Provost & Executive Vice President and Professor at InsideHigherEd

Job Title: Provost & Executive Vice President and Professor

Department: President Office

Worker Type: Regular

Pay Type: Salary

Position Salary Minimum: $400,000

Position Salary Maximum: $425,000

Salary will be commensurate with the level of the position, education, and experience.

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

Benefit Eligible: Yes

Screening Date: 2025-10-27

Job Description Summary: Miami University seeks a strategic and innovative provost and executive vice president for academic affairs to lead the university’s efforts to transform and reinvigorate the university to strengthen its teaching, research, and service missions, and to reimagine itself to serve the dynamic needs and interests of students now and in the future. This collegial leader will serve as a vital member of the president’s executive cabinet by partnering with faculty, staff, and other university leaders in advancing and sustaining its academic enterprise through cutting-edge research and practice, as well as community engagement.

Job Description: Miami University is a highly respected and distinctive public institution of higher education that is recognized for outstanding undergraduate education and selective graduate and research programs. The University serves the citizens of the state of Ohio, as well as an established regional and an increasingly national constituency. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced, visionary leader to help grow, enhance, and advance Miami University.

With a student body of over 16,000 undergraduate and approximately 2,000 graduate students at its Oxford campus, Miami effectively combines a wide range of strong academic programs with the personal attention ordinarily found only at much smaller institutions. Graduate programs complement and enhance the undergraduate educational experience. Beyond Oxford, two regional campuses, Miami Online, and the Voice of America Learning Center, collectively enroll an additional approximately 3,500 students, providing key access points and opportunities for traditional and non-traditional students alike. The Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg provides Miami students with a unique opportunity for an immersive study abroad experience.

Miami’s unwavering commitment to teaching and learning is demonstrated in the University’s record of exceptional retention and graduation rates, as well as its consistently strong and engaged alumni community. Miami encourages and supports its students’ intellectual depth and curiosity, the importance of personal values as a measure of character, and a commitment to life-long learning in a global environment. Further, Miami creates an environment where students engage actively in service and develop strong leadership, interpersonal, and civic skills.

Reporting directly to the President, the provost will provide oversight of a breadth of academic disciplines, centers, institutes, programs, committees, and councils. This individual will also lead and advocate for approximately 1,000 full-time instructional faculty, and a staff of nearly 500 and oversee a budget of approximately $300M.

The Miami Experience: Historically, Miami has created a strong undergraduate community through its commitment to student success; building student and alumni loyalty; and by empowering its students, faculty, and staff to become engaged citizens. It effectively combines a wide range of strong academic programs with the personal attention ordinarily found only at much smaller institutions, drawing students who want the benefits of a rigorous academic program in a student-centered environment. It is this Miami experience that continues to attract exceptional students.

The University’s curriculum and commitment to the highest quality instruction have earned it exceptional recognition:

• Miami is ranked No. 74 nationally among public universities in “Best Colleges 2025” by U.S. News & World Report. Among all national universities, Miami is ranked No. 144 out of 434 universities on the list.
• In a special U.S. News & World Report list, Miami ranks No. 2 nationally among public universities and number 12 among all universities, for commitment to undergraduate teaching. Miami has been on the list since 2009.
• Miami programs in entrepreneurship, engineering (no doctorate), business, undergraduate research/creative projects, services to veterans, and writing in the disciplines are ranked in the top 100 by U.S News and World Report, 2024.
• LinkedIn recognized Miami as No. 6 among public schools and No. 35 overall for universities that best set up their graduates for long-term success.
• Miami’s Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship program was ranked 7th in the world by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine.
• Miami University’s Honors College is ranked No. 6 overall in the 50 Best Honors Colleges for 2024 by College Transitions.
• Miami received the 2019 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, given by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. It recognizes outstanding innovation and accomplishment in campus internationalization.
• Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine listed Miami as one of the "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" for 2019. Miami has appeared on the list since it was first published in 1998.

Miami University has an Office of Research and Innovation, and the following academic divisions:

• College of Arts and Science
• College of Creative Arts
• College of Education, Health, and Society
• College of Engineering and Computing
• Farmer School of Business
• College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science
• Honors College
• Graduate School

The College of Arts and Science is the oldest and largest college at Miami, with nearly half of the undergraduate student body enrolled. In addition, the Humanities Center and the new Humanities Hub in Bachelor Hall serve as a place for cross-disciplinary collaboration, public engagement, and innovation in the humanities, underscoring Miami’s commitment to humanistic scholarship and teaching. The Farmer School of Business and the College of Engineering and Computing are nationally recognized and ranked. In all, there are approximately 100 undergraduate majors, many master’s and doctoral degrees, and an expanding portfolio of online degrees and certificate programs. Visit Miami's website to learn more about their academic programs.

The Strategic Plan – Miami THRIVE: In the fall of 2023, Miami University initiated an ambitious and innovative project to identify opportunities to strengthen Miami to better support its teaching, research, and service missions. MiamiTHRIVE will guide the university in reimagining Miami to serve the dynamic needs and interests of students now and in the future.

Miami THRIVE has focused on three priorities: student-centered transformative ideas, unwavering commitment to excellence, and mission-focused operational efficiency. To thrive in the future, Miami has set a student-centric ambition: Preparing our students to thrive and lead through exceptional lives and dynamic, lifelong career journeys. Five strategic pillars will support Miami’s ambition:

• Flexible, skills-focused curriculum: Restructure the curriculum to ensure that all Miami students develop foundational, lifelong skills in key areas such as leadership, critical thinking, writing, communications, and collaboration, while expanding flexible and interdisciplinary offerings.
• Leading programs within in-demand fields: Better meet long-term trends in student demand by expanding areas of excellence in core interdisciplinary areas, including health, business, data sciences, STEM, and public service.
• Experiential learning for every student: Offer robust opportunities for experiential and applied learning in Oxford and beyond, including in key urban locations throughout the Midwest and select international markets.
• Expansive partner ecosystem: Create academic, career, and experience opportunities through a market-leading network of industry and governmental partners, alumni, and communities.
• Reinvigorated campus experience: Create transformative, signature, engaging experiences (e.g., through student organizations, Living-Learning Communities, athletics, and creative arts) across Oxford and regional campuses.

In spring 2024, MiamiTHRIVE launched 19 working groups focused on defining strategies and action plans to support the five strategic pillars while ensuring that Miami retains and builds on its foundational strengths and areas of differentiation. The working teams are composed of individuals from across each academic and non-academic division. More than 1,000 stakeholders from across campus have contributed to the plan to date.

Visit the MiamiTHRIVE website to learn more.

LEADERSHIP

Gregory Crawford, President

For more than 25 years, Dr. Gregory Crawford has been a passionate and innovative leader in higher education. He is the 22nd president of Miami University, a role he assumed in July 2016. Since he arrived, he has articulated a clear vision for the University focused on growth and excellence in a transformative learning environment embedded in collaboration and interdisciplinary studies across all of Miami’s campuses. His dedication to providing an unparalleled learning experience is illuminated by his various accomplishments.

Under the leadership of President Crawford, Miami University has embarked on a process of reinvention, drawing on historic strengths: an unsurpassed residential campus experience; a focus on undergraduate teaching; a teacher-scholar model; a commitment to liberal arts; and a collaborative, engaging, innovative transdisciplinary mindset equipped to address the future.

President Crawford has launched a billion-dollar philanthropic campaign – The Power of Will.  The campaign seeks to raise $1 Billion to support four cornerstones: Scholarships, Business and Entrepreneurship, Clinical Health Sciences, and Digital Innovation and Technology. The public launch took place at Homecoming 2022 and was kicked off with a $46M bequest for student support – the largest gift to date in Miami’s history. As of January 2025, Miami has raised $744 million of its $1 billion campaign goal.

THE ROLE OF THE PROVOST: Reporting directly to the President of Miami University, the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs is the chief academic officer and a thought leader in partnership with the President and cabinet. The provost is expected to be the academic and scholarly leader of the university, with ultimate responsibility for all academic programs, operations, and initiatives, and to manage a significant part of the academic budget. The provost has primary oversight of all academic operations of the university, including faculty promotion and tenure, and administrative structures of colleges, centers, and the regional campuses.

The provost also will be responsible for the creation and implementation of programs consonant with MiamiTHRIVE. The provost will draw upon the highly collaborative nature of the Miami University campus to guide the schools and colleges to execute the strategic plan. The provost will be responsible for the appointment and evaluation of all direct reports.

Miami seeks to enhance student performance, the standing of scholarly programs in their respective communities, and the acquisition of external support for these programs. In addition, the provost will be responsible for working with the senior vice president for finance and business services, vice president for research and innovation, and vice president for advancement to develop a collaborative vision for the academic and research enterprise of the university, advance Miami’s funding, and enhance its research profile nationally.  The provost also will be expected to work closely with the senior vice president for student life, and vice president for enrollment management and student success to enrich classroom quality, the student experience, and Miami’s national reputation for undergraduate and graduate education and success.

The provost oversees a number of dedicated and hardworking individuals. Direct reports to the provost currently include:

• Associate Provost
• Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
• Dean of the College of Arts and Science
• Dean of the College of Creative Arts
• Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Society
• Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing
• Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science (Hamilton and Middletown Campuses)
• Dean of the Farmer School of Business
• Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
• University Librarian and Dean of the Libraries
• Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives and Continuing Education
• Associate Vice President for Institutional Research and Effectiveness
• Assistant Vice President for Online Learning and Professional Education
• Executive Director, Center for Civics, Culture, and Society
• Executive Assistant to the Provost

Leadership Agenda: As the university continues to grow and evolve under the leadership of President Crawford, the new provost will have the opportunity to address the following priorities:

• Provide Vision, Focus, and Execution on MiamiTHRIVE. Amid transformative initiatives—such as THRIVE, new partnerships, the transformation of the Regionals to a Polytechnic campus, and an ambitious capital campaign- the provost will play a critical role in bringing clarity, discipline, and follow-through on Miami’s academic future. This leader will work with a range of constituencies from the faculty, staff, students, president, and the Board of Trustees, as well as internal and external campus partners, to establish a unifying direction, prioritize among competing opportunities, and ensure consistent execution that advances Miami’s long-term aspirations. The provost is expected to represent Miami’s academic goals and aspirations in a lively and intellectually engaging way, ensuring that Miami maintains its strong student-centered academic environment while crafting a collaborative vision for Miami’s future.
• Strengthen Shared Governance and Collaborative Academic Innovation. Miami University will look to its provost to forward transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary efforts as well as collaborations among locations and divisions. As the head of the university’s faculty and a key member of the president’s executive cabinet (PEC), the provost will work closely with deans to continue a curriculum evaluation and streamline process to support a forward-looking vision for the university. Miami holds a distinctive position as an institution with both the intimacy of a traditional liberal arts college as well as the breadth of experiences found at larger institutions; the next provost will enhance this distinction and propel Miami’s course offerings into the future.
• Champion Miami’s Strong Student-Centered Philosophy. Central to the university’s mission, the provost will work closely with the senior vice president of student life to champion an institutional atmosphere in which holistic student learning is encouraged and nurtured, and in which students’ curricular and co-curricular experiences – the development of intellect and character - meld to support academic and personal success. The provost will also partner with the vice president for enrollment management and student success to lead an enrollment effort that will result in strong student enrollment and increased retention.
• Elevate Research and Academic Excellence. As Miami aspires toward greater research intensity, the provost will nurture a culture of scholarship and innovation. This includes supporting faculty success, growing research productivity and grant activity, and advancing interdisciplinary collaboration, while maintaining Miami’s distinctive strengths in undergraduate teaching, liberal arts, and student-centered learning.
• Build External Partnerships and Representing Miami’s Academic Mission. Building on the institution's outstanding success, the provost must possess an entrepreneurial spirit to facilitate the cultivation of community-based strategic partnerships that expand programming and educational opportunities for Miami University students and faculty. With political acumen and an entrepreneurial spirit, this leader will help expand partnerships, secure new resources, and communicate Miami’s value and academic priorities in compelling and inspiring ways.
• Drive Financial Stewardship and Strategic Investment. The next provost will align resources with institutional priorities, address departmental challenges, and steward Miami’s academic portfolio with discipline and creativity. This leader will collaborate with the senior vice president for finance and business services, other members of the PEC, and the deans to ensure financial sustainability, streamline programs, and make strategic investments that advance Miami’s mission. The provost will need to develop a thorough understanding of evolving student demographics as well as shifts in the academic interests of prospective students. Then, in partnership with the deans, review and streamline the university’s existing academic programs, make strategic investments in new programs, and promote collaboration in ways that benefit the overall well-being of the university.

Required qualifications:

• a record of substantial, successful leadership experience in significant leadership roles, such as department chair, dean, assistant/associate provost/provost, and/or assistant/associate vice president/ vice president;
• A minimum of ten years of experience in higher education, with an earned terminal degree and an outstanding record in education and research commensurate with the appointment to the rank of full professor with tenure; normally marked by tenured professorship, teaching excellence, and a strong research/publication record;
• a career progression that has prepared them for a position of this scope, complexity, and scale.

Desired attributes and experience:

• high integrity and superb judgment and an ability to exemplify fairness, empathy, and responsiveness;
• credibility and trustworthiness, with a capacity to set high standards and empower others;
• a proven ability to lead complex organizations, manage budgets, oversee curriculum development, supervise deans and academic units, all with demonstrated strategic thinking and long-term planning capabilities;
• strong commitment to faculty development, student success and retention, interdisciplinary collaboration, and to teaching, research, and service;
• exceptional budgetary and financial management skills;
• experience as a distinguished teacher-scholar;
• the ability to build consensus among varied stakeholders, and to communicate and collaborate effectively with the many constituencies whose contributions are required for the success of the university, including but not limited to faculty, administrators, staff, students, Board members, alumni, donors, and community partners;
• experience with regional or professional accreditation processes, and regulatory compliance and academic policies;
• the ability to set high standards for faculty and willingness to communicate those standards with exceptional clarity;
• proven ability to make data-driven decisions;
• broad and transdisciplinary thinking, not only in leadership but also in past scholarship and teaching that demonstrates acumen for crossing boundaries;
• creativity, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to bring new ideas to fruition in a timely fashion;
• a proven ability to move new programs through a multitude of governance processes on campus and within state administration;
• an ability to lead a community with compassion and sensitivity through a time of significant growth and change;
• an ability to support advancement goals, collaborate with development teams, and represent the academic mission to donors, alumni, and community partners;
• experience in fundraising, preferably with experience in government grants, foundation, corporate, and philanthropic gifts.

Required Application Documents: The requested application materials include a letter of interest and a curriculum vitae.

Special Instructions (if applicable): The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and on an ongoing basis over Fall/Winter 2025-26. For best consideration, please submit materials as soon as possible. The requested application materials include a letter of interest and a curriculum vitae. Please submit materials via our online portal here: https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/22591.

Miami University is assisted in the search by DSG Storbeck. For additional information, please contact: R. Thomas Fitch, Managing Director or Amanda Bennett, Managing Associate at Email: [email protected]

Additional Information

A criminal background check is required. All campuses are smoke- and tobacco-free campuses.

This organization participates in E-Verify.

Remote Work
For positions that are approved for remote work: Remote work is not a right, it is a work arrangement that can be modified or revoked by Miami University at any time for any reason, including the convenience of the University.

Reasonable Accommodations
Requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities related to employment should be directed to [email protected] or 513-529-3560. Questions and follow-ups regarding requests should also be directed here.

Miami University Values Statement
Miami University is a scholarly community whose members believe that a liberal education is grounded in qualities of character as well as of intellect. We respect the dignity of other persons, the rights and property of others, and the right of others to hold and express disparate beliefs. We believe in honesty, integrity, and the importance of moral conduct. We defend the freedom of inquiry that is the heart of learning and combine that freedom with the exercise of judgment and the acceptance of personal responsibility.

For more information on Miami University’s mission and core values, please visit the Mission and Core Values webpage.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement
Miami University, an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, encourages applications from protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Miami University prohibits harassment, discrimination and retaliation on the basis of age (40 years or older), color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin (ancestry), pregnancy, race, religion, sex/gender, status as a parent or foster parent, sexual orientation, or protected veteran status in its application and admission processes, educational programs and activities, facilities, programs or employment practices. Requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities related to employment should be directed to [email protected] or 513-529-3560.

Clery Act
As part of the University’s commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe living, learning, and working environment, we encourage you to read Miami University’s Annual Security & Fire Safety Report at: http://www.MiamiOH.edu/campus-safety/annual-report/index.html, which contains information about campus safety, crime statistics, and our drug and alcohol abuse and prevention program designed to prevent the unlawful possession, use, and distribution of drugs and alcohol on campus and at university events and activities. This report also contains information on programs and policies designed to prevent and address sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Each year, email notification of this website is made to all faculty, staff, and enrolled students. Written notification is also provided to prospective students and employees. Hard copies of the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report may be obtained from the Miami University Police Department at 513-529-2223.

Labor Law Posters for Applicants

Please visit our Labor Law Posters webpage to access all relevant and applicable labor law information