Brian Bustin, Senior Associate at Storbeck Search are assisting Austin Peay State University with this search. Nominators and prospective candidates are encouraged to contact them at APSUPresident@storbecksearch.com to arrange confidential conversations.

To learn more about Austin Peay State University, prospective candidates and nominators are encouraged to visit the University’s website at www.apsu.edu.

Austin Peay State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legally protected class with respect to all employment, programs and activities sponsored by APSU.