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Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce an opening for a full-time Provost’s Fellow to begin Fall semester 2022. The Provost’s Fellowship is designed to develop faculty leaders by providing opportunities for mid-career and senior faculty to serve full-time for one academic year in an administrative role in the Office of the Provost.

As the American Council on Education (ACE) has stated, "Few institutions think systematically about the development of administrative leadership. Yet the skills and qualifications necessary for success as a professor are not the same as those required for success as a department chair, dean, or president." While Kent State has a wealth of talent among its faculty, few faculty members have the opportunity to participate in leadership development programs.

The purposes of the Provost's Fellowship are to provide faculty members who have an interest in academic administration the chance to develop knowledge, skills and experience as an administrator; to increase the understanding of the faculty about practices and procedures in academic administration; to extend and strengthen the administrative resources of the University; to assist in the development and implementation of projects in current key areas; and to provide ongoing faculty involvement and input into the activities of the Provost's Office.

The Fellow will work with senior administrators on a range of new and ongoing initiatives and will also address issues and concerns confronting the University as they arise.

The Provost's Fellow will become a member of the Provost’s administrative team. The Fellow will participate in the regular meetings of the Provost’s Office and also meet regularly with myself and/or other senior administrators. An essential component of the experience is working on select administrative matters and special projects on issues important to faculty.

The Fellow will have professional development opportunities supported by the Office of the Provost and will receive their regular salary and benefits. The faculty member will retain their office space in their academic unit and will be provided office space and staff support in the Provost’s office for projects and assignments related to the Fellowship. The Fellow will be selected by the Provost; will serve full-time for one academic year; and, will continue to maintain a presence in their academic unit.

Application Process:

• Applications will be accepted from all full-time (TT and FTNTT) faculty members.
• Applicants should submit a letter of interest and current vitae by Friday, April 22, 2022 to Kevin West (facultyaffairs@kent.edu), Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs. The letter should describe why the applicant is interested in joining the university’s administrative team and what they hope to achieve in this role.
• Applicants must also submit a letter, signed by their academic unit administrator (department chair, school director, college dean or regional campus dean) and academic college Dean, if applicable, which indicates support for the faculty.

I will announce the appointment by the end of spring semester.

My best,

Melody Tankersley
Senior Vice President and Provost