Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost

The City University of New York (CUNY) invites inquiries, nominations and applications for a visionary and collaborative leader to serve as the University's next Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost.

CUNY is the nation's largest urban public university system, comprising 25 campuses: eleven senior colleges, seven community colleges, one undergraduate honors college, and six postgraduate institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs. A transformative engine of social mobility, CUNY is a critical component of the lifeblood of the city. Founded in 1847 as the nation's first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today serves 275,000 degree-seeking students of all ages and awards 55,000 degrees each year. An additional 250,000 are enrolled in continuing education classes. More than 80 percent of the University's graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the City's economic, civic and cultural life, diversifying and strengthening the city's workforce in every sector. The University's historic mission—to provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background—continues to this day.

The Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost (EVC/UP) will bring critical leadership to the City University system and its distinctive campuses by partnering closely with the Chancellor, the Council of Presidents, and other senior leaders. The EVC/UP is the Chancellor's chief deputy, providing system-wide leadership and impact, and overseeing a broad portfolio that includes academic affairs, research, instructional technology, global engagement, student development and success, and enrollment management. It is important the EVC/UP understand not only the university as whole but also the unique campus contexts, identities, and challenges. The Executive Vice Chancellor convenes the Provosts Council, serves as a link between the campuses, plays a key role in coordinating the development of strategic priorities between the campuses and the CUNY Board of Trustees, provides meaningful leadership and support to University-wide research and industry partnerships, and plays a crucial role in responding to and addressing University crises and emergencies.

CUNY's incoming EVC/UP will be a close partner with the Chancellor to envision the University's strategic direction and long-term future, advancing CUNY's mission of academic excellence and social mobility while assuring its financial strength and resilience as it serves and supports the diverse people and needs of a world-class city. The EVC/UP will support and enable the distinctive mission of the system’s 25 colleges, professional schools, and academic units, and support and advocate for the needs of their magnificently diverse student populations. This is a remarkable opportunity of leadership in advancing urban public education on a national stage and to realize the transformative power of higher education in advancing social mobility and creating talent pipelines for the City and the world.

The successful candidate will bring highly respected academic credentials; a passionate commitment to CUNY’s mission along with the capacity to form a seamless partnership with its chancellor; demonstrated experience in institutional policy design, analysis and implementation—ideally drawn from previous executive-level experience in higher education at a system and/or campus level, and the ability to scale, to embrace complexity, and to anticipate impact on campus faculty and students. The new EVC/UP will present superior interpersonal and communications skills, a keen sense of creativity and intellectual curiosity, the ability to serve comfortably in an advisory role, and an eagerness to enhance value proposition of the system through best practices and innovation.

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the profile under "related documents" here.

WittKieffer is assisting the City University of New York in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by October 15, 2021.

Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:

Robin Mamlet, Zachary Smith, Alejandra Gillette-Teran and Christine J. Pendleton

CUNY-EVC@wittkieffer.com

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer