The University of South Carolina invites applications and nominations from current tenured university employees at the full professor level for the position of Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, this university leader will advance faculty success by shaping the policies, practices and professional development opportunities that support faculty throughout their careers. With a portfolio spanning faculty hiring and advancement, teaching excellence, shared governance and university policy, the vice provost will have the opportunity to strengthen the faculty experience and foster collaboration across colleges, disciplines and campuses.

The successful candidate will bring a collaborative approach to partnering with faculty and academic leaders, supporting interdisciplinary initiatives and cultivating a collegial academic environment. Through leadership of faculty support programs, including the Center for Teaching Excellence, faculty ombuds program and faculty civility office, the vice provost will help create the conditions for faculty to thrive and contribute to the university’s teaching, scholarship and service mission.

Key Responsibilities of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Faculty Hiring, Evaluation, and Work-Life Policies

• Oversee all faculty hiring, tenure, and promotion processes at the University of South Carolina.
• Implement faculty work-life policies and advocate for faculty needs in collaboration with faculty and academic leaders.
• Implement evaluation and advancement requirements for professional track faculty through the realigned faculty evaluation process and Faculty Manual provisions governing promotion and retention.

Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence

• Provide overall direction for faculty development across the career continuum, from new faculty orientations and the 1st Year Faculty program to senior leadership training.
• Oversee the Center for Teaching Excellence and its programs and instructional design services that support faculty teaching and educational innovation.
• Coordinate with the Division of Human Resources to develop training and professional development opportunities for department chairs and other academic leaders.

University Coordination, Governance, and Policy

• Coordinate faculty affairs support across 16 colleges, four 2-year branch campuses, and two medical schools, addressing differences in faculty roles and disciplinary practices.
• Work closely in an ex officio capacity with major committees of the Faculty Senate.
• Serve on the USC Policy Advisory Committee and manage all academic affairs policy matters.

Interdisciplinary Initiatives and Collaboration

• Support the President’s and Provost’s interdisciplinary initiatives through new institute and center development and cluster hiring efforts.
• Identify and address barriers to cross-unit faculty collaboration, support faculty-led initiatives already underway, and sustain improvements that enable interdisciplinary work.

Faculty Support, Civil Rights, and Civility

• Serve as deputy director (faculty) of the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, with responsibility for the faculty ombuds program and the faculty civility office.

Qualifications

Required:

• Appointment as a tenured, full-time faculty member at USC with the rank of professor.
• A minimum of seven years of successful administrative experience at the level of dean, associate dean or vice provost.  

Preferred:

In addition to the requirements above, the successful candidate will demonstrate many of the following skills, attributes or experiences:

• Progressive academic leadership experience, preferably at a comprehensive research university, with demonstrated success leading initiatives across colleges, schools, or disciplines.
• Substantial experience administering faculty personnel processes, including recruitment, hiring, tenure, promotion, and performance review, with attention to fairness, consistency, and transparency.
• Demonstrated success advancing faculty development through mentoring, professional learning, and leadership preparation for faculty at multiple career stages.
• Experience developing, interpreting, and implementing university policies, including building consensus and coordinating policy review across a complex institution.
• A strong record of collaboration with shared governance, including effective partnerships with faculty senates, academic committees, department chairs, and deans.
• Experience addressing sensitive faculty concerns and resolving conflict, with demonstrated discretion, impartiality, and respect for confidentiality and fair processes.
• Familiarity with civil rights and Title IX responsibilities in academic settings, including effective collaboration with relevant university offices.
• Demonstrated ability to strengthen faculty work life and institutional climate, supporting a respectful, collegial, and productive academic community.
• Experience supporting teaching excellence and faculty scholarship, including collaboration with teaching centers and other faculty support units.
• Strong communication and organizational leadership skills, including the ability to explain complex policies, lead teams, manage resources, and assess program effectiveness.

Salary Information

This is a twelve-month position. The University of South Carolina offers a comprehensive benefits package.