Executive Vice President and Provost

The Provost will partner with President Jim Lucchese and other senior administrators to build upon Berklee's significant strengths in curricular and programmatic innovation, enhancing the unique value of a Berklee education through the continued promotion of artistic excellence, globalization of programs, and integration of professionalizing experiences that can enable Berklee graduates to thrive now and in the future.

The Provost oversees the work of senior academic administrators, including the vice president and executive director of Berklee College of Music, the vice provost, the executive director of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, the executive director of Berklee NYC, the executive director of Berklee Valencia, and a Senior Project Manager, and will work collaboratively with leadership and the larger Berklee community. The Provost supports a large staff, including the vice provost for academic affairs, vice presidents, associate and assistant vice presidents, deans, chairs, and technology and administrative support staff. As the chief academic officer for Berklee, the Provost is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the president's vision across each of Berklee's degree-granting units, ensuring academic standards, and maintaining alignment of Berklee's curricular offerings with the institution's overall strategic plan. The Provost will also lead ongoing efforts to develop and maintain a diverse and distinguished faculty, and to grow and strengthen the deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity at all levels of the institution. Working with leadership, faculty, staff, and students, the Provost will identify and implement initiatives that further strengthen Berklee's ability to serve as a national and international resource for research and the generation of new ideas, standards, and constructs across the arts, higher education, and industry.

For this role, Berklee is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking educator and leader with a strong record of accomplishment in academic administration, overseeing schools and programs in music, theater, dance, and/or the arts; business and entrepreneurship; creative industries; or other relevant fields. The successful candidate will have experience leading change and be both a strategic and innovative thinker, able to demonstrate the effective design and implementation of new programmatic offerings and initiatives. A strong ability to engage in and promote administrative practices that further Berklee's educational mission through collegiality, cooperation, and collaboration is essential. Has a deep understanding of and commitment to the success of Berklee's community of diverse faculty, staff, and students in a rapidly shifting global arts landscape driven by a steady stream of new and emerging creative and information technologies.

To submit a nomination or express personal interest in this position, please see Procedure for Candidacy at the end of this document.

Role of the Executive Vice President and Provost

The Provost will have the following overall responsibilities:

• Oversee the implementation of the president's strategic vision for Berklee's academic mission with a focus on Affordability, Careers, and Sustainability;
• At the direction of the president, serve as his representative in matters pertaining to the academic strategy and operations of the institution;
• Innovate and establish industry-leading practices in the integration of advanced technologies into teaching, learning, faculty, and student support;
• Oversee and encourage the modernization of curricula by the various degree-granting units with a focus on affordability, career-centricity, and rigor;
• Lead a process of student-centric curricular review that ensures appropriate rigor, alignment of institutionally developed standards, and differentiation of offerings from unit to unit;
• Oversee a process for career-centric industry practitioner review of graduate and undergraduate programs to ensure the continuing excellence and relevance of all academic offerings;
• Oversee efforts to increase collaboration and the development of offerings and degree programs that focus on hybrid skills, individualized career pathways, and real-world, experiential learning;
• Continually seek to improve student learning and success, with special attention to the classroom and studio experience through effective management and oversight of essential faculty-student interactions;
• Support the recruitment and retention of a world-class faculty, with particular attention to increasing diversity and providing an equitable, welcoming, and supportive work environment;
• Create and maintain effective relationships with partner, consortium, and neighbor institutions, serving to further Berklee's interests in global higher education;
• Maintain an environment of collegiality, collaboration, and shared ownership for the success of Berklee's students, faculty, staff, and the institution as a whole;
• Meet regularly with Berklee constituencies to foster a culture of listening, support, and cooperation;
• In close collaboration with the president and the SVP for advancement, serve as a front-line participant in Berklee's ongoing fundraising efforts.

Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities

The Berklee Provost search offers an opportunity for dynamic, highly impactful leadership. While no single candidate will embody all the qualities listed, the Berklee leadership and the search committee will prioritize the following:

• Proven ability to build widespread trust built on common experience with a large, diverse group of creative faculty, chairs, deans, and staff who can look to this leader, trust them, and feel "they are one of us; they understand us." An adept and empathetic executive leader who has successfully worked cross-functionally to create a sense of unity, purpose, and shared accountability with academic excellence across a diverse range of disciplines and locations. An active listener. Clearly demonstrated dedication to the Berklee mission.
• Proven track record of innovation in higher education: innovation to the higher ed operating model that improves access and affordability, boldness in career-centric curricular design, technology-driven innovation that enhances the student experience, and empowers faculty to perform at the highest level. Clearly not content with the status quo, it leads as a catalyst for positive, student-centric change with urgency.
• Experienced administrative leader and operator, with the ability to lead, develop diverse teams, and optimize a complex, multi-location global operation of the size and scale of Berklee in ways that deliver a market-leading student experience, move at a market-leading pace, motivate and retain exceptional talent, and deliver top-quartile efficiency and effectiveness in higher education. Ability to envision the future and build an organizational structure that is uniquely suited to Berklee's singular culture, strengths, and needs.
• Progressive, outstanding, inclusive, and collaborative academic leadership in a stand-alone or university-based arts environment or commensurate professional experience.
• Proven track record of success in leading within a global operation.
• Union experience is preferred.
• Strong financial acumen required to oversee complex budgets and the ability to prioritize funding for academic initiatives.
• A bachelor's degree is required; an advanced or terminal degree in a field relevant to Berklee's academic disciplines is preferred.

Opportunities for Impact

Affordability: The next Provost will ensure that an affordable Berklee education provides innovative domestic and global learning opportunities of the highest caliber.

Careers: The successful candidate will collaborate with faculty to expand experiential learning across degree programs, preparing students for career-readiness and enhancing placements.

Sustainability: Berklee's next Provost will bring the requisite budget experience to enhance academic vitality through transformative technology in teaching and learning, ensuring the College's academic sustainability well into the future.

Procedure for Candidacy

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV/resume and a letter of interest. Review of applications will be done on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please direct all applications, nominations, and inquiries to Melody Rose, Ph.D., Alejandra Gillette-Teran, and Maya Holt-Brockenbrough, Ph.D., to BerkleeMusicProvost@wittkieffer.com

Berklee expects to pay the successful candidate in the range of $385,000 to $425,000.