Working/Functional Title

Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation will be responsible for envisioning, leading, and implementing academic innovations across MSU by fostering collaborations among stakeholders internally, as well as external partners. The vice provost will lead a team of approximately 14 full-time staff, faculty fellows and student employees; overseeing the areas of Teaching and Learning Success Strategies, the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation, #iteachmsu Commons, Online Program Management, and Spartans Learn.

The Vice Provost will be expected to:

• Serve as a connector to support academic innovation, facilitating market-driven and participant/student-oriented identification of opportunities, and fostering collaborations among leaders and stakeholders on campus.
• Empower educators, including faculty, staff, graduate students and post-docs, to share new ideas and seek professional development opportunities that will elevate the quality of teaching, research, and community impact of their work.
• Identify promising academic innovations and create a safe and collaborative environment to test and scale successful ideas that are in alignment with strategic institutional priorities.
• Create centralized resources for academic innovation and collaboration that operate synergistically with related resources in the colleges to pursue opportunities.
• Identify and develop cross-institutional connections and efficiencies.
• Support evidence-based evaluation and assessment of academic innovations and new initiatives.
• Oversee the development of operational functions necessary to succeed in the adult-learning market, including external functions such as enrollment management, learner support, and marketing as well as internal functions, including instructional design and content production.

Michigan State University's next Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation will be a student-centered team leader with experience in the areas of innovation for teaching and learning, educator development, initiatives to support positive post-degree outcomes, trends in academic life-long learning, distance education, and leading and managing positive change for a diverse student population. A doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution is required, along with a record of progressive leadership responsibilities and substantive administrative experience in an area related to academic innovation and student success in higher education.

Specific Responsibilities and Qualifications:

• Furthering the University’s commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), student success, and staff and faculty success in all aspects of work, as articulated in MSU’s 2030 Strategic Plan.
• Furthering the University’s lifelong learning mission in adult, lifelong, professional, and continuing education for both credential-bearing / credit-earning instruction and non-degree / non-credit offerings.
• Advancing the vision, mission, and values of innovation and collaboration through shared goals and objectives.
• Demonstrating creative leadership to address emerging issues in higher education.
• Building, nurturing, and maintaining a robust network of relationships with the provost, deans, vice provosts, leaders, educators, and units across campus to advance unit-level and cross-institutional academic initiatives.
• Obtaining external grant support in areas related to academic innovation and collaboration.
• Mentor and develop staff and educator well-being who can champion educator development, lifelong learning, as well as academic innovation and cross-college collaboration.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate

Minimum Requirements

• Candidates must hold an earned terminal degree.
• Candidates must have a record of scholarship in pedagogy, including experience in curriculum and assessment design, as well as experience with educator development and planning, implementation, and assessment of a range of programs to support teaching and learning in a variety of modalities (e.g., online, in-person, large lecture, small group, community-engaged, service).
• The candidate must demonstrate a record of teaching excellence at multiple levels. Graduate level teaching experience, and the ability to support all faculty and instructional staff.

Desired Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders and unit leaders to realize goals.
• Knowledge of a major research or land-grant university such as MSU in terms of organizational complexities, culture, structure, and processes and a demonstrated ability to be a strong team player who effectively works across unit lines.
• Ability to convene and foster collaboration among colleagues representing different viewpoints, interests, positions, and locations across a major research university.
• Experience successfully leading, coordinating, and supervising the work of a diverse team.
• Ability to relate effectively to a wide variety of people of diverse backgrounds, including an understanding and respect for cultural, ethnic, and individual differences. Ability to contribute in meaningful ways to MSU's commitment to enhance the inclusivity and equity of the campus teaching and student-focused learning environment.
• Training or experience in budget planning, administration, and management.
• Experience with administration of a broad array of academic programs and lifelong learning offerings.

Required Application Materials

WittKieffer is assisting Michigan State University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by August 7, 2024. Questions should be directed to msuvptli@wittkieffer.com.

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile, inclusive of a statement detailing how your past and future work will contribute to advancing MSU’s commitment to inclusive excellence.

Review of Applications Begins On

08/07/2024

Website

https://provost.msu.edu/about-the-office/academic-and-administrative-units/teaching-and-learning-innovation

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.