Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Success

University System of Maryland

Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Success

Chancellor Jay Perman of the University System of Maryland (USM) announces the search for a Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Success. This role strategically leads and oversees the system wide planning, development and administration of academic and student success initiatives, programs and policies in fulfillment of the Maryland State mission to ensure access to an extraordinary education and to provide the talent to fuel Maryland’s economic engine.

Consistently ranked among the top-performing systems of public higher education in the nation, the USM comprises 12 institutions, three regional higher educational centers and a system office. It serves more than 162,000 students worldwide with an operating budget of more than $6 billion. The Presidents of the USM’s 12 institutions report directly to the Chancellor and together are accountable for providing transformative leadership, focus and strategic vision for the advancement of public higher education and research activities in the state of Maryland.

As Maryland’s public university system, the USM is well positioned on multiple levels for continued progress and success. Maryland is a well-educated state, ranking second nationally in the percentage of professional and technical workers and is in the top five in the portion adults with bachelor’s and advanced degrees. A tremendously diverse and culturally rich state, Maryland is also affluent, leading the nation in median income and having the nation’s second lowest poverty rate. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. provides ready access to national leadership, numerous federal labs and facilities (NIH, FDA, NIST, etc.) and myriad partnership opportunities for institutions, faculty and students. Higher education in Maryland—and the USM in particular—has received impressive bipartisan support for several years.

The USM Division of Academic Affairs focuses on student success and staff and faculty support while providing leadership and assistance to the 12 universities and three regional centers. Serving the 162,000 students and 36,000 faculty and staff within the USM, Academic Affairs is committed to working cooperatively with all campus partners to provide students with countless opportunities to achieve their current and future educational and career goals, thereby contributing to Maryland’s economy, culture and society.

Reporting directly to the Chancellor and serving as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet, the Senior Vice Chancellor is responsible for the academic and student success initiatives that provide support to the campus-led initiatives that advance and achieve the goals of the System’s strategic plan and prepare the USM colleges and universities to be student-ready and to support success for all students.

The Senior Vice Chancellor will be an experienced, dynamic and visionary academic leader with significant experience in a mission-driven, complex university or university system. The ideal candidate will also have a demonstrated record of leading change; an innovative mindset to support the redesign of teaching, learning and student support services; a strong vision for equity and inclusion; and collaborative management and communication skills. The next Senior Vice Chancellor will possess an appreciation for the power of systemness or system work in creating pathways for student success and in advancing the strategic positioning of colleges and universities.

WittKieffer is assisting the University of System of Maryland in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by August 1, 2022. This search is being conducted with full confidentiality for candidates.

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 leadership profile. Professional references are not requested at this time.

Application materials should be submitted to WittKieffer’s candidate portal. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to John K. Thornburgh and Jen Meyers Pickard, Ph.D. at UMarylandSVCAA@wittkieffer.com.

The USM is an equal opportunity employer as to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, disability and other legally protected characteristics. Applicants may be asked to present documentation required by the 1986 Immigration Act, including identity, U.S. citizenship or alien status, and U.S. work authorization.