What are the responsibilities and job description for the Provost and Dean of the Faculty position at Knox College?
“Knox College is a community of individuals from diverse backgrounds challenging each other to explore, understand and improve ourselves, our society and our world. The commitment to put learning to use to accomplish both personal and social goals dates back to the founding of the College in 1837. We take particular pride in the College's early commitment to increase access to all qualified students of varied backgrounds, races and conditions, regardless of financial means.
Today, we continue to expand both the historic mission and the tradition of active liberal arts learning. We provide an environment where students and faculty work closely together and where teaching is characterized by inviting and expecting students to pursue fundamental questions in order to reach their own reflective but independent judgments.”
In its next Provost and Dean of the Faculty, Knox College (“Knox” or “the College”) seeks a future-oriented, higher education strategist to competitively position the academic program for the coming decade of change. Both scholar and administrator, this leader will serve as a thoughtful ambassador for the faculty, a key member of the leadership team, and a creative thought partner to President C. Andrew McGadney, now in his fourth year leading the College. The successful candidate will have a history of prioritizing and securing resources for faculty development and pedagogical innovation, the acumen required to strategize and achieve sustainable enrollment growth, the emotional intelligence to build consensus within a close-knit academic community, an appreciation for educating students within a residential liberal arts model, and an unrelenting focus on student success and persistence.
Knox College’s enduring hallmarks, dating from its founding in 1837 by abolitionists, are academic excellence; student access without regard to gender, race, or financial circumstance; a social justice ethos; and a supportive, animated student culture that inspires high affinity and loyal, active alumni devotion. The College’s location in Galesburg, IL, midway between Chicago and St. Louis, affords both urban proximity and a small-town setting conducive to local community engagement. Its academic distinctions include strengths in the traditional liberal arts and sciences as well as contemporary programs in areas such as business, computer science, data science, and journalism. The College embraces a 3-3 academic calendar, comprising three 10-week terms, designed for deeper engagement in fewer classes per term. Immersive and experiential learning are a signature part of the Knox education, and the College is committed to building on the strength of several long-standing programs to expand offerings across disciplines. Knox also has a strong commitment to internationalism and service, including its piloting of a Peace Corps preparatory program that is now a model for other American institutions. It is a broad-minded campus notable for its passionate student activism, but also for its inclusivity, kindness, and warmth.
The Knox faculty—attracted to the College’s dedication to active liberal arts learning and undergraduate research—takes great pride in the 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, under which their classrooms thrive. Their ranks comprise 96 full-time tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure track faculty members as well as 19 part-time/adjunct faculty who typically teach two courses each of the three academic terms. With an operating budget of $53M and an endowment of $160M, the College enrolls approximately 1,100 students (from 42 states and 56 countries) in 60 courses of study across four academic divisions.
As chief academic officer, the next provost will optimize and set direction for all of the College’s academic affairs comprising the academic divisions, support centers and programs, faculty affairs, curriculum and assessment, registrar, library, and institutional research. The provost guides academic planning, program development and review, leads the recruitment and development of faculty, coordinates and monitors all academic budgets, and ensures that the institution meets and exceeds its mission and accreditation standards. Additionally, the provost partners closely with the vice president of enrollment management to continuously broaden Knox’s appeal to prospective students and families.
The College seeks both a scholarly exemplar and an experienced administrator to partner with the president and senior team to execute on the the College’s plan for growth. Success in this work will be demonstrated in improved student retention and graduation rates, development of a dynamic and innovative infrastructure that quickly responds to technological advancements in pedagogy and learning spaces, and an elevated intellectual reputation that attracts more scholars and more students nationally and globally.
Knox is conducting this recruitment in partnership with Lionel Anderson of JM Search. Confidential inquiries, nominations, and résumés accompanied by letters of intent may be sent in confidence to: KnoxProvost@JMSearch.com.
Today, we continue to expand both the historic mission and the tradition of active liberal arts learning. We provide an environment where students and faculty work closely together and where teaching is characterized by inviting and expecting students to pursue fundamental questions in order to reach their own reflective but independent judgments.”
In its next Provost and Dean of the Faculty, Knox College (“Knox” or “the College”) seeks a future-oriented, higher education strategist to competitively position the academic program for the coming decade of change. Both scholar and administrator, this leader will serve as a thoughtful ambassador for the faculty, a key member of the leadership team, and a creative thought partner to President C. Andrew McGadney, now in his fourth year leading the College. The successful candidate will have a history of prioritizing and securing resources for faculty development and pedagogical innovation, the acumen required to strategize and achieve sustainable enrollment growth, the emotional intelligence to build consensus within a close-knit academic community, an appreciation for educating students within a residential liberal arts model, and an unrelenting focus on student success and persistence.
Knox College’s enduring hallmarks, dating from its founding in 1837 by abolitionists, are academic excellence; student access without regard to gender, race, or financial circumstance; a social justice ethos; and a supportive, animated student culture that inspires high affinity and loyal, active alumni devotion. The College’s location in Galesburg, IL, midway between Chicago and St. Louis, affords both urban proximity and a small-town setting conducive to local community engagement. Its academic distinctions include strengths in the traditional liberal arts and sciences as well as contemporary programs in areas such as business, computer science, data science, and journalism. The College embraces a 3-3 academic calendar, comprising three 10-week terms, designed for deeper engagement in fewer classes per term. Immersive and experiential learning are a signature part of the Knox education, and the College is committed to building on the strength of several long-standing programs to expand offerings across disciplines. Knox also has a strong commitment to internationalism and service, including its piloting of a Peace Corps preparatory program that is now a model for other American institutions. It is a broad-minded campus notable for its passionate student activism, but also for its inclusivity, kindness, and warmth.
The Knox faculty—attracted to the College’s dedication to active liberal arts learning and undergraduate research—takes great pride in the 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, under which their classrooms thrive. Their ranks comprise 96 full-time tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure track faculty members as well as 19 part-time/adjunct faculty who typically teach two courses each of the three academic terms. With an operating budget of $53M and an endowment of $160M, the College enrolls approximately 1,100 students (from 42 states and 56 countries) in 60 courses of study across four academic divisions.
As chief academic officer, the next provost will optimize and set direction for all of the College’s academic affairs comprising the academic divisions, support centers and programs, faculty affairs, curriculum and assessment, registrar, library, and institutional research. The provost guides academic planning, program development and review, leads the recruitment and development of faculty, coordinates and monitors all academic budgets, and ensures that the institution meets and exceeds its mission and accreditation standards. Additionally, the provost partners closely with the vice president of enrollment management to continuously broaden Knox’s appeal to prospective students and families.
The College seeks both a scholarly exemplar and an experienced administrator to partner with the president and senior team to execute on the the College’s plan for growth. Success in this work will be demonstrated in improved student retention and graduation rates, development of a dynamic and innovative infrastructure that quickly responds to technological advancements in pedagogy and learning spaces, and an elevated intellectual reputation that attracts more scholars and more students nationally and globally.
Knox is conducting this recruitment in partnership with Lionel Anderson of JM Search. Confidential inquiries, nominations, and résumés accompanied by letters of intent may be sent in confidence to: KnoxProvost@JMSearch.com.
