Associate Provost for Academic Affairs

The Position:

The Associate Provost for Academic Affairs provides senior-level academic leadership and operational support to the Provost in furthering the academic mission, strategic priorities, and institutional goals of the University. This position serves as a principal advisor, strategic partner, and operational leader for academic quality, faculty support, student achievement, academic integrity, and continuous improvement across Academic Affairs.

Working collaboratively with academic, campus, and community partners, the Associate Provost leads and supports initiatives, strengthens communication across units, promotes effective academic operations, and helps align Academic Affairs with the University’s strategic plan and regional mission.

The Associate Provost manages priorities, solves problems, communicates effectively, and exercises sound judgment and discretion to move complex work forward across academic and administrative units.

Responsibilities:

• Provide administrative, academic, and operational support to the Provost in advancing the priorities and daily work of Academic Affairs.
• Serve as a trusted strategic and operational partner to the Provost by helping coordinate work across academic units, support offices, committees, university leadership, and external partners as appropriate.
• Coordinate the planning and implementation of assigned academic initiatives, policies and procedures, special projects, and cross-unit efforts in support of institutional priorities and the University’s strategic plan.
• Demonstrate proactive leadership by identifying needs, resolving barriers, communicating next steps, and ensuring timely follow-through on assigned responsibilities.
• Provide leadership, oversight, and direction for assigned Academic Affairs functions, areas, programs, services, and initiatives.
• Promote a culture of academic excellence by supporting high-quality teaching, effective learning practices, meaningful assessment, faculty development, program improvement, and continuous enhancement of academic programs and services.
• Develop and oversee the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence as a resource for faculty development, instructional innovation, academic quality, student learning, and excellence in teaching.
• Support faculty onboarding, orientation, professional development, mentoring, and related initiatives that promote effective teaching, faculty engagement, academic quality, and faculty success across Academic Affairs.
• Advance student access and success by identifying barriers, strengthening academic pathways, improving coordination of academic support, and promoting practices that serve all students.
• Provide leadership for initiatives that promote academic integrity, ethical academic practice, and consistent implementation of academic policies, including education and support for faculty, staff, and students.
• Collaborate with deans, department chairs, faculty leaders, academic support units, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, institutional effectiveness, and other campus partners to advance shared priorities and strengthen coordination across Academic Affairs.
• Use data, assessment findings, student success indicators, feedback, and institutional priorities to identify needs, recommend improvements, and support effective decision-making across assigned areas.
• Support academic initiatives that contribute to workforce development, community engagement, educational attainment, and quality of life in the rural region served by the University.
• Help ensure that academic programs, faculty development efforts, academic success initiatives, and operational improvements align with the University’s mission, strategic plan, accreditation expectations, and institutional priorities.
• Lead and manage assigned projects, requests, meetings, and planning efforts by tracking timelines, coordinating next steps, gathering information, resolving barriers, and ensuring timely follow-up and completion.
• Identify operational needs, process gaps, and opportunities for improved coordination, communication, efficiency, and effectiveness across Academic Affairs.
• Support the implementation of academic policies, procedures, initiatives, and administrative processes in collaboration with appropriate university offices, ensuring accountability for timely, accurate, and consistent execution.
• Assist with sensitive, confidential, and time-sensitive matters requiring sound judgment, discretion, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Represent the Office of the Provost in meetings, committees, events, community conversations, and cross-functional projects as assigned.
• Complete other duties as assigned in support of the Office of the President, Provost, Academic Affairs, and broader university priorities.

Key Leadership Areas:

The Associate Provost for Academic Affairs is expected to advance work in the following areas:

• Academic Excellence: Strengthening teaching, learning, faculty development, academic quality, assessment, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Academic Integrity: Promoting ethical academic practice, consistent policy implementation, accountability, and a culture of honesty and trust in teaching and learning.
• Student Access and Success: Supporting pathways that improve access, persistence, completion, and student achievement, particularly for students whose success depends on coordinated academic support.
• Regional and Rural Impact: Helping ensure that academic programs and initiatives respond to regional needs, workforce priorities, community partnerships, and the University’s responsibility to serve its region.
• Strategic Plan Alignment: Connecting academic initiatives, operations, policies, and resource decisions to the University’s strategic goals and measurable outcomes.

Qualifications:

Minimum

• Earned doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution.
• Progressively responsible leadership background in academic affairs administration.
• Demonstrated ability to lead or coordinate academic initiatives, policies, programs, and projects across multiple units.
• Demonstrated commitment to academic excellence, academic integrity, student access and achievement, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Strong communication, collaboration, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, professionalism, and confidentiality.

Preferred

• Academic leadership as a dean, assistant/associate provost, vice provost, provost, or in a comparable role.
• Teaching experience as a faculty member in higher education, with a demonstrated commitment to effective teaching and student learning.
• Background in faculty development, teaching and learning initiatives, academic success initiatives, and/or accreditation.
• Demonstrated success advancing student achievement, access, persistence, retention, and completion.
• Experience supporting academic workforce alignment, community partnerships, regional engagement, or strategic plan implementation.

About The University of West Alabama:

The University of West Alabama (UWA) was chartered in 1835 as a church-related female academy and remained primarily a school for girls until the twentieth century. 2025 marked 190 years of proud tradition and educational excellence with more than 41,000 graduates. The University of West Alabama is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, bachelor, master, education specialist, and doctoral degrees through the College of Business, Julia Tutwiler College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Division of Engineering Technology, Ira D. Pruitt College of Nursing and Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and Online Programs.

Mission

Enriching lives through education, service, and outreach.

Vision

To offer quality education and effective services while establishing a model for leadership in the region and beyond.

Strategic Plan

The University of West Alabama’s Strategic Plan 2026–2035, Your Bridge to What’s Possible, outlines a bold vision for advancing student success, access, and institutional growth in rural and regional higher education. The plan prioritizes enrollment expansion, retention, and a personalized student experience supported by flexible learning models, strong partnerships, and data-informed decision-making. Grounded in values of integrity, excellence, collaboration, and regional responsibility, UWA is committed to serving as a catalyst for opportunity and prosperity in the communities it serves.

You can read more about the plan here.