Applications will be received and considered until the position is filled. For full consideration, submit applications by December 19, 2025.
For Nominations & Inquiries, please email:
Margaret Plympton
Principal
AGB Search
Concetta Stewart
Principal
AGB Search
The University of Hartford, a four-year, private, residential, comprehensive university with six dynamic schools and colleges invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of provost.
The University of Hartford, a comprehensive private university founded more than 60 years ago and focused on advancing the public good through meaningful connections within our communities, is seeking an innovative and accomplished leader to serve as its next provost and vice president for academic affairs (the provost).
Under the leadership of and reporting to UHart’s president, Lawrence P. Ward, the provost serves as the chief academic officer of the University of Hartford and provides strategic vision and direction inclusive of academic, administrative,and financial leadership for six schools and colleges as well as administrative service units that support the academic mission.
The Opportunity
The University of Hartford seeks a visionary and highly engaged provost to lead a transformative new era in higher education—one defined by the strategic integration of technology to enhance teaching, learning, and student success. The University is reimagining its programs to meet the rapidly evolving needs of industry, attract a diverse and dynamic student body, and prepare future leaders who are discerning consumers of information and skillful navigators of emerging digital technologies that are reshaping every discipline.
As the chief academic officer, the provost will lead and inspire a collaborative academic leadership team to design and implement innovative strategies that advance new programs and strengthen existing ones, ensuring alignment with student aspirations for intellectual development, personal growth, and a vibrant campus experience. The provost will play a central role in shaping the academic vision of the University through active engagement in strategic planning and fundraising initiatives—advancing academic excellence and strengthening the University of Hartford’s commitment to student success in learning, experiences, and outcomes. The provost will champion UHart’s commitment to meet potential with intentional preparation so every student can put their purpose to work.
Professional Qualifications
The provost must be a strong and visible academic leader who will provide effective academic, administrative, and financial leadership. Beyond this, leading candidates for the position of provost will have a distinguished record of accomplishment in higher education and will have demonstrated significant leadership skills.
Successful documented experience in the following areas is desirable:
- Earned doctorate or terminal degree, and a record of teaching and scholarly achievement consistent with the rank of full professor
- Commitment to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, practice, creative activity, and service
- Strong commitment to the mission of a comprehensive university serving both undergraduate and graduate students, including liberal arts and sciences as well as professional and technical education
- Strategic academic leader of UHart’s six schools and colleges who can balance standardization, recognize uniqueness, and display complex organizational leadership to achieve the University’s educational strategic plan
- Support academic innovation, both in providing leadership for the University moving forward and in supporting work already in progress. This work will include a focus on new methodologies in teaching and learning, and other critical academic initiatives
- Record of successful administrative achievement at or above the school/division level, with experience in planning and management in a decentralized environment, coupled with intellectual leadership
- Well-developed patterns of respecting and consulting faculty, both individually and through established shared governance processes
- Approachable and empathetic leader who is a highly visible presence on campus
- A broad intellectual perspective and strong administrative abilities are required for effective leadership and management
- Eager, with a sense of possibility and vigor, to take on the challenge of a university poised to reach a new stage in its journey
- Imaginative, innovative, entrepreneurial, and persuasive in the pursuit of the University’s academic goals and objectives
- Able to motivate others, delegate authority, and develop trust in the ability of others
Skill in budgetary and financial management, and the ability to work creatively and effectively with Finance and Administration
- Deep sense of responsibility to Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, committed to a campus community that welcomes and celebrates diversity in all its forms
- Strategic leader able to listen closely, hear all sides, and be approachable to the many different constituencies involved in the academic work for the University, and then use what is learned to formulate and communicate a clear academic and organizational vision
About UHart
Now 68 years young, the University of Hartford has emerged as a vibrant force in higher education. It has built a reputation for a dynamic integration of liberal arts education and specialized or professional studies; service to and partnership with local, regional, national, and global communities; and high standards of scholarly and creative excellence. Recognized, in particular, for excellence in the performing and visual arts, the health professions, and business, the University has also achieved national and regional prominence in science, engineering, and technology education.
Central to the University’s mission is the belief that the challenge of a rigorous academic program and the support of dedicated faculty and staff lead to student success. Students are prepared not only for successful careers, but also for successful lives as contributing citizens in a participatory democracy.
-
11:1
student-to-faculty ratio
-
100+
undergraduate and graduate programs
-
90%
of undergraduate students receive academic scholarships and financial aid
Academic Excellence
- Undergraduate Majors: 85
- Graduate-Level Degree Programs: 46
- Associate Degree Programs: 7
- Certificate and Diploma Programs: 40 (33 graduate, 7 undergraduate)
- Degrees Awarded (2023–24 academic year): 1,632
- Full–time Faculty: 316
- Part-time Faculty: 482
- Student–Faculty Ratio: 11:1
With six distinctive schools and colleges, the University of Hartford’s academic profile offers students a rich, diverse, and comprehensive educational environment.
The University is widely recognized for the entrepreneurial spirit reflected in the breadth and imagination of its academic programs. Interdisciplinary learning opportunities that cross schools and colleges are abundant, and some of UHart’s programs, like acoustical engineering and music, can be found at no other university in the United States.
Our schools and colleges that team up for such amazing synergy and career preparation are the Barney School of Business; the Hillyer College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions; the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture; The Hartt School; and the Hartford Art School. In addition, University Studies offers programs designed for nontraditional-age undergraduates to earn degrees.
The University subscribes to a teacher-scholar model and is proud of its teaching excellence and the scholarly and creative achievements of its faculty. UHart faculty are practicing artists, groundbreaking researchers, published authors, global visionaries, and brilliant scholars. They are experts in their fields who know exactly what it takes for students to excel in the professional arena.
Nominations and Applications
Applications
Applications for the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will be received and considered until the position is filled. For full consideration, submit applications by December 19, 2025.
Interested applicants should submit:
- A letter of interest stating how the candidate’s experience and qualifications connect with the desired leadership attributes and themes stated in the profile
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- The contact information (email address and phone number) for five professional references, including their relationship to the candidate. References will not be contacted without prior authorization from the candidate.
All application materials will be received in full confidence and should be submitted electronically in PDF format through the AGB Search portal system.
Questions
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Hartford-Provost@agbsearch.com.
The University of Hartford is an equal employment opportunity employer. Faculty and staff are selected on the basis of qualifications and work experience. The University recruits, hires, trains, and promotes the most qualified persons in all job classifications without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or any other protected class under applicable law.