Chancellor John B. King, Jr., Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Melur K. “Ram” Ramasubramanian, and the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (SUNY) invite nominations and applications for a strategic, forward-looking, problem-solving, and collaborative leader to serve as Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (SVCAA) for the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States.
The Chancellor, Provost, and SUNY Board are aligned to ensure SUNY is the best system of public higher education in the nation. Specific goals are to secure SUNY’s place as a globally recognized higher education institution by advancing SUNY’s four pillars of student success; research and scholarship; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and economic development and upward mobility. No other state can match New York’s civic resolve, the financial resources, and the unwavering commitment to investing in and supporting higher education as a public good.
This is an exciting time to come to SUNY, under the leadership of Chancellor King and new Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost and President of the Research Foundation (EVCAAPP) Ramasubramanian, who joined SUNY in fall of 2023. The SVCAA advises, assists, and partners with the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost on academic matters and provides leadership to the academic and academic-related units of SUNY and the SUNY System. The SVCAA is a member of the System administration senior staff and will join a highly collaborative leadership team in academic affairs that is working to implement policies established by the SUNY Board of Trustees and advance the System’s academic priorities. Reporting to the EVCAAPP, the SVCAA will play a lead role in the development and execution of an academic strategy for the University and also has responsibility for the staffing, operation, and management of the System’s academic affairs office, which sits in Albany, New York.
The successful candidate will be a pioneering, entrepreneurial academic leader who is committed to excellence, equity, and diversity to help define the University’s next chapter. The SVCAA is expected to be a seasoned, accomplished, and creative academic and administrative leader who shares a deep commitment to and responsibility for SUNY’s mission to serve as an engine for the economic and social mobility of its students, particularly those who are the first in their family to attend college.
The State University of New York is an educational powerhouse, boasting 64 institutions, a mix of 29 State-operated campuses and five statutory colleges–including research universities, liberal arts colleges, specialized and technical colleges, health science centers, and land-grant colleges—and 30 community colleges. These institutions boast 1.3 million enrollments annually in more than 7,500 degree, certificate, and continuing education programs across New York State. The University also operates hospitals and numerous research institutes. As a system, SUNY is unparalleled in terms of its educational reach and impact, boasting bachelor and graduate graduation rates that are higher than the national median. SUNY’s research and commercialization impacts are of equal magnitude: In FY 23, SUNY institutions reported nearly $1.1 billion in total research activity support.
SUNY’s size and the diversity of its institutions amplify its potential for impact through education, research and scholarship, workforce development, K-12 partnerships, and job creation. SUNY is embedded in virtually every community in New York State. Remarkably, 93% of New Yorkers live within 15 miles of a SUNY campus, and nearly 100% live within 30 miles. In many communities, SUNY is also the region’s largest employer. While SUNY students are predominantly New York State residents, hailing from every one of the State’s 62 counties, the University also draws students from every state in the United States, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, and 160 nations. One out of three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum, and the total enrollment of nearly 363,650 full- and part-time degree-seeking students represents 31% of New York State’s higher education student population. SUNY employs 87,000 faculty and staff and counts more than three million living alumni who reside in New York State and throughout the world.
All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the profile available at WittKieffer.com. Professional references are not requested at this time.
WittKieffer is assisting the SUNY System in this search, which will remain open until an appointment is made. Application materials, nominations, and inquiries can be directed to:
Robin Mamlet, Melody Rose, Ph.D., Lauren Bruce-Stets, and Kim Migoya
State University of New York System Administration is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction, or retaliation.
Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.
