Executive Vice President and Provost

Executive Vice President and Provost

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) seeks a seasoned, collaborative academic leader to serve as Executive Vice President and Provost. This is an extraordinary opportunity to provide academic leadership to a regional university that is pivotal in serving the needs of the Southwest Florida community. Located on 800 acres on the coast between Fort Myers and Naples, FGCU is a comprehensive public university offering undergraduate and graduate programs to 15,000 students.  One of 12 universities within the State University System of Florida, FGCU is Carnegie-designated as a master’s level university.  Founded in 1991, FGCU has seen enormous growth in academic programs, research activity, campus life, donor support, and student outcomes.  Through its strategic planning process, five broad themes or pillars have emerged as priorities – student success, academic excellence, entrepreneurship, health sciences, and community engagement.  

FGCU’s mission emphasizes innovative, student-centered teaching and learning, promotes and practices environmental sustainability, embraces diversity, nurtures community partnerships, values public service, encourages civic responsibility, and cultivates habits of lifelong learning and the discovery of new knowledge.  The University has focused its efforts on ensuring student success while building key academic programs that serve the workforce needs of the Southwest Florida region.  The University is proud of its student-centered culture where students enjoy close and supportive relationships with faculty and staff.  FGCU offers 58 undergraduate majors and concentrations, 26 master’s programs, five doctoral programs, and 11 graduate certificates.   Academic programs are offered through five colleges – Arts and Sciences, Lutgert College of Business, Education, U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering, and Marieb College of Health & Human Services – in addition to the Honors College, the School of Entrepreneurship, and the new Water School.

Reporting to the President, the Provost is the University’s chief academic officer and leader of its academic enterprise.  A member of the President’s Executive staff, the Provost is the second ranking officer of the University and leads the institution in the absence of the President. The Provost collaborates with the President, Board of Trustees, Vice-Presidents, Deans, Faculty, and Staff in advancing FGCU’s mission of teaching, learning, scholarship, and service.  The chief advisor to the President on all academic matters, the Provost offers energetic, innovative, intellectual leadership to the academic community; plays a lead role in the development of vision and strategy for the University; and ensures that FGCU’s greatest priorities are academic excellence and student success.  The Provost leads the University’s commitment to programmatic, pedagogical, and scholarly excellence and innovation across the University’s undergraduate and graduate programs.  The Provost is a faculty member with the rank of full professor in one of the University’s academic departments.

An advocate for the faculty, the Provost actively participates in the recruitment, development, and promotion of diverse, promising, and distinguished faculty members and directs the pursuit of excellence in undergraduate, graduate, and professional education and in faculty scholarship and research, developing programs that advance the common good, enhance FGCU’s national reputation and regional impact, and reflect the University’s commitment to community and global engagement and service.  The Provost promotes the University’s efforts to expand its scholarly capacity and oversees academic policy, curricular formulation and implementation, assessment and accreditation. The Provost manages the promotion review process and provides for and supervises regular and timely evaluation of University faculty, deans, and academic administrators.  The Provost works closely with the Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management and promotes diversity and inclusion in all forms among faculty, staff, and students.   The Provost has direct reporting responsibility for the Deans and Directors of the colleges and schools in addition to undergraduate and graduate studies, library services, digital learning, planning and institutional effectiveness, international programs, and equity and diversity.

FGCU seeks a Provost with a broad academic vision, a strong background in scholarship and teaching; and a commitment to undergraduate, graduate, online, and global education.  The Provost will be a passionate, accomplished scholar, strong leader, and enthusiastic advocate for academic quality and student success, who understands the needs of FGCU’s students.   The Provost will be committed to the vision of faculty as teacher/scholars; embrace interdisciplinarity and global perspectives; engage with faculty, students, and staff across a diverse set of academic pursuits; be committed to the open exchange of ideas across campus; promote FGCU’s efforts to ensure timely student graduation and success, and help to build FGCU’s regional and national reputation.  The Provost will have a doctorate or other earned terminal degree; a record of teaching and scholarly or creative accomplishments warranting appointment as a full professor; at least 10 years of experience as a successful academic leader (at least three years in a senior academic role); strong organizational, management, and team-building skills; and the ability to participate in external outreach activities to represent the University. The Provost will demonstrate a commitment to the mission of a comprehensive public university; to student success and to engaging faculty and staff in its attainment; and to diversity, equity, and inclusion as critical components of academic excellence.

Screening will begin in October and continue until an appointment is made. Nominations, inquiries, and applications (including a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and names of five references) should be directed electronically to FGCUProvost@divsearch.com.

Kim M. Morrisson, Ph.D., Senior Managing Director or John Mestepey, Managing Director

Nancy Helfman, Vice President and Senior Associate

Diversified Search

One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 3300, Philadelphia, PA  19103

215-656-3579

FGCU is a community committed to ensuring equity and fairness in employment.  By cultivating diversity, we ensure an inclusive learning environment that contributes to student success.  FGCU is an EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability Employer

For more information, visit www.fgcu.edu

__