Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs 

Summary

Kentucky State University, a 2,200-student public, comprehensive land-grant university in Frankfort, Kentucky, invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (Provost).  Located in the heart of Kentucky’s Capitol, Frankfort, Kentucky, the university stands as the only regionally accredited (SACSCOC) historically Black institution in the Commonwealth and the only historically Black institution in the nation to be accepted into the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). Kentucky State University students enjoy modern facilities including a state-of-the-art Aquaculture and Agriculture centers, outstanding physical education and performing arts centers, and traditional student housing clustered around a spacious, student-friendly campus.

The next Provost at Kentucky State University will have significant impact on the campus, in the community, and in the region. Reporting to the President, the Provost is the chief academic officer of the University, responsible for providing leadership for the core academic mission of the university. 

Included in the duties of the Provost are the development, implementation, and assurance with the faculty of the quality of undergraduate and graduate programs, instruction, research, and service. The Provost provides on-going supervision of Deans and Directors and is responsible for the administration of academic-related functions of the university.

The Provost oversees the College of Humanities, Business and Society, the College of Agriculture, Community, and the Science (including programs in Nursing and Education), and the Whitney Young Honors Collegium as well as the Center for Excellence for the Study of Kentucky African Americans, the Center for Research on the Eradication of Educational Disparities, and Institutional Research and Assessment.  The next Provost at Kentucky State University will work collaboratively with dynamic teams in the President’s Council as well as with a faculty deeply committed to students.   The Provost is charged with providing leadership and stability and, ultimately, making decisions to ensure that the University delivers a strong and relevant educational experience for a racially diverse student body.   

This role requires an engaged leader who can multitask, be a problem solver, and delegate as necessary — yet, also must be an authentic fit for the Kentucky State University campus culture and community. S/he will share the university’s commitment to the liberal arts, the HBCU legacy, and academic inclusiveness.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Oversee the development and implementation of the academic experience for the university.

Advise the President, Senior University administrative officers, and the Board of Regents on Academic Affairs issues through reports, presentations, recommendations, and findings.

Facilitate compliance with University and program reviews and accreditation as well as student performance.  

Maintain a collaborative working relationship with the Kentucky State University Faculty Senate. Assure the development of quality faculty, academic administrators and support staff through promotion, tenure, appointments, reappointments, faculty development, mentoring, professional development, and ongoing staff development. 

Promote faculty and student scholarship, research and creative productivity by encouraging and supporting a sustainable grant writing office.

Develop Memorandum of Understandings and create new data based academic programs.

Communicate academic priorities to budget.

Understand and interpret higher education funding models related to the acquisition and distribution of funds.

Identify and support the acquisition and management of cutting-edge instructional techniques, technology, and support to ensure high quality online and in-person instruction.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

Requires excellent leadership, ability to make timely decisions based on data analytics, and an ability to project a positive image of the University to parents, students, faculty, staff, and other University constituents in a diverse environment.

A consensus builder with excellent listening, interpersonal, oral, and written communications skills.

Ability to work effectively and collegially within a University system to negotiate with a wide array of constituencies.

Ability communicate academic priorities and to budget accordingly.

Ability to understand and support a culture of compliance for SACSCOC, record keeping, and departmental accreditation processes. 

Ability operate effectively in a multicultural and diverse environment.

Ability to respond proactively to enrollment and employment trends with appropriate academic program development.

Ability to translate the University’s strategic plan and vision into measurable academic outcomes.

Ability to maintain a student-centered and student-supported campus climate with expectation of quality and excellence.

Sensitivity to understanding and celebration of a diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic background of students within the higher education environment.

Proficient in organizing and managing a professional staff in a large complex organization.

Knowledge of cutting-edge trends related to technology and pedagogy.

 

Characteristics: 

Visionary, accountable, honest, integrity filled, collegial, and a consensus builder.

 

Supervision:

The Provost reports to the President and is responsible for the supervision of academic Deans, department chairs, and directors.

Minimum Job Requirement:

Education:

The successful candidate will have an earned doctorate from an accredited institution and a record of distinguished scholarship and teaching requisite for an appointment as a tenured associate or full professor. Further, significant experience as an academic administrator in higher education including experience with budget management, fundraising, curriculum reform, and strategic planning is required. Proven experience and demonstrated success in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as they relate to academic programs including, but not limited to, the recruitment and retention of students and faculty is essential.

Experience: 

At least seven years of progressively responsible administrative experience in higher education is required. Teaching, research, and service experiences sufficient to fulfill the requirement for tenure associate or full professor in an academic department represented on the Kentucky State University campus.

Where to Apply:

www.Kysu.edu 

Applications should consist of a CV/resume, a list of five professional references with full contact information, a scholarly writing sample focused on issues related to the position, and a substantive letter of intent that addresses the qualifications mentioned above as well as offers statements regarding shared governance, diversity and the importance of HBCUs, and the role of Academic Affairs in the midst of a global pandemic and the everchanging landscape of higher education.  References will be contacted only for the finalists.   Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. 

EEO Statement: Kentucky State University welcomes and encourages women, veterans and minorities to apply and seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. KYSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Appropriate auxiliary aids and services for qualified individuals with disability will be provided upon request. Please notify us in advance.