Job Description
The Opportunity
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga seeks an innovative,
collaborative, and visionary academic leader to serve as its next
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Reporting
directly to the Chancellor, the Provost serves as the University of
Tennessee at Chattanooga's chief academic officer and provides
strategic leadership for the university's academic enterprise. The
Provost advances the university's mission by fostering excellence
in teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity while
ensuring academic quality, innovation, integrity, and student
success.
The Provost oversees all academic colleges, departments, and
academic support units, working collaboratively with university and
UT System leadership to implement the institution's
strategic priorities , strengthen enrollment, expand academic
opportunities, and prepare graduates to meet the workforce and
societal needs of Tennessee and the region.
More than 200 specialized educational programs are administered by
the deans of the
College of Arts &
Sciences ,
College of
Engineering & Computer Science ,
College
of Health, Education and Professional Studies ,
College of Nursing ,
Gary W.
Rollins College of Business ,
UTC
Honors College ,
UTC Library , and the
UTC Graduate
School . Additional units reporting to the Provost include the
Center for Global Education, the Center for Professional Education,
the Office of Accreditation & Assessment, the Office of
Planning, Evaluation, & Institutional Research, and the Office
of the University Registrar.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga seeks an innovative,
collaborative, and visionary academic leader to serve as its next
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Reporting
directly to the Chancellor, the Provost serves as the University of
Tennessee at Chattanooga's chief academic officer and provides
strategic leadership for the university's academic enterprise. The
Provost advances the university's mission by fostering excellence
in teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity while
ensuring academic quality, innovation, integrity, and student
success.
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of the
university's academic strategic priorities in alignment with the
institutional mission and strategic enrollment plan
Advise the Chancellor on academic policy, planning, and
institutional priorities.
Advance innovative academic programs and initiatives that
respond to workforce, economic, and societal needs.
Promote student access, success, retention, transfer pathways,
and degree completion.
Represent the university in campus, community, state, and
regional partnerships that strengthen UTC's academic mission.
Academic Excellence
- Provide executive leadership for all academic programs,
including undergraduate, graduate, continuing education, and
extended campus initiatives.
- Foster excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, and
creative activity across all disciplines.
- Strengthen the university's research enterprise, advance
interdisciplinary collaboration, and support faculty success in
research and innovation in partnership with the Vice Chancellor for
Research.
- Oversee academic program development, review, assessment, and
continuous improvement.
- Ensure compliance with accreditation standards, including
SACSCOC and program-specific accrediting bodies.
- Lead institutional effectiveness, assessment, and institutional
research efforts that informs improved academic quality and
accountability.
Faculty Leadership
- Recruit, develop, evaluate, and retain outstanding faculty and
academic leaders.
- Oversee faculty appointment, promotion, tenure, post-tenure
review, and annual evaluation processes.
- Support faculty development through professional growth
opportunities that strengthen teaching, research, and student
learning.
- Foster a collaborative culture of innovation, accountability,
and shared governance.
Collaboration and Student Success
- Enhance the UTC student experience and improve academic
outcomes in partnership with the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment
Management and Student Affairs.
- Build strong relationships with faculty, staff, students,
alumni, community partners, the UT System, and state agencies.
- Champion initiatives that promote academic innovation, student
achievement, and organizational effectiveness across the
university.
- Collaborate with the Vice Chancellor for Research, academic
colleges, and external partners to expand research, innovation, and
experiential learning opportunities.
Resource Stewardship
- Provide strategic oversight of Academic Affairs budgets in
partnership with the Vice Chancellor for Finance &
Administration.
- Align academic resources with institutional priorities and
enrollment demands.
- Support sustainable funding for new academic initiatives and
strategic faculty hiring.
- Cultivate new revenue opportunities in partnerships with the
Vice Chancellors for Research, Advancement, and Enrollment
Management and Student Success.
Qualifications
Required Experience and Qualifications
Academic Leadership
- Distinguished record of teaching, scholarship, research, and
service appropriate for appointment as a full professor.
- Significant senior academic leadership experience in
progressively responsible roles at the level of the Office of the
Dean, the Office of the Provost or comparable executive academic
administrator.
- Demonstrated success developing and leading undergraduate and
graduate academic programs, including responsibility for personnel,
budgets, and program assessment.
Strategic and Fiscal Leadership
- Experience developing and implementing strategic academic
initiatives aligned with institutional priorities.
- Strong understanding of emerging trends, opportunities, and
challenges in higher education and within the State of
Tennessee.
- Proven ability to manage complex budgets, allocate resources
strategically, and support sustainable academic growth.
Faculty Leadership and Shared Governance
- Demonstrated commitment to shared governance, academic freedom,
and collaborative decision-making.
- Record of recruiting, developing, evaluating, and retaining
outstanding faculty and academic leaders.
- Experience fostering faculty excellence through mentorship,
professional development, and support for teaching, research,
scholarship, and creative activity.
- Experience leading accreditation, academic assessment, and
continuous improvement initiatives.
Student Success and Innovation
- Demonstrated commitment to student success, enrollment growth,
retention, and academic achievement.
- Experience advancing innovative academic programs,
technology-enhanced learning, and lifelong learning
initiatives.
- Understanding of institutional effectiveness and assessment
practices that strengthen academic quality.
External Engagement and Collaboration
- Experience building partnerships with community, industry,
government, and higher education stakeholders.
- Success in fundraising, advancement, sponsored research, or
other resource development initiatives.
- Proven ability to build trust and collaborate effectively with
faculty, staff, students, administrators, trustees, and external
partners.
Leadership Attributes
- Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and
relationship-building skills.
- High standards of integrity, sound judgment, and ethical
leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to lead with transparency, inspire and
mentor others, build consensus, and foster an inclusive,
collaborative culture grounded in shared governance and
accountability.
NOMINATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
Qualified candidates should apply electronically using the link
below. Applications should include a 1) current CV, 2) a letter of
interest that addresses the responsibilities and qualifications
described above, and 3) names and contact information for three to
five professional references.
Review of applications will begin on
September 30, 2026, and
continue until an appointment is made. Applications received by
this date will receive priority consideration.
Compensation for the position will be competitive and commensurate
with qualifications and experience. The University offers a
comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare
and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous
retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development
opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, and much more.
Additionally, Tennessee residents do not pay state income
tax.
Questions regarding the Provost search may be directed to Angela
Wharton, Director of Recruitment & HR Operations, at
angela-wharton@utc.edu or
423-425-4753 .