The executive vice chancellor for academic affairs (EVCAA) serves as the chief academic officer of IU Southeast. The EVCAA reports directly to the chancellor and serves in his/her absence as the institution’s senior administrative officer.  The EVCAA is responsible for the management, quality, development, coordination, evaluation and promotion of all academic programs and courses on or off the IU Southeast campus. The EVCAA oversees all faculty matters and has overall responsibility for periodic review of academic programs and regular assessment of academic achievement, retention, persistence, and institutional effectiveness for the purpose of program improvement. This senior level administrator recommends allocation of resources to the academic units and support departments and provides supervisory oversight of their budgets. Additionally, the EVCAA oversees the development and utilization of learning resources, including the library, supplemental instruction, and online learning systems; develops programs to improve the quality of teaching and learning, encourages and supports faculty research and creative work, and promotes the cultural and intellectual growth of the academic community.  The executive vice chancellor chairs the Academic and Quality Council, oversees the academic advising program for students as well as the preparation of the IUS Faculty Manual and the IUS Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletins.

In concert with Chancellor Debbie Ford and members of the chancellor's cabinet, the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs will provide leadership in several critical areas including, but not limited to the following:

Provide strategic vision for the future of education at IU Southeast

The new EVCAA will join IU Southeast during a period of substantial change in higher education. As a regional university, IU Southeast will continue to expand its efforts and lead  meaningful changes in response to current opportunities and challenges in the community's workforce, and to anticipate future challenges.

Advance IU Southeast's distinctive identity across learning modalities

IU Southeast has built a strong and distinctive academic identity as a place where students experience hands-on learning. The IU Southeast Experience, IU Southeast’s campus-wide experiential-learning initiative, provides students with opportunities to participate in internships, research, community projects, retreats, simulations, competitions, and trips to educational destinations such as New York City, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Orlando, and many regional locations.  

At the same time, IU Southeast offers a wide variety of online programs and classes. The EVCAA will  provide leadership in preserving this distinctive identity and value proposition (i.e., the in-person, personalized, experiential learning), while also meeting the demand for other kinds of learning, especially online education.

Cultivate a welcoming and inclusive university community

IU Southeast believes in and promotes an environment where all members of the learning community are – and feel – respected, experience a sense of belonging, and have access to the same resources, allowing them to reach their full academic and professional potential. The EVCAA must collaborate with deans and other colleagues to keep this work moving forward, to lead faculty recruitment efforts to diversify the faculty and academic staff, and to work with academic leadership to support the hiring and retention of diverse faculty.  Working closely with the chancellor and other senior leaders, the EVCAA will encourage a climate of respect and inclusiveness that welcomes and embraces community members with diverse backgrounds and life experiences, deliberately seek multiple perspectives, and support the free and open exchange of ideas and civil discourse.

 Champion student success

In the past seven years, IU Southeast has made impressive strides in student success, developing numerous resources and initiatives. One of only 44 campuses in the entire country to participate in AASCU’s “Re-imagining the First Year” project a few years ago, IU Southeast also launched retention initiatives including learning communities, intrusive advising, and math reforms.  The new EVCAA will  build on this foundation, using data to identify, fund, and, in some cases, expand the most promising and successful initiatives. The EVCAA must also help set the agenda for student success, use their office to advocate for student success initiatives among faculty and academic leadership, make funding decisions that will support student success, and collaborate with campus colleagues on work related to mental health and wellness, diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice.

Identify opportunities to increase enrollment in a rapidly changing environment

A variety of recent developments (the pandemic, mental-health crisis, booming job market, etc.) are combining to drive down college enrollments at many institutions. The EVCAA will lead academic and enrollment-management leadership to help make the case for higher education and strategic outreach efforts. The EVCAA plays a crucial role in helping to shape the academic experience and in engaging faculty and deans in enrollment efforts. Leveraging the strengths of IU Southeast, the EVCAA will work to define the university's place in the higher ed market, capitalizing upon the student experience, like that of a small private institution, but at the cost of a public institution.

Recruit, retain, and develop an exceptional faculty, administration, and staff

As chief academic officer for the university, the EVCAA must maintain a commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse and exceptional faculty, administration, and staff, investing appropriately in mentorship and professional development to facilitate individual and collective excellence with an eye on student success. In doing this work, the EVCAA will have access to Indiana University’s extensive DEIJ resources, including a $30 million fund earmarked for diversification of its faculty ranks. The EVCAA must understand the unique and complex needs of all faculty and be steadfast in the commitment to supporting all. The EVCAA will ensure faculty are supported and have every opportunity for successful tenure and promotion. The faculty and staff at IU Southeast are a passionate group deeply committed to creating an engaging student experience and meaningful impact in the entire IU Southeast region, encompassing counties in Indiana and Kentucky. 

Principal responsibilities

• Directly supervises the associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, associate vice chancellor for enrollment services, the deans of the academic units, the dean of graduate studies and research, , and the directors of the Library, Institutional Effectiveness, the Institute for Learning and Teaching Excellence, and Community Engagement.   Works in collaboration with these administrators to plan, set goals, manage resources, and assess progress. 

• Oversees and makes recommendations to the chancellor regarding the recruitment, selection, evaluation, compensation, promotion, tenure, termination, release time, assignments and research funding of faculty members and other academic personnel. Provides leadership for new and revised academic programming; ensures the periodic review of on-campus and collaborative academic programs and regular assessment of student academic achievement, retention, persistence and institutional effectiveness for the purpose of program improvement. Recommends allocation of resources to the academic units and support departments and oversees their budgets. Recommends annual budget requests and oversees the expenditures for all units reporting to the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. Ensures effective communication on academic matters within the campus and between the academic units and external constituencies. Identifies opportunities for the acquisition and management of campus grants and contracts in the academic area. Develops and maintains programs to improve the quality of teaching and learning, encourages faculty service, professional growth and creative work and promotes the cultural and intellectual growth of the campus community. Serves as ex officio member of the Faculty Senate, and the Academic Assessment, Academic Policies, and General Education committees. Oversees preparation of the IUS Faculty Manual and the IUS Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletins. Convenes and chairs meetings of the deans, the academic affairs unit heads, and the Academic and Quality Council. Serves as co-chair of the Campus Budgetary Advisory Council. Represents the campus on the University’s Academic Leadership Council, Regional Campus Cabinet, Office of Online Education summits, and other IU committees and councils as deemed appropriate by the chancellor. Represents the campus on internal, community, state, system, and national committees; serves as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet; represents the chancellor in his or her absence; carries out other duties as assigned by the chancellor.

Required Qualifications

• An earned doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree.
• A distinguished record of teaching and scholarship, and eligibility for a tenured appointment at the rank of full Professor in a discipline offered at IU Southeast.
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of public higher education and a clear understanding of the issues and challenges facing higher education.
• A commitment to and experience with the mission, goals, and operations of a regional comprehensive public institution.
• A record of proactive, creative, visionary, and ethical leadership.
• Experience with the development, delivery, and evaluation of online courses required, experience with multi-campus, collaborative, academic programming preferred.
• An understanding of and successful experience with strategic enrollment management.
• A proven ability to work with other academic and administrative leaders in a collegial manner.
• A proven track record of successful development and/or management of a diverse faculty, staff and student environment on campus, including recruitment, retention, and campus climate.
• A demonstrated commitment to academic excellence with strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to work and lead effectively in a collegial environment.
• Creativity and proven implementation skills necessary for quality curricular and other innovations, reforms, and modifications, along with experience working with student academic needs.
• Significant and successful experience in higher education administration including budgetary and personnel responsibilities, accreditation, strategic planning, and academic program development.
• An ability to craft creative, pragmatic solutions that will advance the institution.
• A track record of collaborative leadership, including leading and empowering diverse teams, working across units, and bringing people together to develop a shared vision and achieve common goals.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with senior leadership, faculty, students, staff, donors, and external constituencies.
• A deep appreciation of and support for shared governance.
• Knowledge of institutional and program accreditation, program review, and assessment of student learning.
• The capacity to sustain a sense of humor, energy and optimism while carrying out the demanding role of executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Submission of Application

The search committee will review applications starting the week of October 15, 2023, and will continue until the position is filled.  Requested application materials include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least five professional references. References will not be contacted until after the first screening of applications and then only after the applicant has given explicit permission. All application materials must be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Competitive salary and benefits.  An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. It is anticipated that the new EVCAA will assume the position on or as soon as possible after January 1, 2024.