Working/Functional Title

Vice Provost Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs

Position Summary

The VPFASA is responsible for envisioning, leading, and implementing the university's strategic commitment and priority to advance faculty and academic staff success and to contribute to an academic climate of respect, caring, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The VPFASA reports to and serves at the pleasure of the Provost, who is designated by the Board of Trustees as the principal academic officer of the University.  

The VPFASA leads a team of approximately 15 professionals with expertise in academic human resources, professional development, and leadership development. The direct reports to the VPFASA include three Assistant Provosts (one leading the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Development (FASD); one coordinating Policies and Processes; one coordinating Performance, Conduct, and Compliance); one Senior Director (coordinating Executive and Academic Leadership searches for positions reporting to the Provost); and several Directors who liaison with colleges.

The Office of the VPFASA supports organizational development and culture building to ensure that MSU is developing and implementing leading-edge policies and resources, and providing high-quality professional development, all designed to enhance institutional excellence, productive academic work environments, institutional priorities to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, and individual advancement and success aligned with university strategic priorities. 

The VPFASA supervises work in several key areas of focus designed to support the university's strategic goals (MSU's 2030 Strategic Plan):

• Policies, resources, and processes relevant to academic careers and work;
• Appointment processes for faculty, academic staff, and academic leadership (including searches and retention of faculty, academic staff, academic managers, and administrative leaders; academic labor bargaining and contracts; tenure and promotion policies; evaluation of non-tenure-system faculty and academic specialists; salary issues; retirement processes); 
• Faculty/academic staff professional development and leadership development across the stages of the academic career;
• Performance, conduct, and compliance issues (including Title IX-related issues).

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

Terminal degree appropriate in one's field.

A record of accomplishments consistent with appointment as a full professor in the tenure system.

Knowledge of and experience with large complex organizations, such as universities, and demonstrated ability to work across unit lines, including experience with developing and facilitating the work of collaborative teams.

Demonstrated commitment to ethical leadership and evidence-based best practices in academic human resource management.

Significant administrative experience at the unit, department/school, college, or university level (e.g., at the level of dean, associate/vice provost, or associate dean, department chair, or director).

Administrative accomplishments in areas relevant to the work and careers of faculty and academic staff (e.g., recruitment, promotion and tenure, employee relations, dealing with difficult and contentious issues, professional and leadership development).

Demonstrated effectiveness in working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders (e.g., college leaders, faculty groups, academic governance bodies, unions) in suppo