Executive Vice President & Provost

Macalester College, a global leader among liberal arts colleges, invites nominations and applications for the role of executive vice president & provost (provost). The provost will drive academic innovation, lead with strategic and inclusive vigor, and create a compelling vision for all aspects of academic life at Macalester.

Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Macalester was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian but nonsectarian college with a firm belief in the transformational power of a liberal arts education. Macalester is ranked among the top 30 liberal arts colleges in the country and was named one of the 25 most innovative colleges in the US. Animated by the mission of high standards for academic excellence, internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society, Macalester enrolls 2,049 students coming from every state and 95 countries. The college’s rigorous and distinctive curriculum offers 39 majors taught by more than 250 full-time and part-time faculty. Diverse interdisciplinary concentrations, including cognitive science, community and global health, and urban studies, exemplify how faculty collaborate across disciplines to actively create relevant, distinctive programs for students. Read more about Macalester at www.macalester.edu.

This is an extraordinary opportunity, at a critical time, for an accomplished scholar and administrator to join a liberal arts college focused on the development of future leaders not only to create a more just and peaceful world, but also to truly prepare students to be in the world as it looks now. As we navigate this current moment and beyond--facing, learning from, and responding to COVID and systemic racism--the new provost will show strong commitment to fostering a student-centered environment, and enhance the institution’s commitments to global citizenship, service to society, and activism. Dr. Suzanne Rivera joined the college in 2020 as Macalester’s 17th president and this will be the first senior appointment to her leadership team. Reporting to the president, the provost will serve as a dynamic thought leader, partnering with the president to articulate a post-2020 vision for Macalester’s future. The provost will support Macalester's faculty and design strategies to strengthen academic programs, their delivery, and their impact. The provost is a pivotal member of the senior leadership team and, in the absence of the president, the provost serves as the senior administrative officer of the college.

The next provost must lead with vision, empathy, and care for the intellectual growth and personal well-being of Macalester's students. The ideal candidate will be an authentic, relationship-oriented, and experienced academic leader, with demonstrated success in bridging gaps and fostering connection and inclusivity. Outstanding leadership, interpersonal skills, and strategic planning experience are essential, as are financial acumen, and the ability to promote a culture of mutual trust and respect, collaboration, and transparency. The ideal candidate will bring demonstrated leadership in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and global engagement. Experience at the level of provost, dean, vice provost, department chair, center director, or equivalent is expected, as is an earned doctorate or terminal academic degree and a record of scholarly or creative achievement that would merit appointment as full professor.

For fullest consideration, application materials (including a letter of application and a curriculum vitae/resume) should be received by March 1, 2021.  Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to the WittKieffer consultants supporting this search:

Lucy A. Leske, Suzanne Teer and Alejandra Gillette-Teran
MacalesterProvost@wittkieffer.com

Macalester is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic staff committed to working in a multicultural environment and strongly encourages applications from everyone who would add richness to our community, including people of color, individuals with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA+ individuals.