Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

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 below.

Jacqueline Mildner is leading this search with Robin Dougherty and Pamela Carty.

Kettering University is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination in employment, education programs, activities, and admissions.

Kettering University is deeply committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation including gender identity or expression, disability, religion, height, weight, genetic information, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions except where religion, sex, or age are bona fide job related employment requirements.

Discrimination on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, including marital status, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran, special disabled veteran, recently separated veteran or other protected veteran is prohibited by federal and state statutes as amended, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1978, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Inquiries or grievances may be addressed to the Director of Human Resources, Office of Human Resources, 1700 University Avenue, Flint, MI 48504, 810-762-9500.