Assistant Provost

Position Summary

The Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs is a senior academic leader who partners directly with the Provost to advance the academic mission, institutional effectiveness, and faculty culture of Mary Baldwin University. Reporting to the Provost and serving as a key member of the Academic Leadership Council (ALC), the Assistant Provost provides focused leadership in four core areas: institutional effectiveness and assessment, faculty governance and professional development, curriculum and academic program administration, and data-driven student success and academic integrity.

The Assistant Provost fulfills the duties of the Provost in their absence and represents the Office of the Provost on key faculty governance bodies, institutional committees, and external compliance processes. While the Provost leads broad institutional direction and external relationships, the Assistant Provost provides deep operational expertise, meticulous attention to academic quality assurance, and sustained faculty-facing support that ensures the day-to-day health of MBU’s academic enterprise.

This is a full-time, 12-month Administrative position.

Institutional Context

This position has been designed with explicit attention to the expertise MBU’s academic community requires at this particular moment. With the University engaged in Common Curriculum planning, Skills Stacks development, Faculty Handbook and Administrative Policies and Procedures updates, the development of its Academic Neighborhoods model, and SACSCOC reaffirmation preparation, the Assistant Provost must bring recognized credibility in institutional data and assessment, general education governance, faculty committee leadership, and cross-unit collaboration. The ideal candidate understands MBU’s academic culture and governance infrastructure and brings specific expertise in institutional effectiveness that allows the Provost’s Office to operate with the rigor and transparency MBU’s current moment demands.

Supervisory Relationships

The Assistant Provost does not carry direct line supervisory authority over academic units but exercises significant coordination and oversight responsibilities across the following functions and bodies:

Serves as Director/SACSCOC Liaison
Educational Policy Committees Representative
Academic Standing Coordinator with Registrar’s Office
Common Curriculum Director
Institutional Review Board (Academic Affairs liaison)
Data Governance Committee (Academic Affairs liaison)
Office of Institutional Effectiveness (Academic Affairs liaison)
Coordination of Faculty Awards and Undergraduate Research

The Assistant Provost represents the Office of the Provost on additional committees and task forces as assigned by the Provost.

Key Responsibilities

I. Institutional Effectiveness, Assessment, and Accreditation

Serve as the SACSCOC Liaison and primary day-to-day administrator, coordinating documentation, compliance tracking, and planning for the Five and Ten-Year Reaffirmation Compliance Certification.
Lead the design, coordination, and continuous improvement of MBU’s institutional assessment infrastructure, including program-level outcomes assessment, general education assessment, and data reporting for accreditation and strategic planning.
Oversee collection, analysis, and reporting of academic data — including enrollment, course completion, grade distributions, and academic standing — to support data-informed decision-making by the ALC and college deans.
Develop and manage assessment tools and rubrics aligned with MBU’s Common Curriculum learning outcomes and program-specific competency frameworks; report findings to the Provost and Faculty Assembly on a regular cycle.
Partner with Institutional Research and the Director of the First Year Experience to design and implement the Academic Neighborhoods assessment framework, including persistence metrics, cohort tracking, and first-to-second year retention analysis.

II. General Education and Curriculum Administration

Coordinate the ongoing development and revision of MBU’s Common Curriculum in partnership with the General Education and Academic Policy Committee (GEAPC), faculty representatives, and college deans.
Manage the Academic Catalog review and update process, including course descriptions, credit hour compliance, and catalog integrity across undergraduate and graduate programs.
Review and coordinate the Course Offerings List (COL) each semester in collaboration with department chairs and college deans, ensuring curricular continuity and adequate student access to required courses.
Facilitate review and approval of new courses, program modifications, and curriculum proposals through faculty governance channels and institutional approval workflows.
Assist with development of new interdisciplinary minors and certificate programs, supporting feasibility analysis, faculty consultation, and SCHEV compliance.
Coordinate online and hybrid undergraduate course offerings, ensuring alignment with institutional policies and accreditation standards.

III. Faculty Governance, Handbook, and Professional Development

Serve as a primary administrative resource for faculty governance processes, including committee work and facilitation of shared governance within the structures of MBU’s Faculty Handbook and AAUP principles.
Coordinate review, revision, and implementation of the Faculty Handbook in collaboration with faculty governance, ensuring policies reflect both AAUP principles and MBU’s institutional context.
Co-convene and administratively support review of the Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual, coordinating revisions with college deans, the Provost, and legal counsel as appropriate.
Design and implement faculty professional development, including new faculty orientation, peer mentoring structures, and mid-career faculty support.
Coordinate faculty awards processes, including nomination procedures, review committee logistics, and recognition events.
Support administration of faculty promotion, career-contract, sabbatical, and term leave processes, including calendar management, file preparation, and candidate communication.

IV. Student Success, Academic Standing, and Advising

Coordinate academic standing, probation, suspension, and appeals processes; support return-to-standing plans in collaboration with the Academic Resource Center, academic advisors, and college deans.
Support advising infrastructure and the Academic Neighborhoods advising framework, working with Neighborhood Leaders and first-year advising teams to ensure consistent, data-driven support for new students.
Serve as administrative liaison for academic integrity and Honor Council processes, including policy interpretation, procedural guidance, and reporting to the Provost.
Support administration of student academic accommodations in coordination with the Academic Resource Center, ensuring consistency with institutional policy and legal compliance.
Track and analyze grade appeal and academic grievance patterns to identify systemic issues and recommend policy or process improvements to the Provost.

V. Operational Support to the Office of the Provost

Fulfill the duties of the Provost in their absence and serve as a trusted advisor on all matters of academic policy, faculty relations, and institutional effectiveness.
Assist in preparation of reports, presentations, and briefing materials for the Board of Trustees Academic Affairs Committee, the ALC, and external audiences.
Coordinate scheduling and agenda preparation for all-university faculty meetings in collaboration with the Provost and Faculty Council leadership.
Provide oversight and coordination of the annual academic calendar process in collaboration with the Registrar and college deans.
Other duties as assigned by the Provost, including cross-college initiatives and any grant-funded programs.

Qualifications

Required

Earned doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution.
Experience in faculty governance, including committee leadership at the institution-wide or college level.
Demonstrated expertise in academic assessment, institutional effectiveness, or data analysis as applied to higher education.
Strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills; ability to work collaboratively across diverse faculty and administrative constituencies.
Commitment to shared governance, equitable academic practices, and the liberal arts mission.

Preferred

Experience in academic policy and procedure development and implementation or comparable governance documentation processes.
Demonstrated leadership in general education curriculum redesign, assessment, or academic program review.
Familiarity with SACSCOC accreditation requirements, quality enhancement planning, or institutional compliance processes.
Experience in faculty development program design, including new faculty mentoring and teaching excellence initiatives.
Record of working effectively with undergraduate student success data, retention analytics, or advising infrastructure.
Five or more years of service at MBU or a comparable small liberal arts institution, with demonstrated knowledge of institutional culture, governance structures, and faculty relationships.

Personal Characteristics

The Assistant Provost is a detail-oriented, relationship-centered academic professional who brings exceptional credibility with faculty and a genuine commitment to institutional transparency. This leader operates with the intellectual rigor of a scholar-practitioner and the organizational acumen of a skilled administrator, balancing precision in data and policy work with the interpersonal warmth and trust-building capacity that makes effective governance possible. The Assistant Provost is a collegial partner to the Provost and to faculty governance alike, serving as a reliable bridge between the administrative and faculty dimensions of MBU’s shared academic life.

To Apply

Applicants should send a cover letter, C.V., and a list of three references to kjhuerth@marybaldwin.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

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