Academic Search Seeking Provost for Saint Mary’s College
July 19, 2017 – Colleges and universities across the country are preparing for September and a new academic year. For many of them, that means commencing searches that will deliver high-profile leaders to lead them into a new era of fundraising, digitalization, sports and, in many cases, globalization.
Among the latest, Saint Mary’s College, is seeking its next provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. The school, which is located in Notre Dame, IN, has turned to Academic Search to fill the role. Andrea Warren Hamos, senior consultant and vice president for consulting operations, is leading the search along with consultant Andrea Cowsert.
The Position
The provost, which is the chief academic officer at St. Mary’s, leads the faculty as well as curricular and co-curricular support units in developing and implementing strategic initiatives involving undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs. The provost reports directly to president Janice Cervelli and serves on her cabinet. The individual assumes the role of chief executive officer and spokesperson in the president’s absence.
The provost also serves on the college budget committee, as liaison to the board of trustees academic affairs committee and as secretary of the academic affairs council, which the person chairs in the president’s absence. Direct reports to the provost include the dean of faculty, dean of graduate studies, associate dean for academics, chief information officer, registrar, and directors of student success. The provost also has responsibility over the school’s career crossings office, center for women’s intercultural leadership, campus and community events, and Cushwa-Leighton Library
Visionary Leader
The college said it is looking for a visionary leader who promotes excellence, diversity and inclusion, pedagogical innovation, undergraduate research, internationalization, career and internship development, and an entrepreneurial spirit. The ideal candidate will seek opportunities to partner with other institutions and to explore and expand online and adult education. The new provost is expected to take office by next July.
Saint Mary’s College is a Catholic, residential, liberal arts women’s college. Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1844, Saint Mary’s promotes a life of intellectual vigor, aesthetic appreciation, religious sensibility and social responsibility.
Recruiting University Leadership
For over three decades, Academic Search has been a leader in the design and implementation of search processes for presidents and senior administrators at colleges and universities throughout the country. The firm has completed more than 380 executive searches for higher education institutions and related organizations for positions that over the last five years have ranged from deans to provosts to presidents.
Academic Search was recently tapped by California State University Channel Islands (CI) to lead its search for a provost. Senior consultant Dr. Ann Die Hasselmo is leading the assignment. Emory’s search committee said it is looking for visionaries to make it the go-to place for policymakers, students and researchers.
The hunt for university leadership has been heating up — especially the search for provosts and chancellors. Here’s a look at just a few from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Heidrick & Struggles’ higher education specialty team recruited Dwight McBride as the provost and chief academic officer of Emory University. Mr. McBride was previously the dean of The Graduate School and associate provost for graduate education at Northwestern University.
The University of Illinois has selected Witt/Kieffer to lead its search for a new provost for its Urbana campus. The recruiting firm, one of nine under contract by the Illinois Public Higher Education Cooperative to perform administrative, academic and medical searches, will be paid $121,600 plus expenses to conduct the assignment.
Wheless Partners has been tapped by Texas Tech University to lead its search for a new provost. Mike (JR) Wheless is leading the assignment. The provost is the chief academic officer of Texas Tech University responsible for the overall academic mission of the university. This involves working with the president, deans, faculty, staff, and students to promote academic excellence.
Greenwood / Asher & Associates placed Robert Jones as chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). With more than 30 years of experience in public higher education, Mr. Jones came the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY) where he served as president.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
