Provost Leadership Fellows

The Provost Leadership Fellows (PLF) program offers participants the opportunity to contribute alongside the Provost’s Office team in work that governs academic affairs at Northern Arizona University.

Participants will develop their leadership skills and gain administrative experience in the day-to-day working and decision-making processes of academic affairs governance. They will make impactful contributions in strategic areas, develop their knowledge of current and emerging challenges in higher education, assess their own interest in university administration, and become better prepared for administrative roles.

Areas of work

All Fellows will lead projects and efforts in areas aligned with the strategic roadmap, participate in strategic planning and data-informed decision-making processes, serve on committees and task forces led by the Office of the Provost, collaborate with other Fellows, shadow vice provosts and attend select meetings, receive weekly mentorship with a vice provost, and participate in internal and external stakeholder relations and communications.

Each Fellow will engage in one of the following four areas of work under the mentorship of, and in collaboration with, a member of the Provost’s leadership team:

• Academic operations, policy, resource planning, and student support services, with the Vice Provost for Academic Operations;
• Curriculum planning, development, and assessment and graduate education, with the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies;
• Faculty and academic professional policy and practice, with the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; and
• Statewide and online operations and programming for adult and non-traditional students, with the Vice Provost and Dean for Online and Innovative Educational Initiatives.

Eligibility and commitment

This opportunity is open to all full-time faculty at the university with a minimum of 5 years of full-time service at NAU accrued by the beginning of the academic year of their Fellow appointment.

A total of four Fellows will be selected based on their demonstrated ability or potential to provide collaborative and aspirational leadership, contribute to initiatives and projects of institutional importance and in alignment with the strategic roadmap, effectively navigate cross-divisional relationships, and contextualize their work through a broad institutional perspective. Prior leadership, shared governance, or service experience is preferred but not required.

Fellows will retain their academic unit home and have partial administrative assignments that span a full academic year and begin in the fall term. Fellows will be required to commit up to 20% of their annual effort for this assignment, with specific arrangements to be negotiated on an individual basis.

The Office of the Provost will collaborate with each Fellow’s home academic unit to provide support for instructional needs necessitated by the appointment along with potential professional development support. Participation in the program may be combined with other administrative assignments or the University Leadership Program.

Application information

More information on the application process for the academic year 2024-2025 PLF program will be published during the spring 2024 term and announced broadly to the campus community.