Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Carroll College seeks an academic leader to serve as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Click here to view position profile: https://summitsearchsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026_SVPAA_Leadership_Profile.pdf

Location: Helena, Montana

The Position:

Reporting to the President, the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (SVPAA) is the Chief Academic Officer of the College and provides leadership to all academic areas to advance the mission of the institution.

The SVPAA is an advocate for all academic programs, provides leadership to faculty and academic staff to ensure consistent quality standards in curriculum and programs that meet the needs of students. This position oversees the academic integrity of the College and provides dynamic, innovative leadership in long-range planning, budgeting, and program development. In addition, this position insures compliance with various accreditation agencies.

This position provides leadership and direction in the recruitment, appointment, development, and retention of faculty; it also administers the College’s academic division (including library, registrar’s office, academic resource center, honors scholars program, veteran services, global education, and enrollment services).

The SVPAA serves as chief administrative officer for the College in the absence of the President and will supervise the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Executive Assistant, Research Associate, Academic Chairs and Adjunct Faculty.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Guide the academic vision and strategic plan of the institution with a keen eye toward the future of higher education and attention to emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities within the industry.

• Develop and implement academic initiatives to strengthen Carroll College’s position as a top Catholic, private, liberal arts institution.
• Promote thoughtful integration of Catholic faith and learning.
• Oversee academic programs and curriculum development to ensure that the College remains current and viable in the educational community; advocate for continued excellence in undergraduate education.
• Engage academic departments in decision-making processes which seek to articulate a clear vision and develop a plan of action with identifiable and assessable targets.
• Provide leadership and cultivate an institution-wide commitment to planning, assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Explore, develop, and implement additional degree and certificate programs, which may include graduate programs, professional certificates, etc.
• Develop and implement effective and innovative instructional methodologies to increase enrollment and ensure student success.
• Encourage and facilitate interdisciplinary teaching, research, and creative academic program development while making use of new learning technologies and methods.
• Work closely with the Vice President for Student Engagement to achieve strategic enrollment growth.
• Assist, as needed, in areas of advancement, admissions, student life, athletics, business office, and marketing and communications in setting enrollment and retention targets; establish marketing and recruitment strategies toward the implementation of academic initiatives.
• Work closely with Global Learning staff to enhance and expand global education opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.
• Identify new sources of revenue to support existing programs and create new programs that promote and advance the College's mission.
• Provide leadership for, encourage and support, fundraising activities in each academic program for the purpose of obtaining external funding for faculty and staff development, student scholarships, and programmatic expenses.
• Collaborate with other higher education institutions, transfer institutions, government agencies, and community organizations to promote academic partnerships, relationships, and shared resources.
• Advocate for Carroll at public forums, including local, state, and national meetings.
• Act on behalf of the President in her absence.

Serves as part of the College administrative cabinet; guide short and longer term operational strategies consistent with the vision and mission of the institution.

• Serve as spokesperson for the institution on academic matters as part of the senior administrative team.
• Ensure the primacy of the academic mission in all college decision-making including, but not limited to, physical and technological infrastructure, budget, fundraising, hiring, and internal and external communications.
• Work closely with the President and Cabinet to provide overall internal executive leadership to, and support for, the faculty, staff, and their respective systems of support through the creation, revision, and/or deletion of all policies related to academic affairs.
• Provide support to the Board of Trustees in academic-related issues and initiatives.
• As a member of the Cabinet, work collegially and effectively for the advancement of the College.
• Serve as the liaison between the faculty and the President and her administrative officers, particularly in academic matters.
• Ensure the vitality and educational effectiveness of all present and future academic programs and curriculum.
• Keep abreast of present and future trends in higher education and advise the President, Cabinet, and faculty as appropriate.

Cultivate collaborative leadership and shared governance with faculty to facilitate appropriate involvement and representation of the faculty in the leadership and planning for Carroll College.

• Strive to improve teaching and scholarship; faculty, staff, and student recruitment and retention; and institutional communication.
• Promote faculty morale, renewal, and development; encourage excellent teaching, proactive, helpful advising, and significant scholarship and service.
• Manage, with the assistance of faculty governance, faculty evaluation and make final recommendations to the President in personnel matters regarding salaries and raises, ranks and promotions, leaves of absence, and retirement.
• Coordinate and oversee all faculty recruiting and final recommendations to the President for hiring.
• In concert with the faculty and administration, initiate and shepherd through the decision-making process academic policies conducive to faculty performance and student learning.
• Facilitate the professional development of faculty.
• Ensure systematic review of academic programs to ensure quality and current course content.
• Collaborate with the Faculty Council to appoint standing and ad hoc committees and ensure their proper functioning.
• Maintain a complete and accurate Faculty Handbook.
• Convene regular and special faculty meetings.
• As needed, chair faculty committees and plan faculty meetings in conjunction with the Faculty Dean.

Administer the college’s academic affairs division (including academic programs, library, registrar’s office, academic resource center, honor’s scholar’s program, academic advising, enrollment services.

• Provide leadership for all division academic and administrative programs and work with faculty and staff to facilitate appropriate program development, program review, and assessment.
• Engage faculty with academic support staff in implementing strategies that increase student success, student retention, and student engagement in concert with the College’s enrollment management efforts.
• Serve as ex-officio member of administratively appointed academic committees.
• Lead, guide, and direct faculty, staff, and administration on prioritization and allocation of resources; track budgets; hold budget directors accountable.
• Manage relationships with accrediting agencies within all areas of academic programming.
• Encourage and provide leadership in productive grant and institutional research endeavors.
• Set direction for professional development programming for faculty, staff, and their respective systems of support in Academic Affairs.
• Provide leadership and direction in the recruitment, appointment, development and retention of staff in Academic Affairs.

For more on required and preferred qualifications, why consider the opportunity, and information about Carroll College, please click on the included attachment.

For more information or to offer recommendations or nominations.

Tammarah Townes

Senior Consultant

Summit Search Solutions, Inc.

302-388-9480

[email protected]

Carroll College is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating a welcoming work environment for all.

To apply online: https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su498