Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

San José State University seeks a seasoned leader with deep administrative experience and an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student success to serve as its next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Founded in 1857, San José State University is the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast. San José State is located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley and is the fifth largest of the 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU) system, the largest 4-year university system in the United States. As one of the 200 top research universities in the nation, San José State has robust NSF and NIH-funded research programs and one of the highest levels of research funding in the CSU system. San José State also offers rigorous coursework to more than 35,000 undergraduate and graduate students in seven colleges.

Since the arrival of President Mary Papazian in 2016, San José State has experienced a transformational shift in culture and momentum. The tone on campus is one of vibrancy and optimism for the future. With record-breaking enrollment and a renewed commitment to excellence in teaching and research, the campus is poised to grow and innovate, strengthening its connection to the surrounding San José and Silicon Valley community and further fulfilling its social justice mission of access and equity. A new strategic plan will be released Spring 2019, laying the groundwork for the next ten years of unparalleled growth.

The incoming provost and senior vice president will have an integral role in the continued transformation of the campus as a senior member of the president's leadership team. Reporting directly to President Papazian, the provost and senior vice president is the chief academic officer for the university, supporting the implementation of the university's academic mission and providing curricular and administrative leadership within a creative, entrepreneurial, multicultural, international and high-technology academic environment. The provost provides leadership to all deans and academic administrators for the purpose of assessing, planning and budgeting the academic enterprise of the campus.

The provost and senior vice president will be an engaged, collaborative and entrepreneurial leader with a demonstrated commitment to faculty excellence and student success. The provost will be an institutional advocate and effective communicator with both internal and external constituencies. Chief among responsibilities will be working effectively with the president and academic affairs unit to execute strategic and transformational initiatives that will further strengthen the university and the community. The provost will embrace the faculty’s commitment to teaching excellence, innovative research and quality scholarship, service to the institution and community and will understand and articulate the connections among them. The provost will demonstrate a commitment to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion among all members of the campus community. The provost will be expected to lead by example and ensure transparent communication, embrace and champion shared governance and support the pursuit of knowledge through free expression, critical thinking and open discourse and debate. Candidates should have an earned doctorate or equivalent and an academic record sufficient to be granted the rank of professor and tenure in one of the university's academic departments. The candidate should have a demonstrated record of progressive administrative and academic leadership responsibilities, preferably as the head of an academic unit or division. For more information about the position, please see http://www.wittkieffer.com.

Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by October 26, 2018. Candidates should provide, as three separate documents, a curriculum vitae, a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the leadership profile and the names and contact information of five references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. These materials should be sent e-mail to the San José State University’s consultants, Zachary A. Smith, Ph.D., Suzanne Teer and Sophie Stava, at SJSUProvost@wittkieffer.com. Questions may also be directed to the consultants through the office of Candice Jones at 630-575-6929.

SJSU is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

It is the policy of SJSU to provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.