About UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
Job Summary
The Assistant Provost of Student Success Initiatives & University Innovation Alliance Fellow works with cross-campus teams to improve student persistence, decrease barriers to student success, and foster a vibrant and equitable learning experience. Reporting to the Associate Provost for Student Success, the Asst. Provost will initiate projects and serve on teams that support undergraduate students, including low-income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented students. Their work will advance the ability for UMass to promote success at scale.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a member of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), a national consortium of large public research universities working together to improve outcomes for all students across the socioeconomic spectrum. The Asst. Provost will work with leadership in academic affairs and serve as the UMass Amherst UIA Fellow to build capacity for student success and align interrelated work at the University, linking directly with UIA colleagues regularly. To facilitate their activity strengthening networks on campus, the Asst. Provost will work actively with partners such as University Analytics and Institutional Research, the Learning Resource Center, advising and success personnel in the schools and colleges, and a range of teams in Student Affairs & Campus Life and across campus.
Essential Functions
- Initiate, lead, and advocate for programs and practices that support equitable student success and reinforce high-impact learning.
- In conjunction with the UMass UIA Liaisons, participate in bi-weekly UIA Fellows meetings, UIA Fellows Professional Development activities, and UIA retreats and convenings, including training in process mapping, design thinking, and facilitation. Periodic travel is required.
- Partner with UMass Amherst colleagues involved in large-scale success initiatives such as the Excelencia working group and the American Talent Initiative team to align success-driven activity, create efficiencies, and support cross-campus learning toward inclusive practices and advocacy for students historically minoritized in higher education.
- Lead and coordinate projects incorporating efforts in the UMass schools and colleges and in partnership with Student Affairs & Campus Life that foster belonging, demystify university life, and strengthen infrastructures that support the undergraduate experience and create student-ready university systems.
- Join teams in building and fortifying instructor communities of practice.
- Engage with marketing and communications colleagues and the Student Success Outreach team to advance mentoring initiatives and strengthen the success network at UMass.
- Lead program evaluation analytics reporting, including annual reports for the unit.
- Serve on the Associate Provost of Student Success’s leadership team contributing to strategic planning, program implementation and operations, staff development, team supervision, and productive partnerships at UMass and beyond.
Other Functions
- Understand and uphold responsibilities with respect to FERPA, Title IX, Clery and other compliance requirements.
- Perform related duties as assigned or required to meet unit, Executive Area/Division, and University goals and strategic objectives.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Master’s degree in a related field
- Five (5) years of administrative leadership experience or the equivalent in higher education
- Demonstrated strategic thinking and leadership skills, and the ability to take initiative and drive results both independently and as part of a team
- Capacity and experience in motivating others and building consensus
- Fluency of the dynamics that lead to inequity in education and experience in support for historically minoritized learners
- Demonstrated capacity to use key student success metrics and presenting analytics to stakeholders
- Excellent communication skills including preparation of oral and written materials, proposals, reports, and correspondence of both a technical and confidential nature
- Excellent organizational skills to oversee numerous projects spanning multiple areas of expertise simultaneously
- Ability to oversee staff and team development
- Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheets, and database use
- Ability to work well in teams and contribute to a respectful professional atmosphere in a diverse, at times ambiguous, and often fast-paced environment
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Experience working with students facing persistence or completion risk at a large public university
- Ability to execute strategic initiatives and work effectively in a highly decentralized environment with multiple stakeholders
- Experience with academic support, academic advising, first-year student learning, and/or higher education policy development
- Assessment of the effectiveness of student success initiatives
- Budget and resource management experience
- Supervision experience, including supervision of graduate student employees
- Knowledge of UMass Amherst technology platforms such as Spire and/or Navigate360
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
- Typical office environment.
Work Schedule
- Standard work week is 40 hours, Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm
- Required to work some nights and weekends.
- This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional) Employee Personnel Policy.
Salary Information
- Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the application, please submit a resume and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encourage.
UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.