Overview

Tufts is a student-centered research university that educates approximately 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 3,400 staff and 1600 faculty across its campuses in Massachusetts, Portland, Maine, Phoenix, Arizona, and Talloires, France.  These campuses are home to eight schools—Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, Law and Diplomacy, Medicine, Nutrition Science and Policy, and Veterinary Medicine—and two colleges - the College of Civic Life, and the University College.

The Office of the Provost is responsible for setting and guiding institutional and budgetary priorities that advance the University’s academic mission. Together with deans and senior administrators, the Provost and Vice Provosts direct and support the partnerships, collaborations, and planning initiatives on all of Tufts’ campuses. This team champions and integrates educational and research activities across the university and ensures programs are of the highest quality by working closely with faculty, staff, alumni, and students. The Office of the Provost oversees the university’s education, research, faculty, innovation, and institutional inclusive excellence functions.

What You'll Do

The Associate Vice Provost for Educational Innovation will be a pivotal contributor to advancing the University's educational vision with the guidance of the Vice Provost for Educational. This role carries broad responsibilities aimed at driving educational excellence, innovation, and continuous evolution across all academic levels. Collaborating closely with university leadership, this position will play a key role in the implementation of innovative practices and programs.

Strategic Leadership:

• Actively contribute to the operationalization and advancement of the University’s strategies related to excellence and innovation, aligning with the institution's educational vision.
• Collaborate closely with the Vice Provost for Education, Vice Provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence, Vice Provost for Research, the Vice Provost for Innovation, Academic Deans and other stakeholders to develop novel programs and delivery methods.
• Identify and implement key strategic opportunities plans across schools and colleges to advance the educational vision of the institution. This includes, but is not limited to, working to promote interdisciplinary opportunities and the infrastructure to support cross-school collaboration along with working to identify and implement efficiencies that will create opportunities for further innovation.

Educational Innovation:

• Lead efforts to translate the educational vision into specific innovative educational practices across the university’s learning environments.
• Foster an environment that encourages experimentation and innovation in curriculum design and instructional practices.
• Lead efforts in exploring and implementing cutting-edge educational methodologies, digital tools, and technologies to enhance teaching and learning.

• Spearhead the development and implementation of innovative educational programs and learning environments/experiences across the institution, including accelerated degrees and stackable credentials, aligned with industry demands and future workforce needs.

Lifelong Learning Initiatives:

• Partner with deans to implement initiatives for lifelong learning, designing pathways for continuous personal and professional development beyond traditional degree programs.
• Develop strategies to engage learners and provide opportunities for continuous growth and learning.

Cultural Enhancement and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Foster a culture of excellence in innovation and learning, positioning the University as a leading learning laboratory.
• Cultivate a commitment to teaching excellence among faculty, emphasizing student learning as a crucial measure of faculty success.

Collaboration:

• Lead collaborative efforts across various university units to achieve goals related to educational innovation.
• Establish partnerships with other academic institutions and ed-tech entities to explore new educational technologies and methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing and launching successful large-scale strategic projects, including setting and implementing strategy and facilitating stakeholder engagement and collaboration
• A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner

Resource and Personnel Management:

• Develop strategic financial plans and oversee budgets to ensure alignment with educational vision around innovation.
• Oversee the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT)
• Oversee the Laidlaw Scholars Program and build out innovative extensions to the program
• Supervise recruitment processes and manage personnel for strategic objectives and development.

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements:

• Knowledge and skills as typically acquired through a Doctoral (or other terminal) degree in higher education, social sciences, or other related field.
• Extensive knowledge of the research in the learning sciences, pedagogy, and educational innovation.
• Five or more years of administrative leadership in higher education, preferably in academic affairs, student affairs, or educational development.
• A vision for the importance of innovation in the future of higher education and a demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic plans for educational innovation.
• Strong understanding and demonstrated utilization of educational technology and its integration into teaching and learning experiences.
• Strong skills in design thinking and in establishing co-design practices for the development of innovative experiences.
• Demonstrated experience with leading strategy for online and hybrid learning platforms.
• Demonstrated experience in how educational innovation can build opportunities for inclusive excellence.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to collaborate with university leadership, faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders.
• Expertise in curriculum design and development.
• Ability to evaluate the impact of educational innovations on student learning outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Comfort with and consideration of artificial intelligence with enabling potential in innovation design and implementation in higher education.
• Demonstrated experience with designing and implementing interdisciplinary and experiential learning innovations at scale.
• Demonstrated ability to advocate for educational innovation with institutional leadership and build partnerships with industry, government and other educational institutions.

Pay Range

Minimum $167,350.00, Midpoint $209,250.00, Maximum $251,100.00

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.