Oregon State University (OSU), Oregon’s land grant institution, seeks a visionary, strategic, innovative, and collaborative leader to serve as the next Provost and Executive Vice President (Provost).
Following an unmatched 28 consecutive years of enrollment growth, OSU has launched its next era of achievement with its latest and boldest strategic plan, Prosperity Widely Shared: The Oregon State Plan. With targets to double research expenditures, grow enrollment, and improve graduation rates by 2030, the university is investing in spectacular new facilities, including the recent groundbreaking for the Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex — a testament to the University’s commitment to advancing transdisciplinary research and education — and the opening of the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) as part of its commitment to creative approaches connecting the arts and sciences. Additionally, the OSU Foundation is well on its way to achieving the $1.75-blllion goal of Believe It. The Campaign for Oregon State University.
This is an exciting and opportune time for a new Provost to join the OSU community and partner with President Jayathi Murthy, whose inspirational leadership, authentic approach, vision for OSU, and sense of urgency have already made an indelible mark on the University. The Provost will be called on to lead transformational change at OSU, in partnership with an exceptional academic and administrative team, to ensure OSU’s success in reaching the goals of the University’s strategic plan, Prosperity Widely Shared, which calls on OSU to become a university focused on big discoveries that drive big solutions, where every student graduates, and that fuels a thriving world. The plan sets ambitious targets for increasing graduation rates, closing achievement gaps, growing enrollment, and propelling annual research expenditures to $600 million, with a focus on advancing the fields of climate science, robotics, clean energy, and integrated health and biotechnology. The Provost will lead efforts to realize OSU’s current aspirations and potential and chart an innovative path beyond Prosperity Widely Shared for a 21st century land grant institution.
Founded in 1868 and recognized as one of only three land, sea, space, and sun grant universities in the U.S., Oregon State is an internationally renowned public research institution that draws students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. OSU is Oregon’s statewide university, with its main campus in Corvallis, OSU-Cascades in Bend, the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, and the OSU Portland Center, and it delivers over 110 online degrees and programs through OSU’s nationally top-ranked Ecampus. Oregon State has a presence in all 36 Oregon counties, including agricultural research and Extension centers, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation, and research forests. The University serves over 38,000 students, with more than 6,500 faculty and staff, and a $1.84 billion annual budget. OSU’s research enterprise is distinguished by excellence across various disciplines, with faculty contributing to the University’s record-breaking research expenditures of $422 million in 2024, growth of over 35 percent in the last five years, making significant progress toward the University’s goal of $600 million by 2030.
Reporting to President Murthy and serving as the university’s chief academic officer and executive vice president, key partner to the President and a member of the University Cabinet, the Provost will lead the academic enterprise and oversee a comprehensive portfolio including the 11 academic colleges, several administrative divisions and offices, and the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend. The Provost works in partnership with the President and CEO of the OSU Foundation in setting strategic fundraising and campaign planning goals, stewarding gifts, and growing philanthropy. Additionally, the Provost will be expected to maintain relationships with the academic officers of Oregon’s public universities and community colleges, and with public and independent higher education institutions in Oregon and across the nation.
The Provost will be responsible for the successful execution of OSU’s most ambitious strategic plan yet to fully realize OSU’s vision and aspirations and enhance OSU’s competitive advantage and long-term success. They will lead OSU forward with a boundary spanning view, appropriately challenging the status quo in the spirit of spurring innovation and pursuing higher levels of excellence across the board. They will work in partnership with senior leaders, their teams, the Deans, faculty, and employees to consider new initiatives, reconsider existing initiatives, and re-engineer and modernize processes. The next Provost must also ensure the internal frameworks, infrastructure, and capabilities are in place to support the execution of the strategic plan.
The Provost will lead and empower a strong leadership team. Building upon the foundation of OSU’s new Diversity Action Plan, the incoming Provost will advance inclusive excellence as an integral element of OSU’s identity and land grant mission. The Provost will collaborate with community leaders and state officials to further strengthen OSU’s role as a trusted partner – one ready to help the state tackle critical problems on issues of significance to Oregon. To advance the university’s mission and continuously improve operations, the Provost will have a dedicated team of collaborative and strategic leaders, positive relationships with faculty, a supportive President and Board, and internal resources to support them in this work.
Oregon State seeks in its next Provost and Executive Vice President a leader with vision, a collegial and collaborative leadership style, strategic and operational leadership, and the energy and integrity to inspire others to new levels of excellence and transformative change. The Provost will be a deliberative, enterprising, and inclusive leader who can work effectively with the President, Board of Trustees, senior leaders, Deans, Faculty Senate, students, staff, and faculty to help advance the University to new heights.
Candidates should have a proven record of effective academic leadership in a complex, research-intensive environment, the ability to build and cultivate consensus while also making tough decisions, and a reputation for fostering and supporting a climate of community, inclusive excellence, and mutual respect. Candidates must have an earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree and a record of scholarship and teaching requisite for an appointment as tenured full professor at Oregon State.
WittKieffer is assisting Oregon State University in this search. For full consideration, candidate materials should be received no later than March 14, 2025. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or résumé, and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the profile available at www.wittkieffer.com.
Application materials, nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Suzanne Teer, Jessica Herrington, and Cathryn Davis at OregonStateProvost@wittkieffer.com.
OSU commits to inclusive excellence by advancing equity and diversity in all that we do. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.
