PROVOST AND VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

• Institution and Position Profile
• Background and Overview
• Position and Qualifications
• The Successful Candidate
• Applications/Nominations
• Institution and Position Profile (PDF)

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The University of Michigan-Dearborn invites nominations and applications for the position of Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Located 20 minutes from downtown Detroit and one of the three campuses of the University of Michigan, UM-Dearborn is among the top-tier comprehensive public universities in the Midwest with 8,600 students and an outstanding faculty. Poised for a dynamic future as an outstanding metropolitan university, UM-Dearborn seeks an experienced, creative, and energetic individual to play a key leadership role as Provost and to further strengthen its academic mission, programs, and services for the greater benefit of its students, faculty, communities, and region.

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History

September 2009 will mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the University of Michigan- Dearborn, which was first created as the Dearborn Center of the University of Michigan. The campus was founded in response to an initiative by Ford Motor Company to address a looming shortage of engineers and managers to lead the company. Ford gave the University approximately 200 acres, including the area surrounding Henry Ford’s home, along the Rouge River in Dearborn, as well as $6 million to build the campus’s first four buildings. The campus was initially established as a two-year upper division program with an emphasis on cooperative education. In 1971, it became a four-year undergraduate school, with some master’s level graduate programs, and since then, the campus has experienced steady growth and enrollment now totals approximately 8,600 students. Significant capital projects, mostly funded by the state of Michigan, have transformed the campus environment, especially in the last decade. Most recently, the campus opened a new Science Learning and Research Center and the Institute for Advanced Vehicle Systems Building.

Mission

The University of Michigan-Dearborn is an interactive, student-centered institution committed to excellence in teaching and learning. We offer undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to a diverse, highly motivated, and talented student body. Our programs are responsive to the challenging needs of society; relevant to the goals of our students and community partners; rich in opportunities for independent and collaborative study, research, and practical application; and reflective of the traditions of excellence, innovation, and leadership that distinguish the University of Michigan.

We accomplish this mission by:

• Providing a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences;
• Providing the knowledge and skills essential for career and personal success;
• Integrating teaching, research, and service in ways that enhance the learning experience;
• Promoting internships and cooperative education;
• Providing a dynamic environment where innovation, openness, and creativity are fostered;
• Using advanced technologies to meet changing educational needs and establish links with the global community; and
• Forging partnerships with business, industry, educational institutions, and government agencies.

We strive to be the institution of choice in southeastern Michigan for individuals and organizations that value accessibility, flexibility, affordability, diversity, and preeminence in education.

Strategic Vision

The University of Michigan-Dearborn has a strong history of connection with the metropolitan region it serves, now identifies itself as a selective metropolitan university. Metropolitan universities have defined their mission in terms of satisfying the educational and knowledge needs of the cities and regions that they serve. This distinctive type of institution stands along-side Research I universities, small liberal arts colleges, and traditional state universities. The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) has helped define and outline the challenges facing metropolitan universities.

The next Provost will have an exciting opportunity to participate in the articulation, refinement, and implementation of our strategic vision. The University’s goal is to become nationally recognized as a selective metropolitan research university. To reach this goal, UM-Dearborn will:

• Ground students in a solid liberal arts education;
• Further develop and strengthen programs that are well constructed to serve the needs of constituents in the region: traditional undergraduates, working professionals, corporations, non-profit organizations, public school systems, racial and ethnic groups and organizations, and urban environmental groups;
• Focus closely on serving the needs of undergraduate and graduate students in southeastern Michigan with a high-quality suite of programs and degrees grounded in traditional areas of study as well as cross-disciplinary and emerging fields;
• Maintain a high level of professional education in our College of Arts, Sciences and Letters, College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Business, and School of Education;
• Develop advanced graduate programs in fields that are complementary to the needs of our constituents, producing highly educated professionals who in turn contribute to regional progress, and to the growth of technologies in areas that are in special need or interest in our region;
• Serve as a "think tank" and source of knowledge, expertise, and ideas for the needs of our region;
• Enhance research capabilities in areas focused on regional and national needs; and
• Partner with the major players in the region, growing programs and expertise in areas where we can have the greatest impact on economic, social, and regional development.

UM-Dearborn has identified five areas in which there is a convergence of faculty research expertise and regional needs and which are providing focus for initiatives:

• Developing new strengths in manufacturing that enhance global competitiveness;
• Addressing continuing problems of discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity;
• Furthering our understanding of the environmental problems that are unique to metropolitan communities;
• Addressing the challenges to K-12 educational systems in metropolitan areas; and
• Cultivating the capacity of regional leadership.

UM-Dearborn faculty are proud of the University’s programs, and committed to their roles as teacher-scholars. The students are proud to be a part of the University of Michigan, and appreciate the unique opportunities our Dearborn campus makes available to them to learn and make an impact in the community. The staff fully support and act as partners in the implementation of the University’s goals.

Location

Located just 20 minutes from both the center of Detroit and Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the city of Dearborn has a population of 100,000. Recognized internationally as the home of Ford Motor Company and the Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn is an important tourist destination. Dearborn enjoys a reputation for good schools, well-maintained and safe neighborhoods, and excellent city services. The Detroit metropolitan area has a diverse population of more than 5 million, including the largest Arab-American community in the United States.

The region surrounding Dearborn offers a dynamic business environment and a rich and sophisticated cultural life, including championship sports teams, and some of the finest museums, classical music ensembles, and performing arts venues in the nation. Southeastern Michigan, which includes both Detroit and Ann Arbor, as well as numerous other communities, is home to many colleges and universities, offering extensive opportunities for academic collaboration and intellectual pursuits.

The University’s campus includes the estate that was home to Henry Ford and his wife Clara for more than 30 years, now a national historic landmark. One third of the campus, more than 70 acres, is maintained as one of the largest natural areas in metropolitan Detroit, serving as a research and teaching facility for students and teachers on campus and throughout the region. The campus is comprised of 25 buildings on two adjacent sites. More than half of the classroom facilities have been constructed within the last 10 years. The replacement value of these facilities is estimated to be more than $220 million.

Students

There is no “typical” student at UM–Dearborn. About half of the undergraduate students enter directly from high school; the other students have prior college experience either immediately before entering UM–Dearborn or at some earlier point in their lives and careers. Almost all of the graduate students are employed full time in a related professional career. While there currently is no student housing on campus, private investors are moving forward with plans to have housing adjacent to the campus within two years.

Entering freshmen in 2008 earned an average 3.5 GPA in high school academic courses. The average ACT composite score of 24 ranked entering students fourth among the 15 public universities in Michigan (behind UM-Ann Arbor, Michigan Tech and Michigan State University).

Academic Programs and Faculty

The University of Michigan-Dearborn has developed into a comprehensive university offering undergraduate and professional degrees in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, management, education, and public administration. More than 80 degree programs are offered for undergraduates. Graduate enrollments have grown to more than 20 percent of the total student body, and these students are pursuing any of 27 master’s programs in management, education, engineering, and the liberal arts that are tailored to the schedules of working professionals and the needs of employers in southeastern Michigan. In addition, the University currently has several doctoral level programs at various stages of development. A growing number of programs, especially in education, engineering and management, are offered through Web-based instruction. One of the strengths of the campus is the number and variety of interdisciplinary degree programs (e.g., African and African-American Studies; Women's and Gender Studies; MBA/MHSA; Automotive Engineering), research centers (e.g., Center for Arab and Arab-American Studies; Institute for Advanced Vehicle Systems), and a campus-wide Honors program that reflect and advance the campus mission.

There are approximately 280 full-time and 230 part-time faculty. The normal load for full-time faculty is three courses per semester. Excellence in both teaching and research is expected for tenure and promotion. During the 2007-08 academic year, faculty published 20 books and book chapters, more than 120 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and presented nearly 200 papers at conferences. UM- Dearborn receives between $7-8 million annually in sponsored program support (external grants and contracts) from a variety of sources, with the majority from federal funding programs. Many faculty members are attracted to the campus because of the research opportunities with area industry and business, as well as the potential for research and intellectual relationships that are possible with colleagues at the Ann Arbor campus, which is approximately 40 minutes away.

The University of Michigan–Dearborn is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Athletics

UM-Dearborn has intercollegiate teams in men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s softball, rugby, cross country, soccer, and men’s hockey, and the institution is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. There are also a variety of intramural sports and recreation programs and a fitness center completed in the mid-1990s.

Alumni

UM-Dearborn has more than 30,000 alumni, and nearly 85 percent of them continue to live and work in the six counties of southeastern Michigan. Many of them are deeply connected to the campus and supportive of its programs. Given the age of the University and its period of greatest growth during the 1970s, many of UM-Dearborn’s graduates are now reaching executive and leadership positions in their professions and communities.

Governance

The three campuses of the University of Michigan are governed by an elected Board of Regents, with eight members serving staggered eight-year terms. The President of the University of Michigan is appointed by the Regents, and she appoints the Chancellors of the campuses in Dearborn and in Flint. The Provost of the Dearborn campus reports to the Chancellor and supervises the deans of the four academic units on campus: the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters; the College of Engineering and Computer Science; the School of Education; and the College of Business. The Provost also supervises the Directors of the Library, Information Technology Services, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and related offices.

The University of Michigan has a long history of faculty governance. On the Dearborn campus, the executive committee of each unit makes recommendations pertaining to curriculum, budget, and tenure and promotion to the dean. The faculty senate, which draws members from each unit, makes similar recommendations to the Provost.

Finances

The campus has an annual general fund budget of approximately $101 million, with about 26 percent supplied by state appropriation and more than 70 percent generated by tuition revenue. The campus’s total annual operating budget is approximately $119 million. The total current market value of university Endowments are $31 million. Deans of the academic units exercise significant budgetary responsibility for their units. In addition to faculty personnel, UM-Dearborn employs approximately 475 administrative staff.

The campus has successfully completed a $40 million fund-raising campaign this year, accomplishing this goal earlier than our December 2008 campaign milestone.

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UM-Dearborn envisions its future as a nationally recognized, mid-sized metropolitan university known for its academic excellence, the engagement of its students, and the partnerships that focus on strengthening its communities and region. As the chief academic officer, the Provost has primary responsibility to:

• Plan, develop, and administer all aspects of the University’s educational programs, activities, and budgets;
• Provide leadership in maintaining academic standards;
• Represent the University with appropriate external agencies and organizations regarding academic programs and standards; and
• Provide leadership to the deans of the four academic units, the directors of the library, information technology services, and a number of academic support units and related offices.

The Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs serves as a member of the Chancellor’s executive team and may serve as chair of the senior staff team. The Provost also serves as the primary representative for the Chancellor in his absence, working with and coordinating the team of senior staff who are responsible for achieving the University’s established major academic and educational goals.

As the Provost works in partnership with Chancellor Little to build and sustain momentum toward the University’s goals of growth, academic enhancement, and community partnership, some of the challenges and opportunities s/he will face include:

University-wide Challenges and Opportunities

• Realizing the Metropolitan Vision of strengthening the University’s role as a leader in the metropolitan area by identifying actionable plans to achieve the University’s vision; and
• Developing a resource allocation decision-making model to achieve the University’s strategic objectives. Academic Challenges and Opportunities
• Articulating an academic vision to the University community, setting clear institutional expectations and standards, and leading the University efforts to achieve them;
• Building and maintaining academic excellence in a challenging financial environment through the strategic use of limited resources;
• Strengthening linkages between the academic enterprise and Enrollment Management to assist in achieving enrollment growth target of 12,000; and
• Supporting faculty governance through effective working relationships with the Faculty Senate and unionized adjunct faculty.

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The University of Michigan-Dearborn seeks candidates with strong records of academic accomplishment and outstanding management and leadership skills to serve as the University’s Provost and chief academic officer. The Provost/VCAA must be both academically and administratively experienced and talented, a person with a commitment to excellence, and a person of the highest integrity and compassion. The Provost needs to be an educational leader who, working with the entire UM-Dearborn community, can help implement the vision for the University’s future, setting standards of excellence for pedagogy and scholarship, curricular development, and assessment.

More specifically, the successful candidate will have the following professional qualities and qualifications:

• Earned doctorate from an accredited institution, able to be tenured at the rank of full professor;
• Demonstrated ability to manage a complex academic organization and work effectively with colleagues across administrative and academic units and disciplines;
• Successful experience leading strategic planning, managing substantive evaluation of academic programs, developing interdisciplinary programs, and applying new technologies.
• An interest in and experience with working collaboratively and effectively in a shared governance culture;
• Demonstrated success as a creative leader with the ability to solve complex problems and generate external resources;
• Substantial executive, fiscal, and personnel management skills and experience achieving significant accomplishments in the face of limited resources;
• Experience with, understanding of, and support for student life and enrollment management issues in a public university; and
• Understanding of and strong commitment to the university’s mission as a metropolitan university and to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and diversity

Additionally, the successful candidate will have the following personal qualifications and characteristics:

• The highest personal integrity;
• Outstanding listening and communication skills and an openness in dealings with others and acceptance of diverging perspectives; and
• The ability to function effectively in external and internal environments with sound judgment in the context of politics, public relations, and academia.

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The University has retained the services of Auerbach Associates, Inc., to assist with this search. The position is available as of July 1, 2009. Although the search will remain open until the position is filled, preliminary screening of potential candidates will begin November 1, 2008. Please send nominations and applications, including a cover letter, vita, and the names and contact information of three references, to:

Julie DeSorgher and Marjorie Stockford
Auerbach Associates, Inc.
385 Concord Avenue, Suite 103
Belmont, MA 02478

Electronic submissions preferred: email ana@auerbach-assc.com

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and must abide by the federal requirements to take affirmative steps to ensure its employment process is fair, equitable, and offers equal opportunity in hiring and employment.