SEARCH PROVOST
|
POSITION PROFILE POSITION
SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
1 Table of Contents
An Exceptional Opportunity ...... 3
Who We Are ...... 5
About Southeastern ...... 7
SEU Fast Facts ...... 8
Community ...... 11
Academics ...... 13
Faculty ...... 14
Students | Campus Life ...... 15
SEU Worship ...... 16
SEU Missions ...... 17
Made for More ...... 19
COVID-19 Response ...... 21
Facilities ...... 23
Athletics ...... 25
Opportunities & Challenges ...... 27
Qualifications & Qualities...... 30
The Application Process ...... 32
2 An Exceptional Opportunity
outheastern University invites nominations and S applications for the position of provost. Southeastern University seeks an accomplished, innovative
leader who will serve as the chief academic officer of the
university while partnering with the president to implement
an innovative and evolving strategy for excellence and growth.
The provost position plays an invaluable role in the university’s
commitment to innovation in higher education. As the chief
academic officer, the provost is responsible for administration
of all programs of instruction, research and service, promoting
collaboration among the seven colleges and across disciplines,
and for facilitating the success of the university’s faculty
and students.
The provost must possess the experience, skills and drive
required to lead the future of academics at Southeastern,
while exemplifying the character and qualities expected in a
highly visible and trusted university and community leader.
3 4 Who We Are
MISSION STATEMENT Equipping students to discover and develop their divine design to serve Christ and the world through Spirit-empowered life, learning and leadership.
VISION STATEMENT Southeastern University is anchored by Spirit-empowered education in a Christ-centered, student-focused learning community. Southeastern’s global impact is marked by a deep commitment to transforming minds and engaging culture through the integration of faith, learning and service. Each student’s divine design is nurtured and unleashed through the investment of faculty and staff, relationships within the community, the rigor of scholarship, diverse learning experiences and the discipline of spiritual formation, which propels students into a lifetime of serving the world in the Spirit of Christ.
In addition to our mission and vision statement, we hold fundamental truths about the Christian faith that include the following:
• The Scriptures are inspired by God and declare His design and plan for mankind. • There is only one true God who is revealed in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity). • Jesus Christ, as God’s son, was both fully human and divine.
We are proud of our affiliation with the Assemblies of God and our Pentecostal tradition. We are also proud to be a welcoming community for students from all Christian backgrounds and denominations. Our campus includes many Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc., as well as nondenominational students. Everyone shares a strong commitment to knowing Christ and making Him known, and we celebrate our theological similarities while appreciating our differences.
5 6 About Southeastern
s one of the fastest-growing private, nonprofit
master’s institutions in the nation, Southeastern A offers more than 100 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. Southeastern enrolls both traditional and nontraditional students who represent a variety of denominations, personal interests, backgrounds, states and countries.
With 175 extension sites, regional campuses and ministry partners across the United States, the university is providing affordable, accessible degree options and making higher education possible for an increasingly diverse student body.
7 SEU Fast Facts
Over the past decade, Southeastern University has experienced exponential growth as the university continues to meet the needs of its community. 100+ 94% Degree programs Receive financial aid
3.47 50 Average GPA for incoming freshmen States represented 289 64.9% International students from 42 countries First-to-second year retention rate 17% 1,491 First-generation college students Degrees granted in 2019-20 42% 17,893 Enrollment by race, ethnic minority Total SEU graduates
Enrollment by gender 59% 41% Female Male
TOTALTOTAL ENROLLMENT ENROLLMENT 10,000
7,500
5,000
2,500
0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
8 FALL 2020 ENROLLMENT LAKELAND TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
Entering freshman class on Lakeland campus...... 848 9,546 Returning students on Lakeland campus...... 1,470 Total enrollment Total Undergraduate on Lakeland campus...... 2,318
ENROLLMENT BY DELIVERY
8,312 Traditional Undergraduate (Lakeland campus)...... 2,318 Undergraduate Graduate...... 1,234 Extension site students...... 2,544 1,234 Evening & Online students...... 2,277 Graduate Undergraduate dual enrollment...... 2,352
9 10 Community
onveniently located along the I-4 corridor between
Orlando and Tampa, Lakeland offers the charm of a small C town with the convenience of being just a short drive from two major hubs of entertainment, shopping and professional
opportunities.
Located in Polk County, Lakeland is home to over 100,000 residents
who experience a quality of life supported by a variety of arts and
cultural opportunities.
Lakeland also proudly refers to itself as a “College Town,” serving as
home to such institutions of higher learning as Florida Polytechnic
University, Florida Southern College, Florida Technical College
— Lakeland, Keiser University - Lakeland, Polk State College and
Southeastern University.
Lakeland continues to grow, develop and become one of the most
sought after places to live in the state. Employment opportunities
are constantly emerging as many corporate offices, state-of-the-
art healthcare facilities, institutes of higher learning and major
national retailers are an active part of Lakeland’s thriving business
community. Lakeland has received the distinction of being on Money
Magazine’s “Best Place to Live in America” list. In addition, Lakeland
is home to Publix Supermarkets and is the winter home to the
Detroit Tigers.
With great temperatures year-round, Florida offers residents the
opportunity to enjoy many exciting outdoor activities, such as
relaxing at the beach, biking, scuba diving, theme parks and more.
11 12 Academics
t Southeastern, we have endeavored to meet the changing landscape of higher education through meeting students where A they are. We are committed to providing a Christian college education designed to equip the next generation to go into the world as influential servant leaders in their careers and their communities.
Southeastern University offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs through a variety of delivery platforms.
In addition to the main campus in Lakeland, Fla., Southeastern extends its mission by partnering with churches and organizations to reach students where they live and work. Through partnerships with some of the largest churches in America, students graduate with practical experience in local church ministries and with an accredited university education.
Southeastern has students studying at 175 sites in 40 states.
Students also are engaged in online, evening and dual-enrollment educational opportunities.
The university is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Southeastern University has seven colleges including:
• Barnett College of Ministry and Theology • College of Arts and Media • College of Behavioral and Social Sciences • College of Education • College of Natural and Health Sciences • College of Unrestricted Education • Jannetides College of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership
13 Faculty
he university employs 127 full-time faculty
members. 71% of instructional faculty have T terminal degrees.
Southeastern also engages 327 adjunct instructors, each with industry or academic expertise critical to the subject.
Faculty members embrace a culture of excellence in teaching, as well as the need for innovation and change in higher education. Southeastern does not offer faculty tenure, allowing administrative flexibility and ensuring the highest standards of teaching excellence; nonetheless, faculty turnover is low and close student-faculty relationships are the norm.
The student to full-time faculty ratio is 29:1.
14 Students | Campus Life
outheastern students enjoy a vibrant campus culture
and experience authentic relationships, powerful worship S services, exciting athletics and more.
Southeastern’s resort-style campus includes 11 modern residence
halls, a fitness center, a library, and numerous on-campus dining
options for students.
There are more than 43 recognized student clubs and
organizations, as well as intramurals for students to participate in.
The university, businesses in the surrounding communities
and strategic partners provide a wide range of internship and
employment opportunities for students and graduates.
15 SEU Worship
EU Worship, the university’s worship movement,
is made up of four worship pastors and more than S 60 SEU students. It is a reflection of the worship movement happening during weekly chapels. The group
signed with Sony Music Entertainment’s Provident Label
Group in the fall of 2019.
16 SEU Missions
very year, SEU community members spend their
holiday breaks and summers sharing the gospel E in more than 80 countries around the world. The purpose of the trips is to make a lasting impact in the world
through partnering with local missionaries and ministries
already in place.
17 18 The university has recently embarked on a $26.5 million campaign, known as Made for More, built on the following four pillars:
$10 million AFFORDABILITY
$1.5 million ACCESSIBILITY
$5 million INNOVATION
$10 million SUSTAINABILITY
19 20 COVID-19 Response
ver the course of the summer, the university’s
COVID-19 Recovery Task Force (CRT) worked O diligently to put together a plan for students, faculty and staff to return safely to campus for face-to-face
instruction for the 2020-21 academic year.
The university’s comprehensive plan was based on
guidance from the CDC, state and local government, and
the local health department and medical providers. The
plan includes robust safety precautions and preventive
measures across the campus in addition to increased
cleaning and sanitization. The plan is built upon the need
for educating the community on how to be Healthy Citizens
(wearing masks, using good hygiene, monitoring for
symptoms, and social distancing).
Classroom occupancy was limited to 50% capacity to
ensure social distancing and faculty quickly adapted
their courses to allow for in-person instruction along with
synchronous learning and all content to be accessible in the
MyFire learning platform.
While this has been one of the most challenging seasons
that the university has faced, our community has shown its
spirit of resilience and innovation.
21 22 Facilities
ocated on 88 acres just minutes from downtown Lakeland, the campus of Southeastern University is an integral part of L a dynamic community.
The campus continues to expand, with more than $70 million invested in new buildings and renovations over the past 10 years. Recent projects include a Welcome Center, a football stadium, a live/learn facility, a choral rehearsal hall, space to house the College of Natural and Health Sciences and an expansion to the student activities center.
23 24 Athletics
outheastern University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competes in The Sun S Conference and the Mid-South Conference.
VARSITY SPORTS
MEN’S PROGRAMS Baseball Basketball Cross Country Football Golf Soccer Tennis Track and Field Wrestling
WOMEN’S PROGRAMS Basketball Cross Country Golf Soccer Softball Tennis Track and Field Volleyball
25 26 Opportunities & Challenges
PROVIDE INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP AMIDST CONSTANT CHANGE
Southeastern’s enrollment has grown from 2,400 to 9,900 students during the past decade. While the Lakeland campus remains the core of the university, SEU has developed into a network of more than 170 sites providing in-person, hybrid and online learning opportunities, augmented by a growing online presence.
Up to the present, SEU’s Unrestricted Education division has operated as a college unto itself, agile and expedient, driving enrollment growth to the point where it accounts for 40% of the university’s total enrollment. SEU now looks to consolidate its academic activities in a manner that extends the agility of the Unrestricted Education operation to an expanded university-wide network, while ensuring equivalent learning outcomes and guaranteeing the value of academic credentials earned.
First and foremost, the next provost must embrace the innovative soul of the university, understanding that rapid change can be accomplished without sacrificing quality. For example, SEU mounted a successful undergraduate program in Aviation Management in just six months.
In the midst of rapid growth, resources must be allocated in a manner that is transparent and fair. Policy and procedures must be relevant to the mission and its execution, and must be consistently applied.
The provost will lead by example, listening and learning from colleagues, personally setting the tone for discourse. The provost will be a champion of academic rigor, innovative scholarship and effective teaching.
MANAGE EXTERNAL FORCES
COVID-19 has changed the world of higher education in ways that demand immediate response and in ways yet unknown that will impact higher education far into the future. From wearing masks and social distancing to budget adjustments affecting academic programs, teaching loads and staffing, the continuing pandemic will require the provost to be proactive in anticipating needs, ensuring that SEU’s academic programs remain ahead of the curve.
While COVID-19 is the immediate crisis, there are other forces impacting higher education that cannot be ignored. In the best of times, competition for students is fierce. As SEU approaches the so-called enrollment cliff, the reduced pool of traditional age students will exacerbate challenges around recruitment and retention.
SEU occupies a special niche in the higher education landscape, offering a Christ-centered education that draws students from a nationwide base. SEU’s relationship with churches offers significant advantages in establishing and maintaining a network of programs through its Unrestricted Education offerings. The next provost will benefit from both tangible and intangible resources in charting the course ahead.
27 As chief academic officer, the next provost will need to find ways to initiate and maintain an ongoing conversation with faculty members who have legitimate concerns over the future of higher education. The provost will listen carefully and respond conscientiously.
The provost will be truthful and transparent in discussing the external challenges facing the academy. He/she will partner with the president and SEU’s leadership team to confront challenges and embrace possibilities.
SEEK INTERNAL BALANCE
Meeting future challenges and converting them into opportunities requires a caring community of faculty, staff and students working together in an atmosphere of respect and common purpose. There must be a protocol that allows conflicting viewpoints to be discussed openly and without rancor.
SEU faculty are dedicated and loyal. Among other tasks, the provost will seek a clearer definition of the role of the Faculty Senate and various academic committees in light of the recently published faculty handbook.
The role of deans and department chairs will also be on the docket throughout the implementation of a consolidated academic program.
The provost must balance being an effective champion for the faculty against the duty to serve the overall needs of the institution. To accomplish this, he/she must forge the best of personal and professional relationships with all campus constituencies. It is expected that the provost will provide a style of leadership appropriate to a Christ-centered, spirit empowered university, one that builds and strengthens the campus community in a manner consistent with the mission and history of the school.
On the Lakeland campus he/she will endorse the intellectual and spiritual value of non-academic programs, promoting the idea that learning takes place in a variety of environments.
The provost will not view being a practical visionary and prudent risk-taker as contradictory or oxymoronic. He/she will grasp why Southeastern University is the logical and best place for transforming creative thought into practical outcomes.
PRESERVE THE UNRESTRICTED EDUCATION MODEL
From a handful of students, Unrestricted Education grew into a 2,500 student juggernaut in just 10 years. By some estimates, properly shepherded demand could quadruple that growth over the next decade.
Those students, which SEU is currently merging with a thriving traditional cohort, relate to SEU through their church or NFP organization. They choose SEU because it offers practical education that is convenient to access. That is in contrast to the traditional cohort on the Lakeland campus, which chooses SEU specifically to benefit from the opportunities afforded by life on a vibrant campus, where professional and pre-professional programs are built around a liberal arts core.
28 The new provost will find ways to maximize university outreach, increasing both enrollments and attainment of credentials, doing so in a manner that guarantees program expansion will generate positive margins. Opportunities and Challenges As important, the provost will find ways for Lakeland campus and off-campus programs to complement each other, ensuring equivalent learning outcomes regardless of teaching methodology or venue.
BUDGET MANAGEMENT AND FUNDRAISING
At present, SEU’s budget is tuition driven. Dealing with competing demands for limited resources will require the provost to actively participate in the creation and management of the budget.
Within the academic arena, the provost will need to initiate fact-based discussions of the cost of educating students in the various disciplines and ways that money may be reallocated to the benefit of the whole university.
With a $10 million endowment and an upcoming $26.5 million campaign, the next provost will be expected to assist and support fundraising efforts through friend-raising and prospect development.
STRENGTHEN AND DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS
It is a point of pride that SEU remains on the leading edge of educational programming that meets immediate and future needs in the real world, balancing theoretical and practical, experiential learning. Strategic partnerships with churches, businesses and units of local and regional government play an important role in continuing to meet this goal.
The provost will have the opportunity to strengthen existing partnerships while identifying and developing new ones. Accomplishing this will require a provost who is as comfortable working outside the university as within its confines.
The provost will serve not only as an institutional leader, but also a community leader and spokesperson. The provost will be expected to promote SEU’s visibility and reputation by demonstrating strong leadership and personal integrity.
29 Qualifications & Qualities
The new provost will be an innovative, transformational, system thinker, who possesses a terminal degree in an appropriate academic discipline and presents a record of serious and sustained scholarship. Successful experience in managing change is highly desired. Experience in community relations and fundraising is a plus.
It is not necessary that the provost be a member of the Assemblies of God, but it is expected that he/she will be a practicing Christian who respects the Pentecostal tradition and is committed to knowing Christ and making Him known.
In addition, the following qualities are desired:
LEADERSHIP
• The capacity to implement rapid, sustainable change within an evolving academic culture.
• A collaborative leadership style, demonstrated through the ability to respectfully engage academic, administrative, student, religious and community leaders, and achieve buy-in to a progressive agenda.
• The style and experience of a planner and a doer. Someone who takes pride in assembling a team, setting clear, measurable goals, and achieving success.
• The ability to work with others toward a common goal in a situation where all parties may not agree.
• An understanding of the importance of regional and peer accreditation and the ability to effectively represent SEU’s interests when interacting with accrediting bodies.
• The ability to listen and learn.
• The capacity to inspire.
• The capacity for strategic thinking and innovation.
• The willingness to strive for consensus but also be decisive when appropriate.
BALANCE
• The capacity to understand that prudent risk-taker and practical visionary are not oxymorons.
• The ability to process multiple positions on issues, seek means to reconcile them, and effectively explain how and why decisions are made when complete and seamless reconciliation is not possible.
• The ability to prioritize in a manner that increases support for the university.
• The ability to say “no” without making enemies.
30 RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
• The ability to build trust and respect across multiple constituencies (students, alumni, faculty, administration, church leadership, community and strategic partners).
• The ability to develop and nurture partnerships with external leaders and organizations.
BUSINESS ACUMEN
• The ability to manage a complex educational organization.
• The capacity to support data-driven decision making. SEU is currently migrating from Jenzebar to Salesforce, so knowledge of these or similar data systems is a definite plus.
• Experience in building and managing complex budgets.
• An understanding of the marketing of higher education programs.
• Strategic planning experience.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• The ability to comfortably and effectively interact with diverse groups of people in a variety of settings.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• A willingness to leave one’s office and engage people where they are.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to listen carefully to a wide range of constituents.
• The ability to adjust one’s style and method as needed to communicate effectively to a wide range of constituents.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
• The ability to earn and retain the respect of faculty.
• A genuine affinity for the academic process and an appreciation of the work of scholars and teachers.
• The highest ethical and moral standards in both professional and personal life.
• Perseverance, a strong work ethic and drive to build a legacy of success.
• Intellect – as evidenced by relevant educational attainment, curiosity and open-mindedness.
• The eagerness and stamina to serve 24/7 as an institutional advocate and spokesperson.
• Humility and a sense of humor.
31 The Application Process
he Southeastern University Provost Search
Committee will begin reviewing and evaluating T applications as they are received and will continue to accept and review credentials until a new provost is selected.
To ensure the fullest consideration, candidates are advised to
submit their materials by January 8, 2021.
Dr. Richard A Wueste of AGB Search is assisting with this
search. Nominators and prospective candidates may contact
him at [email protected] or at 540.431.5131.
Applications should be submitted electronically in Word or
PDF format to: [email protected]
Materials must include:
• A letter of interest that responds to the Opportunities and Challenges and the Qualifications and Qualities sections of this profile. • A current CV or resume. • Names and contact information (telephone and email) for five references, none of whom will be contacted until a later stage of the search or without the formal permission
of the candidate.
All inquiries and applications will be received and evaluated in confidence.
32 SE U.e d u Follow us @seuniversity
Southeastern University | 1000 Longfellow Blvd., Lakeland, Florida 33801-6034
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