Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

About the United States Coast Guard Academy

The United States Coast Guard Academy, located on the Thames River in New London, Connecticut, is a four-year federal service academy that prepares young men and women to lead as officers in the U.S. Coast Guard. It is the only institution of higher learning in the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security. One of the five U.S. service academies, the Coast Guard Academy provides a comprehensive education that blends rigorous academics, character development, physical fitness, and professional training.

The Coast Guard Academy is charged to educate Coast Guard officers academically and professionally. The faculty are a community of scholars and masters of academic disciplines that support the Coast Guard's critical educational, workforce development, research, innovation, and analytic needs. Faculty have the expertise and skills to engage in basic and applied research and professional practice. As a community our purpose is to collaborate with each other, cadets, and the Service to develop and share new knowledge, meeting current and future operational, technical, managerial, fiscal, analytic, and policy challenges.

The Coast Guard Academy features a faculty of 175 civilians and military officers, a Cadet Corps (student body) of 1100, and ten academic majors, housed in three Schools.

In addition to a demanding STEM curriculum, cadets participate in extensive practical experiences, including annual summer training programs on board Coast Guard cutters and at various operational units. The Academy fosters a culture of service, integrity, and teamwork, instilling in its graduates the core values necessary to lead with honor and distinction.

The Position

The Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (VPAA) reports directly to the Provost. The VPAA provides strategic leadership, fosters academic excellence, manages resources effectively, and ensures the programs under their purview align with the institution's mission and the U.S. Coast Guard's strategic priorities. The VPAA leads the Office of Student Success, supervises the Registrar's Office, and oversees programs and activities that promote student success, enhance curriculum development and delivery, and ensures a robust and effective academic advising program. As such, the VPAA works closely with leaders within the academic division and across divisions to ensure effective holistic development of future Coast Guard officers.

The selectee will receive an appointment as an academic faculty member at the Coast Guard Academy and assignment as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. The selectee is expected to serve as a Vice Provost for a period of up to five years and may be renewed. At the conclusion of service as Vice Provost, the selectee may move into a faculty position in a department aligned with the individual's qualifications and discipline. A selectee that possesses at hire academic credentials befitting an appointment as tenured Full Professor, or equivalent professional experience is highly desired.

Key Responsibilities of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

• Lead the Office of Student Success including the registrar's office, learning centers, the academic advising program, the academic integrity program, and academic support services.
• Hire personnel and engage with stakeholders who support the Office of Student Success.
• Ensure alignment of the curriculum, including the core curriculum, across the Division, Schools, and Departments.
• Direct all summer academic programing including academic placement and learning activities for incoming 4/c (freshman) cadets, and the academic summer term for rising 3/c (sophomore) cadets.
• Coordinate with the Cadet, Admissions, and Athletics Divisions to ensure academic policies and practices are integrated across the institution.
• Supervise the Registrar and Registrar's Staff, the Director of the Hewitt Writing and Reading Center (HWRC), and HWRC mentors classified as non-appropriated employees.
• Direct the activity of faculty members in collateral positions related to student success, including the Director of Academic Advising, the chair of the 4/c (freshman) Course Coordinators Committee, the Academic Honor Officer, and directors of academic support services.
• Oversee program assessment and manage budgets and contracts for the Office of Student Success.
• Provide expertise and support to Academic Deans, Program Chairs, the Faculty Senate, and other faculty members on matters relating to student support/ enrichment, academic review, and the curriculum.
• Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Provost, to include serving as a member of the Provost's Executive Team, the Provost's Council, the Academic Review Board, and other committees and working groups as directed.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Doctorate from an accredited institution in a field relevant to academic programs or departments at USCGA.
• Demonstrated academic leadership experience at an accredited higher education institution, with a successful record of progressive responsibility in areas directly related to the portfolio of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs as described above.
• Strong commitment to public service, undergraduate education, and the development of future leaders.
• Evidence of alignment with U.S. Coast Guard Core Values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A distinguished record of achievement in teaching, research, and service that merits appointment as a tenured Full Professor in one of the Academy's academic departments or programs.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a record of successful engagement across offices and programs in an academic environment. This includes experience coordinating intervention strategies to ensure student success and resilience.
• Experience developing and overseeing academic support/enrichment, curricula, and academic registration functions.
• Familiarity with and experience in assessment and improvement.
• A demonstrated ability to adapt to unique educational environments such as exists at a small service academy.
• Demonstrated engagement in relevant professional societies and scholarship/ professional development relevant to VPAA duties.

How to Apply

Applications and inquiries can be sent to CGAViceProvost@uscga.edu. Interested candidates should include, as separate documents, a curriculum vitae and a letter of interest explaining how they meet the qualifications above.

Finalists for the position will be required to provide proof of their educational qualifications, such as unofficial transcripts. Applicants may submit this with their application. If tentatively selected for this position, the selectee must submit official transcripts to the Human Resources office prior to receiving a firm offer of employment. Finalists will also be required to provide contact information for five professional references.

Review of applications will begin on February 28th, 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

Other Information

This is a full-time, permanent appointment as an excepted service supervisory faculty member on a 12-month work schedule, the first two years of which may be a trial period. The selectee is expected to work on campus at the Coast Guard Academy. Telework opportunities are very limited. Remote work is not permissible. Anticipated salary is from $169,979 – $209,600, commensurate with experience and qualifications, and set in accordance with federal pay scales.