Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Posted: 10/31/2024

Montana State University Billings is a preferred employer in the region-WE WANT YOU!
The following are reasons why you should join our team:
  • Work-life balance
  • Holidays-10 paid holidays per year and 1 Floating Holiday
  • Vacation- 15 days per year (New Employees to 10 years; after 10 years the accrual rate increases)
  • Sick Leave – Earned at an accrual rate of .0416125 for each hour in pay status.
  • Employee and Dependent Tuition Waiver
  • Opportunities to engage in professional development opportunities
  • Committed to employee wellness and access to a robust Employee Assistance Program
  • Medical Benefits that are robust and affordable
  • Visit MUS Benefits to learn more about our benefit package including
    • Medical, Vision, and Dental
    • Life Insurance and Long Term Disability are incorporated into our benefits
    • Learn more about our retirement benefits at MUS Retirement
  • Opportunities for career growth and a variety of career paths
  • Campus vibrancy- coffee shops, FREE attendance to MSUB concerts, athletic events, and lectures, access to recreation center, library, etc.
  • Beautiful campus environment that features our MSUB Mile walking path
The Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs is the Chief Academic Officer of Montana State University Billings and is responsible to the Chancellor for all operations of the University related to the academic mission, instructional programs, educational policy, academic planning, academic resources, management and oversight of the academic affairs budget, and faculty personnel actions. In addition, the Provost is responsible for academic support units including Assessment and Accreditation, Academic Success (Advising Center, Academic Support Center, Career & Employment Services, Dual Enrollment, International Studies and Registrar’s Office), Center for Teaching and Learning, Graduate Studies, Grants and Sponsored Programs, Institutional Research, Library, and University Honors Program. The Provost is the supervisor for all divisions within Academic Affairs and advocates for the college deans, faculty, and students of MSUB.

MSU Billings is committed to continuous quality improvement of all services, programs, procedures, and interactions that employees have with students, family members, staff, faculty members, community partners, colleagues, and guests. The Provost collaborates with all constituencies on efforts to continually improve the delivery of services.

Leadership and Collaboration
  • Provide visionary leadership focused on ensuring academic excellence, preparing an employable workforce, furthering student success, and creating a learning-centered environment;
  • Foster a culture of excellence in teaching and learning in support of student success;
  • Support, enhance, and celebrate faculty and student research, scholarly, and creative activities;
  • Demonstrate commitment to shared governance and collaboration with all internal constituencies;
  • Develop a sustainable, cohesive leadership team that shares the vision, mission, and a tradition of excellence for MSU Billings;
  • Create and promote a campus climate of inclusion and belonging;
  • Lead and inspire by example;
  • Work collaboratively with the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, Deans, Directors, Faculty Leadership, faculty, staff, and campus constituents to further the mission, vision, and University strategic plan;
  • Develop, improve, or implement best practices for student retention and timely graduation;
  • Forge strong partnerships and coalitions (locally, regionally, statewide, and nationally) within MSU Billings, the community, and representatives of business, industry, government, and educational institutions (K-16);
  • Lead collaborative efforts to meet the demands of students and employers for new and expanded academic programs, career and technical programs, and workforce training;
  • Develop and expand programs and services that are accessible to community residents throughout the greater Billings and Yellowstone service area, including the region’s Native American population (with a focus on recruitment and retention);
  • Lead collaborative efforts to advance partnerships within the Montana University System (MUS), Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) and MSU Billings initiatives including planning, partnership building, pathways, and potential future community efforts;
  • Advocate successfully for MSU Billings to local, state, and national officials, and individual donors to enhance funding for educational programs and services, facilities and resources that enable the University to serve students and attract and retain the high-quality faculty and staff for which it is known;
  • Monitor accreditation efforts within the Division of Academic Affairs and ensure positive reviews;
  • Assist with the development, implementation, and monitoring of the universities strategic plan;
  • Represent the Chancellor in his/her absence; and perform other duties as assigned.
Management
  • Make decisions and communicate to various campus stakeholders in a timely and responsible manner;
  • Lead the Academic Affairs Division in the annual and long-term budget development process, strategy, and effective allocation of resource. Ensure the division operates efficiently and effectively within budget;
  • Supervise managers and activities of grant-funded programs by providing leadership and oversight to ensure maximum funding is obtained and proper expenditure of funds occurs;
  • Establish and maintain public relations initiatives and serve as the spokesperson for the Division;
  • Gather and disseminate information concerning the division’s successes and challenges to faculty and staff, the Chancellor’s Cabinet, the Provost Council, the Dean’s Council, Faculty Leadership and the various stakeholders on a regular basis;
  • Support professional development of faculty and staff;
  • Recruit, develop, and manage direct reports, including but not limited to Deans, Directors, Executive Assistant, and others;
  • Oversees all faculty evaluations;
  • Ensure the Division operates within a culture of evidence, through regular monitoring of formal and informal assessment measures. Strengthen assessment measures throughout all programs and ensure use of assessment data in curricular changes and revisions in a continuous improvement environment;
  • Oversee the Academic Program Review (APR) process;
  • Oversee processes to evaluate and revise policies and procedures;
  • Recommend changes to organizational processes to improve efficiencies and effectiveness;
  • Oversee and manage faculty scheduling of classes, adding or closing sections as appropriate in a timely manner;
  • Ensure all staff within the Division have current position descriptions accurately reflecting their responsibilities and are evaluated annually.
Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
 
QUALITIES and EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
  • Academic administrator with increasing responsibility for areas in academic affairs that include academic programs, faculty recruitment and retention, research, creative and scholarly activity, rank and tenure review, academic budgeting, and fostering a culture of excellence in teaching and learning;
  • Communicator who effectively engages others, facilitates two-way communication, provides clarity in decision-making and promotes trust, respect, and compassion;
  • Collaborator with demonstrated commitment to shared governance, as well as experience working with campus unions;
  • Engaging leader who will strive to understand the administrative complexities and culture across the University, state and region;
  • Proven track record of working in support of students, faculty, staff, alumni and external stakeholders;
  • Utilizes data to inform decision-making processes;
  • Experience with academic program development, assessment, and review;
  • Successful experience with fiscal/budget constraints/procedures within a public institution;
  • Possess a track record of working with various university stakeholders, including the community;
  • Experience with fundraising and generating revenue from innovative program development and grant opportunities;
  • Committed to continuous self-development and mentoring others;
  • Experience working with accreditation agencies;
  • Serves on the bargaining team representing MSUB administration during contract negotiations between faculty unions and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education;
  • Teaching, scholarly research or creative activity, and service credentials demonstrating earned tenure and the rank of full professor*
* MSU Billings does not offer administrators tenure at time of hire; and we do not, currently, have an academic tenure review process for administrators; related, we currently do not offer incoming faculty tenure at hire.

Education Required: Earned doctorate from an accredited institution of higher education

Applicants will be reviewed and interviewed on an ongoing basis after the screening date. The screening date begins 10 calendar days after a position is posted on the employment website.

Montana State University Billings is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination. As such, the University does not discriminate in the admission, access to or conduct of its educational programs and activities nor in its employment policies and practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, gender, age, political beliefs, marital or family status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation or preference. In support of the University’s mission to be inclusive and diverse, applications from qualified minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are highly encouraged.


Montana State University Billings makes accommodation for any known disability that may interfere with an applicant’s ability to compete in the hiring process or an employee’s ability to perform the duties of the job. In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU Billings provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference or request accommodation, contact the Human Resources Office, Montana State University Billings, 1500 University Drive, Billings, MT 59101-0298, 406-657-2278, employment@msubillings.edu.

MSU Billings Non-Discrimination Policy and Discrimination Grievance Procedures can be located on the MSU Billings Website: http://www.msubillings.edu/humres/eeos.htm

TO APPLY: https://employment.msubillings.edu/postings/7229