Vice-President Academic

The Vice President Academic (VPA) is responsible to advance the University’s mission and academic expression through the whole of its education programs and scholarly activities. Reporting to the President, the VPA holds primary responsibility for academic program design and strategy, academic program development, academic budgets, faculty hiring, academic program evaluation and renewal, academic program accreditation, research strategy, and inter-institutional academic relationships.

In collaboration with the Academic Dean, the VPA enables a synergistic flow across the Dean’s primary responsibilities: to lead and develop faculty (as a cohort and individually) in relation to teaching, research, service, and annual course planning. The VPA works closely with the President, Academic Dean, and other Vice Presidents to carry forward the university’s mission, academic activities, enrolment health, long-term planning and development, overall operations, external engagement, and advancement. The VPA retains a small teaching and research portfolio (0.2 of position) and thereby sustains connections with the teaching, research, and service activity of the university.

The appointment will begin July 1, 2026, or when position filled.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Overall Academic Vision and Planning

• Facilitate long-term academic strategic planning that effectively sustains and extends the programmatic scope of the university, drawing on a keen understanding of opportunities and challenges for a university in the Anabaptist tradition within the Manitoba post-secondary context.
• Model and encourage the interface of Christian faith with academic discipline and overall education priorities through curricular and co-curricular vision and initiatives.

Program Development and Renewal

• Provide sound academic direction that enables healthy enrolment growth.
• Lead processes for new program development from generating possibilities to program implementation and, where appropriate, third-party accreditation.
• Guide the development, articulation and implementation of an academic plan on a periodic basis, drawing on processes for the ongoing development, review and delivery of all academic programs, and promoting agility and resilience of program design in a changing environment.

Personnel

• In collaboration with the Academic Dean, plan and oversee the long-term development of the faculty complement.
• Provide supervision and leadership for personnel in Academic Administration.

Academic Administration and Shared Governance

• Prepare proposals (curriculum, faculty positions, etc.) for Senate, President’s Council, and Board on academic program development and major renewal processes.
• Develop and administer academic policies and academic budget lines within a sustainable university budget.

Research

• Cultivate a strategic research vision and resource the CMU Research Office in fostering a culture of continuous learning to facilitate faculty-led research initiatives and ongoing increases in funded research.

University Leadership and Advancement

• Work collaboratively with the President and other senior administrators to provide vision and direction to the ongoing articulation of the university’s mission and its expression through its education and scholarly activities.
• Collaborate with other administrators, staff, and faculty to nurture ongoing interdependence of scholarly and co-curricular activities in service of holistic learning commitments.
• Represent and advocate for CMU academic matters externally by building and sustaining an active network of partnerships with other academic institutions (Anabaptist universities globally, all Manitoba universities, Christian universities in Canada), the broader church, and various professional and community organizations.

Qualifications

• Embodied commitment to the CMU mission, the Christian faith, the church, and post-secondary education in the Anabaptist Mennonite tradition, with capacity to lead faculty in renewing broadly-based understandings of why CMU matters to church and society.
• An earned doctorate and a distinguished record of teaching and scholarship sufficient for an appointment at a senior rank.
• A record of commitment to collegial governance and ability to work collaboratively to articulate strategic priorities and to achieve completion of processes and projects.
• An effective communicator and manager with proven capacity to sustain the trust of peers, direct reports, and supervisor.
• A proven administrator with exemplary capacity for program innovation and development (research and writing), high level organization (conceptual and written project tracking), data analysis, independent judgment, initiative, problem solving, creative design, and confidentiality.
• Capacity to develop and manage complex budgets.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, to perceive dynamics of situations, to anticipate issues requiring attention, and to respond appropriately.
• A visionary advocate and spokesperson for the university, engaging effectively with the university's vision, education program, internal community, and surrounding communities in order to build partnerships and enhance the university’s reputation and role in church and society.

Term position; renewable upon review, includes faculty status where appropriate.

About CMU Canadian Mennonite University is a thriving university in the Anabaptist faith tradition with a student body of 800 (full-time equivalent). Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, CMU offers Bachelor of Arts (since 2001), Bachelor of Business Administration (2012), Bachelor of Music (2001), Bachelor of Music Therapy (2005), Bachelor of Science (2018), Bachelor of Social Work (2023), and Bachelor of Education (2025) degrees with featured programs in the Arts, Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, Biblical and Theological Studies (BTS), Music, Business, and Communications and Media. Graduate degrees include a Master of Arts in Theology and Church Ministry (2011) and in Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development (2015), and a Master of Business Administration (2017).

Chartered in 1998 by a public Act of the Province of Manitoba, CMU sustains close relationships with its founding church bodies, Mennonite Church Canada, and Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba, and with a highly diverse set of other communities. Nestled between Canada’s largest urban forest and a spectacular park, CMU is honoured to live and learn on Treaty One Territory. CMU is a member of Universities Canada and receives research funding from SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR.

CMU Mission Statement Canadian Mennonite University is an innovative Christian university, rooted in the Anabaptist faith tradition, moved and transformed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Through teaching, research, and service CMU inspires and equips for lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

CMU is distinguished by Four Commitments

• Educating for peace—justice
• Learning through thinking and doing
• Generous hospitality, radical dialogue
• Modeling invitational community

Further information about Canadian Mennonite University can be found at www.cmu.ca.

How to Apply Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, contact information for three references, and a 500-word statement reflecting how their understanding and expression of Christian faith would guide their interaction with faculty and staff and inform their work in this academic administrative role.

Nominations or inquiries about the nature of the post may be directed to the Director of Human Resources, humanresources@cmu.ca or the President, cmupresident@cmu.ca. Applications should be submitted in confidence to humanresources@cmu.ca.

Review of applications will begin on February 2, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.