Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

THE SEARCH

Kettering University (Kettering), a distinctive STEM-focused institution and an exemplar in cooperative education, seeks a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial, and innovative leader to serve as its next Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (Provost). The Kettering community - faculty, students, staff, Board, and industry partners - agrees that the University is different from other institutions, deliberately so. Emphasizing innovation in fields such as engineering, computer science, technology, and emerging industries, Kettering positions itself in developing leaders, problem solvers, and entrepreneurs equipped at graduation to address complex global challenges and achieve strong career outcomes. The next Provost will help guide the University to its next level of academic distinction, market relevance, and national prominence.

Kettering is a private institution enrolling 1,500 students, including 1,300 undergraduates and 200 graduate students, from 35 states and 27 countries. Through academically rigorous programs in engineering, computer science, and business management, combined with Kettering’s industry-embedded, mandatory cooperative education model, students graduate with market-competitive degrees and 2.5 years of real-world industry experience. Nearly 600 employers partner with Kettering, providing high-impact opportunities in which students spend two 12-week terms in the classroom and two terms in industry each year.

Kettering’s President, Dr. Robert K. McMahan, has consistently emphasized that higher education must understand itself as a “critical link in the modern talent supply chain,” and must evolve accordingly. At Kettering, this translates into continuous program alignment with workforce demand, the integration of academic and co-op experiences into a seamless student experience, and a disciplined focus on outcomes as the ultimate measure of institutional success. The result is a university that is both highly focused and deliberately differentiated. Kettering does not attempt to be all things to all students. Instead, it has defined a clear identity as a leader in experiential STEM education, a trusted partner to industry, and a driver of innovation and economic development, preparing students for lives of extraordinary leadership and service.

The University has a strong president with a non-traditional background who is not looking for the “usual provost”. The provost will bring a corporate mindset, mental agility, and must share with the president a strong vision and sense of the University’s mission. An industry-savvy leader, the Provost will help position Kettering to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing higher education and economic landscape—driving strategic enrollment growth, expanding financial support, shaping a distinctive and market-responsive graduate portfolio, and building, strengthening, and sustaining the industry partnerships that are core to Kettering’s success. Reporting to and making up a complementary team with the President, the Provost will work in close partnership with leadership, deans, faculty, and staff. The next Provost will play a central role in advancing academic innovation and institutional growth in step with evolving industry demands.

The University is served by a Board of Trustees that is highly positioned and eager to leverage its connections and expertise, and that shares an excellent working relationship with the president.

APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the Kettering University Provost Search.

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