Career Center

Northern Illinois University (NIU) invites applications and nominations for the position of Executive Vice President and Provost (EVPP). The EVPP reports directly to the president and is expected to lead the institution in the president's absence. The NIU EVPP must understand the university's vision and mission, and support our core values. In addition, the candidate of choice will embrace hard work and not shy away from challenges. They will possess the agility necessary to move ideas to action in a timely manner through shared leadership. They must be committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and freedom of expression across the institution. This includes unwavering support for academic freedom and individual expression. They must also demonstrate unimpeachable integrity and superb judgment exemplified by fairness, flexibility, empathy and responsiveness. Exceptional communications skills are required.

As the chief academic officer and with oversight for student affairs, the EVPP must be an experienced administrator with a demonstrated record of strategic leadership skills. The EVPP offers the right person an incredible opportunity to implement bold and positive new initiatives in partnership with President Lisa C. Freeman, collegial deans and vice presidents, a stimulating university community, supportive local community, and an enthusiastic and engaged alumni base. NIU is seeking a strong leader with a vision — one who is able to communicate effectively across stakeholders, who works well as a team member and who understands the importance of planning in a way that aligns resources with goals.

While the EVPP will work across senior leaders and is expected to collaborate on a variety of matters, the leadership necessary to do the following will be imperative for the success of the next EVPP: Collaborate with the vice president for Administration and Finance/chief financial officer to move forward an academically responsive and fiscally responsible budget; vice president for Research and Innovation Partnerships to align priorities, ensure synergy of the university's academic research and innovation missions; vice president for Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications to advance recruitment and retention initiatives; vice president for Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development on engagement initiatives; and the vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to align academic policies with NIU's values of inclusion.


Northern Illinois University

NIU is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university with expertise that benefits its region and spans the globe in a wide variety of fields. The university offers baccalaureate, master's, doctoral and law degrees across more than 40 academic departments and seven colleges: Business, Education, Engineering and Engineering Technology, Health and Human Sciences, Law, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts. NIU has a long, rich tradition of academic excellence with a breadth of programmatic offerings that support the academic aspirations of our students. Our nationally and internationally recognized faculty are not only dedicated to advancing their academic disciplines, but, in collaboration with NIU staff, are also focused on providing meaningful curricular and cocurricular experiences that prepare NIU students to be successful in achieving their future goals.

Proximal to Chicago, the third-largest U.S. city, NIU is in an area that is a vibrant center of culture and technology, yet the university is sufficiently out of the traffic and congestion to afford faculty and students a healthier environment in which to live and study. The NIU community is committed to positive change and is focused on enhancing student academic and career success. NIU serves a large, diverse, rural, suburban and urban population, including many first-generation college students. NIU's fall 2023 enrollment of 15,504 students consisted of 11,358 undergraduate students, 3,832 graduate students, and 314 law students. The racial and ethnic diversity of our student body reflects that of the Chicagoland region and is 44% white; 21% Hispanic/Latino; 18% Black/African American; 6% Asian; and 7% international. About 4,100 students live on campus in five residence halls and an apartment complex.

The university is dedicated to making a college degree accessible, equitable and affordable. Recognizing that students' hard work in high school is reflected in their grades, we became one of the nation's first public universities to announce test-free admission and merit scholarship processes. Further, our Huskie Pledge program is helping to ensure that qualifying Illinois students from lower-income households can attend college and pay no tuition and fees out of pocket for their first year and potentially beyond.

Committed to sustainability and as a signatory to the Second Nature Carbon Commitment, NIU has cemented its pledge to climate action by setting in motion the process to incorporate sustainability into campus life, strategic planning and decision-making. The university this year drafted a sweeping Sustainability and Climate Action Plan that calls for NIU to

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