Deputy Provost

Who We Are:

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service. We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What We Offer:

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Benefits.

What You Will Do:

Reporting to the Provost, the Deputy Provost serves as a high-level administrator in the Provost's Office and university. The Deputy Provost will manage a team of leaders in the Provost's Office and provide direct support and guidance related to their functional areas and scopes of work. The Deputy Provost serves as the primary point of contact and arbiter on all academic student concerns that escalate to the Provost's Office for review. The Deputy Provost will serve as a liaison and resource with other University units and with external agencies on behalf of the Provost. As the liaison for the Office of the Provost, the Deputy Provost will respond to critical inquiries and manage and facilitate communication between the office and other members of University Administration, faculty, staff, state and federal agencies, and others as needed or requested. The Deputy Provost will intervene as necessary to solve problems in a proactive and positive manner, ensuring collaboration with relevant stakeholders and adherence to state and federal laws and policies of the University and Board of Trustees. The Deputy Provost will act as a confidential sounding board and close advisor to the Provost.

Institutional Collaboration and External Relations: Represent the Provost in various internal and external committees, meetings, and events. Foster collaborations with other academic institutions, government agencies, industry partners, and community organizations.
• Accreditation and Quality Assurance: Oversee the institution's accreditation processes and compliance with external quality assurance standards. Work closely with accreditation bodies to prepare for reviews and ensure continuous improvement of academic programs. Monitor and assess academic quality indicators and metrics to drive institutional improvement.
• Policy Development and Compliance: Participate in the development and revision of academic policies, procedures, and guidelines. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, laws, and accreditation standards. Stay informed about emerging trends and best practices in higher education and incorporate them into institutional policies and practices.
• Special Projects and Initiatives: Undertake special projects and initiatives as assigned by the provost. Contribute to institutional committees, task forces, and working groups. Support the provost in addressing emerging issues and strategic priorities. Projects may vary each academic year but will be developed in alignment the university strategic plan and identified opportunities improve academic operations, strengthen academic programs, and enhance student success.
• Academic Planning and Development: Assist in the development and implementation of academic strategic plans, policies, and initiatives. Collaborate with academic deans, department chairs, and faculty to ensure alignment with institutional goals. Oversee curriculum development, review processes, and program assessment efforts.
• Student Success and Support: Collaborate with student affairs and academic support units to enhance student success and retention. Support initiatives that promote student engagement, academic advising, mentoring, and career development. Ensure the availability of academic support services to assist students in achieving their educational goals.
• Instructional Quality: Establish mechanisms to monitor and evaluate instructional quality on an ongoing basis. This may involve conducting classroom observations, enhance the program review process, collecting student feedback through surveys or focus groups, developing institutional models to support the assessment of student learning, and analyzing assessment results to inform continuous improvement efforts. Identify and recommend evidence-based instructional methods and techniques that promote active learning, critical thinking, and student engagement.
• Personnel Management and Development: Provide leadership and guidance to assigned direct reports, including hiring staff and conducting performance appraisals. Work with direct reports to support personnel needs and issues in their departments including staff recruitment, employee performance, and making recommendations on additional department resources.

ABOUT NLU

National Louis University (NLU) is looking to honor its past while defining a bold new future as a contemporary, comprehensive university that prepares diverse students for sustained professional success with a deep commitment to Access, Excellence, Innovation and Equity. We are a pioneering community that uses innovation to improve outcomes. NLU questions the status quo and strives to adapt and evolve with the changing needs of its students. We are a community that cares about each other and our students and we work collaboratively, tirelessly and quickly to advance change in the service of students. We have a long venerable history, but we are not typical. We seek to solve intractable social issues through education; we believe we have not succeeded until graduates achieve sustainable career related employment; and we foster a culture that promotes failing fast so that we may constantly improve our work.

Founded in 1886, National Louis University is a private not-for-profit university offering over 70 programs from short-term certificate through the doctoral level across its five colleges. The University serves over 10,000 students per year and has experienced unprecedented growth over the last several years. Most students are from Illinois, but the University also attracts students from throughout the U.S. and from around the world who take advantage of campus based, blended and online programming.

NLU is located in the center of Chicago's downtown loop, across the street from the Art Institute, in an area which has been recognized as America's largest campus with over 25 institutions and 50,000 students attending a college across the city. In addition, the University has two suburban locations and a Florida regional campus.

• Doctorate Degree, required
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in academic leadership roles, such as department chair, dean, or similar positions.
• At least 5 years of experience providing strategic direction, managing complex academic operations, and collaborating effectively with faculty, staff, and other administrators.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience with academic program quality, accreditation, compliance and curriculum/program design.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational management, budgeting, and resource allocation.
• Experience leading and working with faculty on a range of different issues including faculty development, academic research and scholarship, faculty governance, and academic policies.
• Excellent analytical, quantitative, writing and verbal skills.
• Communication/Interpersonal - Communicates effectively and appropriately. Uses good judgment as to what to communicate to whom as well as the best way to get that accomplished. Speaks in a clear and credible manner, selecting the right tone for the situation and audience. Listens to others and allows them to make their point.
• Entrepreneurial Orientation - Takes an active role in identifying new business opportunities, assessing the risks involved and comparing these to the potential advantages of taking action. Influences decisions by examining financial costs and potential benefits and by providing realistic risk-assessments.
• Responsive to Change - Adapts to and thrives in times of internal or external change. Views change as a necessary and inevitable aspect of organizational life as well as an opportunity to learn new things.
• Strategic Thinking - Can analyze organizational strengths and weaknesses and then combine these with knowledge of the industry, market and organization to develop long-term strategy.
• Leadership - Articulates a vision that others choose to follow. Models behaviors expected of others and inspires others to undertake challenging tasks and projects.
• Organizational Awareness - Understands the internal climate of the organization, including the most productive channels of communication, and makes use of the appropriate communication channels to achieve goals and objectives. Has learned about both formal and informal communication channels and understands when to stick to the formal hierarchy of reporting relationships. Understands unwritten protocols and the political aspects of how communication takes place. Avoids errors in judgment when selecting strategies for accomplishing tasks.
• Relationship Building/Networking - Builds rapport and develops alliances with a broad range of people. Adjusts communication style to meet the needs of individuals at various organizational levels and to meet the needs of clients. Forms alliances by demonstrating concern and respect for others, as well as by highlighting common interests and aspirations. Leave others feeling that he/she will be a trusted ally and is careful to act in ways that reinforce that trust over time.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.