Academic Search Seeks Provost for University of New Haven
December 16, 2022 – Education-focused executive recruiter Academic Search has been tapped to find the next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs (SVPAA) for the University of New Haven in West Haven, CT. The assignment is being led by senior consultants Maria Thompson and Cynthia M. Patterson, along with associate consultant Lisa C. Rosenberg.
As the chief academic officer, the provost/ SVPAA will oversee all academic policies and programs dedicated to fostering the intellectual life of the university and student success, said Academic Search. The individual must be a dynamic, innovative leader who combines a deep passion for liberal arts and professional education with the academic, financial, and strategic acumen to offer strong, collaborative, and transparent leadership within the community.
The provost/ SVPAA will play a leading role in strengthening the university’s identity as an institution dedicated to serving the needs of a diverse student population, promoting service, access, and academic excellence, said the search firm. He or she will report directly to the university’s president and will work with the president as a thought partner to support the institutional vision for the future and to develop and implement initiatives to advance the university’s priorities
The key areas of responsibility for the new provost will involve: providing leadership for the academic intellectual enterprise; developing new educational models and strategies; championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, access, and belonging at the policy and curricular level; helping reimagine the university’s professoriate; and resource development and stewardship.
Focused Goals
“The provost and SVPAA will lead faculty, staff, and administrators to pursue focused goals in a clear, purposeful way and boldly champion academic innovation, transformation, and program renewal,” said Academic Search. “The provost and SVPAA should be fluent in the current and emerging topics in higher education, particularly those that are relevant to a regional, private university. Working directly with the deans and faculty, the provost and SVPAA must engage the entire community in reflecting, visioning, and planning for the future of the institution—which must include creating innovative teaching and learning experiences, reimagining the role and responsibilities of faculty, and fostering a spirit of collaboration within the academic community.”
The right candidate will be a dynamic and innovative leader with a record of significant accomplishment at a senior leadership level, with a preference for experience working as a provost or VP for academic affairs, said Academic Search. He or she should be a strategic leader with a vision centered in the interconnectedness between academic program offerings and enrollment growth. Among other qualifications, the University of New Haven also wants a scholar and educator who possesses a doctoral or terminal degree and the academic credentials suitable for an appointment at the level of full professor.
Related: Why Universities Have Stepped Up Efforts to Involve Search Firms
Founded in 1920, the University of New Haven offers more than 55 undergraduate degree programs and over 33 graduate degree programs for a total of 88 programs. Many degrees are available through part-time, evening, online and executive programs. The university has an enrollment of more than 6,793 (53.3 percent female, 46.7 percent male); approximately 1,881 graduate students and more than 4,912 full-time undergraduates, and 27.4 percent underrepresented students and 223 military veterans students.
Higher Education Recruiters
Academic Search is the only search firm in the nation with a formal relationship to a premier leadership development program. As the subsidiary of the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), the firm provides substantial financial support to a number of leadership identification, development and support programs across all sectors of public and private higher education. The firm is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The firm is led by Jay Lemons, who has served as president since 2017, after serving for 25 years as a college president in both public and private higher education.
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Dr. Patterson joined Academic Search in 2018, after over 35 years in multiple leadership positions within education, including serving as a vice president of academic affairs, chief student affairs officer, and dean of arts and sciences. Dr. Patterson also brings unique experience and expertise in educational technology, having served as a vice-president for two K12 educational technology companies, and as a senior vice president for a data analytics firm.
Dr. Thompson also serves as senior executive coach. She is a career educator with a distinguished history of leadership in higher education. She has been president and CEO of Coppin State University, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta, and vice president for research and sponsored program at Tennessee State University, among other roles.
Ms. Rosenberg has assisted in searches for presidents, vice presidents, deans, and others at many types of higher education institutions and organizations—across the U.S. and internationally—since joining Academic Search in 2016. Previously, Ms. Rosenberg spent 14 years at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) in various roles, including director of research and associate director for consulting services.
Related: Academic Search Recruits President for Norwich University
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
