Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine Courtyard

Executive Vice President & Provost Position Profile

The Leadership Opportunity

Methodist University is seeking an executive vice president & provost to partner with the president-elect, Suzanne Blum Malley, PhD. The next provost will be an authentic, visible, student-centered, entrepreneurial, strategic, and community-oriented leader.

The successful candidate will lead with a relationship-driven mindset anchored by fostering meaningful, proactive, and visible engagement with students, faculty, staff, and community members. Vital to the success of the next executive vice president & provost is the ability to reposition the complexity of an intentionally small and vibrant undergraduate education and growing graduate, professional learning environment. Similar to many thriving smaller private universities across the country, these two distinctive educational experiences present an opportunity to deepen integration and connectivity in a way that enhances outcomes for all of Methodist University.

The next executive vice president & provost will be a transparent leader with an exceptional ability to establish trust, buy-in, and develop genuine relationships with students, faculty, staff, and a broad range of stakeholders. An effective executive vice president & provost at Methodist University will be a proven communicator adept with disseminating and expressing complex topics in a manner that conveys a keen understanding of current and future trends in higher education. The next executive vice president & provost will be skilled at assessing the job market and industry for emerging trends and quickly build new programs, especially professional and health sciences programs. In addition, our executive vice president & provost will have a deep appreciation for and enhance our historical support of active-duty military, military families, and veterans.

The successful executive vice president & provost at Methodist University will bring an innovative, entrepreneurial, and growth-oriented mindset to ensure MU is a thriving institution for years to come. The path forward will require an executive vice president & provost to facilitate the development of a future institutional identity accompanied by a collective vision to ensure Methodist University can meet the challenges of a historic time in higher education. The next executive vice president & provost will have demonstrated financial acumen to facilitate a data-informed and consultative budget process. It will also be vital that MU’s executive vice president & provost will provide effective leadership for strategic planning and related initiatives.

Collaborative leadership and a commitment to shared governance comprise an important feature of Methodist University and the success of our next executive vice president & provost. Established in 2021, MU’s active Faculty Senate is represented by members of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate who work closely with the executive vice president & provost to advocate for the concerns and interests of the faculty, academic programs, and mission of the University. The Faculty Senate also serves as a consultative body for the administration, especially for the executive vice president & provost.

The next executive vice president & provost will also lead with a rare combination of humility, confidence, and executive experience to galvanize all members of the campus community. These qualities will ensure the executive vice president & provost can be an effective contributor while serving as the University’s chief academic officer, responsible for leadership and oversight of the University’s academic programs, faculty, policies, and intellectual life in alignment with the Methodist University mission.

Executive Vice President & Provost Responsibilities

The executive vice president & provost serves as the chief strategic partner to the president, participating in all major decisions affecting the campus, and reports directly to the president, as a member of the President’s Cabinet. The executive vice president & provost also works closely with the vice president of Business Affairs and CFO to manage the annual academic affairs budget process, collaborating with the president, vice presidents, deans, and the leaders of shared governance organizations representing faculty.

The College deans report to the executive vice president & provost, as do the associate provost for Academic Operations, the associate provost for Student Success, the University registrar, the director of Institutional Research & Business Intelligence, and the director of the library.

Additional areas of responsibility for the executive vice president & provost include:

  • Provide leadership for all academic policy and programs to facilitate appropriate program development, systematic review, high-quality curriculum with a focus on program quality, currency, growth, and sustainability.
  • Coordinate and support institutional and programmatic accreditation efforts.
  • Serve as the head of the faculty, overseeing hiring, onboarding, evaluation, development, and tenure and promotion processes.
  • Foster and promote effective shared governance.
  • Strengthen the academic enterprise by facilitating the growth of faculty research and other professional and scholarly activities of the faculty and oversee IRB processes and ORI reporting.
  • Drive effective implementation of institutional strategic initiatives, in particular those related to student success, academic program quality, and research.
  • Lead academic-related community outreach and advancement.

Professional Experiences & Characteristics

  • An earned terminal degree from an accredited institution
  • A record of academic scholarship consistent with appointment at the rank of full professor
  • Previous teaching experience in higher education
  • Previous senior leadership experience in higher education
  • Demonstrated experience leading the development of new and existing academic degree programs in response to market demand
  • Demonstrated experience leading organizational change in a humane, effective, and forward-oriented manner
  • Demonstrated experience generating new revenue streams and leading an environment with resource constraints
  • Exceptional communication skills and the ability to effectively engage with a broad range of stakeholders
  • A community minded leadership ethos and genuine capacity to listen to all stakeholders and seek input
  • Demonstrated ability to align institutional goals with strategic execution
  • Demonstrated capacity to facilitate integration of initiatives across and within an organization

How to Apply

A human capital firm with a humane approach to aligning talent, people., is partnering with Methodist University in this search.

We invite applications, nominations, and all expressions of interest for the position of executive vice president & provost at Methodist University directed to: [email protected].

Our preferred submission date for a cover letter and curriculum vitae is December 12, 2026.