Senior Vice Provost & Senior Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs

Senior Vice Provost & Senior Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs

Austin Peay State University invites applications, expressions of interest, and nominations for the role of Senior Vice Provost and Senior Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs (SVP). Austin Peay seeks a collaborative, engaging, and innovative leader to serve as the SVP, supporting the Office of the Provost and working across the Division of Academic Affairs at Tennessee’s fastest-growing public university. The new SVP will have the opportunity to join a university focused on student-centered learning, distinctive programs, and community partnerships, building upon Austin Peay’s positive momentum as a leading institution in the region and across Tennessee.

Located in Clarksville, Tennessee, Austin Peay State University (APSU) is a thriving campus that serves the northern Middle Tennessee region, the state, the nation, and the world abroad, educating more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students, marking its largest enrollment year in Fall 2025. APSU is classified as a Master’s Large Research institution by the Carnegie Foundation, offering doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s, and associate programs, with many programs offered fully online. Austin Peay also serves as a hallmark institution in its service to first-generation students, which comprise nearly 40 percent of the University’s enrollment, and its commitment to access and pathways to high-quality education for all. Austin Peay has a strong relationship with the United States military and is one of only two universities with its own facility on an Army installation – at Fort Campbell – which serves more military-affiliated students than any other university in Tennessee, currently comprising over 30 percent of APSU’s total student body.

Austin Peay is known as a hub for academic excellence in the region, dedicated to fostering intellectual development, civic responsibility, community engagement, and creative expression through its student-centered approach to education, robust academic programs, and an exceptional faculty and staff. The University is composed of seven distinct colleges : College of Arts and Letters (CoAL), College of Behavioral and Health Sciences (CoBHS), College of Business (CoB), Eriksson College of Education (ECOE), College of Graduate Studies (CoGS), College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CoSTEM), and University College .

Austin Peay lays claim to more than 1,600 faculty and staff. The more than 680 faculty (full- and part-time) are known for their dedication to teaching, student growth and development, mentorship, scholarship, and service. Austin Peay supports and invests in its faculty across their academic and professional pursuits through resources, advocacy, and professional development. The Center for Advancement of Faculty Excellence offers dynamic programs, initiatives, resources, and professional learning opportunities across all career trajectories for APSU faculty. The student-faculty ratio is 14 : 1, and the average undergraduate class size is 24 students. Over 900 (full- and part-time) staff members partner in the academic enterprise and embrace their roles as co-educators.

With a population of more than 189,000, Clarksville is Tennessee’s fifth-largest city and is located just 45 minutes from Nashville, along the Tennessee-Kentucky border. It is one of the fastest-growing and youngest cities in the country, and has been highlighted for its business-friendly ecosystem with talent attraction, relocation appeal, and an engaged community investment climate. As of 2024, Clarksville has been ranked among the top 4 “Cities Where Millennials Are Buying Homes” by REALTOR.com, was recognized in “The South’s Best Cities on the Rise” by Southern Living and was named “No. 1 Best Place to Live” in 2019 by Money magazine.

Reporting to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Senior Vice Provost and Senior Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs (SVP) serves in the Office of the Provost and as a leader within the Division of Academic Affairs. The SVP is responsible for providing visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight to a wide range of academic initiatives, faculty development, and educational services that are critical to the institution's academic enterprise. The SVP is a thought-partner and an engaged collaborator across the Provost’s leadership team and will lead, manage, and provide ongoing growth and development across faculty affairs, curriculum development and review, while also providing direct supervision of the units of Distance Education and Institutional Effectiveness and Research.

The SVP role presents a unique opportunity for a collaborative academic administrator to make a profound impact on APSU’s academic affairs, faculty development, and educational excellence. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to implement comprehensive faculty support programs, improve academic affairs initiatives, and enhance institutional effectiveness through data-driven decision making. The new SVP will have the opportunity to lead the faculty retention, tenure, and promotion processes, ensuring that all faculty members are supported and evaluated in a fair and transparent manner. The SVP will have the opportunity to work closely with department chairs, deans, and other stakeholders to develop and implement policies and procedures that align with institutional goals and priorities. The SVP will have the opportunity to advance Austin Peay’s strategic goals by providing guidance and support for institutional research and effectiveness initiatives. The SVP will have the opportunity to advance the University’s academic portfolio by facilitating academic program development and the curricular process in collaboration with the Division of Academic Affairs, deans, department chairs, faculty, and campus constituencies.

The ideal candidate for the role of Senior Vice Provost and Senior Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs will be a collaborative and innovative administrator across academic affairs who brings a proven track record for community-building, strategic leadership, and a transparent approach to serving higher education. The SVP will be a leader with a distinguished academic record who commands the respect of the scholarly community and merits appointment as a tenured professor at Austin Peay. A doctoral or terminal degree is required, as is the rank of Professor with tenure. A minimum of five years of academic administrative experience is required at the Associate Dean or Department Chair level, with additional years of service and prior experience at the Dean level being highly preferred.

The successful SVP candidate will bring significant academic administrative experience across complex institutions like Austin Peay, including experience with undergraduate and graduate education. The ideal candidate will bring experience with service to public institutions and be a leader inspired by Austin Peay’s significant contributions as a member of Tennessee’s public higher education system. The next SVP will bring to the position a highly relational approach, outstanding communication skills, authenticity, self-confidence balanced with humility, integrity of the highest order, a strong work ethic, and a clear understanding of the modern university.

The full leadership profile for APSU’s SVP role is available here : https : / / dsgco.com / search / 22613-austin-peay-state-university-senior-vice-provost

This is a full-time position to be performed on site in Clarksville, Tennessee. Salary is competitive, commensurate with experience, and accompanied by a generous benefits package.

Nominations and applications should be submitted electronically as soon as possible. The Austin Peay SVP Search Committee will begin to evaluate applications in December 2025. Although applications will be welcomed until the time a new SVP is selected, candidates should submit materials by Monday, December 1

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, 2025, to ensure full consideration. DSG | Storbeck has been exclusively retained for this engagement, led by Julie Tea, Managing Director, and Kate Phillips, Senior Associate. Submit a compelling cover letter and CV / resume by completing the Talent Profile here : Austin Peay Senior Vice Provost . For nominations and inquiries, please contact : APSUSVP@dsgco.com

All inquiries are strictly confidential.

Austin Peay State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legally protected class with respect to all employment, programs, and activities sponsored by APSU. Policy 6 : 001

• This leadership profile is not exhaustive and may be subject to change. While every effort has been made to confirm information at the date of publication, the accuracy or completeness of the information provided herein cannot be guaranteed.