Provost and Executive Vice President

Provost and Executive Vice President

Catawba College seeks an experienced academic leader and administrator with a strong record of progressively responsible leadership to serve as the College’s Provost and Executive Vice President (EVP). The Provost and EVP will have the opportunity to shape the future of a college that is at a significant moment in its 172-year history. On the heels of a transformational $200 million endowment gift, with laudable work that positions the College for reaffirmation by SACSCOC and with the pillars of a strategic plan in place, Catawba is poised to take a momentous step forward. At this juncture, Catawba College seeks a seasoned leader to work closely with the President, to serve as the second ranking executive leader of the College, and to closely collaborate with the College's faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends to preserve and further capitalize on Catawba's unique strengths in order to make the College even better tomorrow than it is today.

Catawba College, with a current enrollment of 1,172 undergraduate and graduate students and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, is consistently named one of the Top 10 Best Colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report and is regularly recognized for its expert blending of the liberal arts with professional programming in business, health sciences, and education. The College's combination of small size, undergraduate focus, and professional programs immersed in the liberal arts has long been the foundation of its success. The Provost and EVP will ensure that Catawba will continue to provide its students a liberal arts education rich in personal attention that prepares them for a life of service.

In late 2021, Catawba College received a $200 million gift to the endowment. One-third of the gift will provide recurring funding to support and enhance Catawba's well-established programs in environment and sustainability. Two-thirds of the gift is dedicated to supporting strategic initiatives, strengthening student scholarships, enhancing student success programming, promoting a thriving workplace, and investing in faculty excellence. Earlier in 2021, Catawba received gifts totaling $18M to retire the entirety of the college’s debt, and in 2022, Catawba received an additional endowment gift of $42 million, which further bolsters the college as it boldly embarks on its emerging strategic plan.

The Catawba College Center for the Environment is a key component in the College’s quest to become the leading environmental small college in the Southeast and a national center of distinction. Since its founding in 1996, the Center has led a living-learning laboratory for campus sustainability that provides hands-on environmental learning opportunities for Catawba’s students while helping them learn how to advocate for and lead positive environmental change. Opportunities to strategically extend and integrate sustainability in the curriculum abound. Catawba is one of the 13 carbon neutral campuses in the U.S.

Reporting directly to President David P. Nelson, the Provost and Executive Vice President is the chief academic officer of the College. The Provost is responsible for implementing the academic strategic plan of the College in conjunction with the faculty. The Provost and EVP will provide primary administrative leadership, direction, and evaluation for all the College's academic activities and faculty affairs. The Provost and EVP serves as the second ranking executive leader of the College and conducts the duties of the Office of President of the College in the President’s absence. The Provost and Executive Vice President will have eleven direct reports.

The Provost and EVP will have the opportunity to lead enrollment growth and improve student retention and success. They will provide essential leadership to refine, articulate, and implement the forthcoming strategic plan for the College that capitalizes upon its distinctive character and strengths and elevates Catawba to an even greater level of visibility and prominence. The Provost and EVP will champion Catawba's commitment to sustainability and the environment and help Catawba become the premier college for the environment in the Southeast. Additionally, they will advance well-being, equity, and belonging within and across campus to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff are welcomed, valued, and respected. The Provost and EVP also will support, mentor, and provide professional development opportunities for faculty and staff across the College in all stages of their career.

The ideal candidate will bring a distinguished record that commands the respect of the academic community and merits appointment as a tenured professor at Catawba College. The College's Provost and Executive Vice President will be a visionary servant leader and an astute academic innovator. They will have earned a doctorate or terminal degree, preferably within one of the disciplines of the College. They will have strong interpersonal skills, a deep understanding of and commitment to the mission and values of Catawba College, and a thorough understanding and appreciation of the College’s student-centered culture. The individual will bring significant administrative experience, a highly relational approach, authenticity, self-confidence balanced with humility, integrity of the highest order, and a clear understanding of the challenges facing higher education.

The full prospectus is available https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/19334-catawba-college-provost-and-evp/

For best consideration, please send all nominations and expressions of interest in confidence to:

Jim Sirianni, Managing Director
Mark Halligan, Senior Associate
Storbeck Search
catawbaprovost@storbecksearch.com

For more information, please visit Catawba College's home page at https://catawba.edu

Catawba College is committed to diversity and inclusion. In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by College policies, this institution prohibits discrimination in its employment practices and its educational programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and veteran status. Additionally, Catawba College promotes equal employment opportunity for women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans through its affirmative action program.