An Invitation to Apply for the Position of Provost and Chief Academic Officer

An invitation to apply for the position of Provost and Chief Academic Officer

THE SEARCH

Carthage College seeks an accomplished and collaborative intellectual leader to serve as its next Provost and Chief Academic Officer.

Founded in 1847, Carthage is a selective, private four-year college located on the shore of Lake Michigan, 35 minutes from Milwaukee and 55 minutes from Chicago. The College emphasizes an education in the liberal arts and sciences as preparation for professional fulfillment and service to one's community. Carthage enrolls approximately 2,600 full-time and 200 part-time students, and offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional development programs. Its dedicated faculty consists of 160 full-time teacher-scholars, two-thirds of whom hold tenure or tenure-track appointments, and more than 100 part-time instructors.

In recent decades, Carthage has enjoyed prosperity and growth rarely seen at institutions of higher education. Enrollments and applications—and academic quality—have increased steadily and dramatically: over 7,000 high school students applied for the 707 openings in the Fall 2017 freshman class. The College has had operating surpluses for more than 30 years. Since 1999 Carthage has invested more than $200 million in campus facilities, including the $43 million Science Center, the Campbell Student Union, the A.W. Clausen Center for World Business, Hedberg Library, the Oaks Residential Village, and the N.E. Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center. A new residence hall project is underway and set for completion in fall of 2018.

The next provost will join Carthage at an exciting moment and build on the institution's singular record of success. A new President, John R. Swallow, began his tenure in summer 2017; he has energized the campus with an inspiring sense of the College's potential and its future. A strategic planning process, adopted in 2015, calls on the College's community to elevate and refine Carthage's student- and learning-centered approach, and to create and implement strategies, programs, and systems that will ensure that Carthage students have the very best educational and developmental experiences. Working with administrators, faculty, and staff, the Provost will play an instrumental and essential role in the execution of this plan and the realization of its aspirational goals.

The successful candidate will be a resourceful, imaginative thinker with a record of effective academic and administrative leadership. This individual will also possess the knowledge and experience to develop successful strategies and tactics that strengthen academic programs, their Provost and Chief Academic Officer Carthage College

delivery, and their impact. The Provost will serve as a champion of and catalyst for the collective strengths of Carthage's faculty and academic staff, demonstrating a leadership style that is accessible, collaborative, and engaged. An earned doctorate or other terminal degree is required, as is a record of scholarship and teaching commensurate with appointment to the rank of full professor.

A committee has been formed and will be assisted by Isaacson, Miller, the national executive search firm. Confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications may be directed to the firm as indicated at the end of this document.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Throughout its history Carthage College has evinced flexibility, pragmatism, and ambition. From the outset, it promised a course of study designed to be thorough, practical, and inclusive of all the branches of learning. It was originally chartered in Hillsboro, Illinois and became known as Hillsboro College; relocated to Springfield in 1852 (Abraham Lincoln was one of the institution's trustees) and assumed the name of Illinois State University; and moved in 1870 to the rural city of Carthage, in the west-central portion of the state, which conferred upon the College its permanent name. After sustained financial challenges and searches for a new location, the trustees voted unanimously in 1957 to open a campus in Kenosha, Wisconsin. That campus was launched five years later.

Since 1962, Carthage College has been located on an 80-acre arboretum and wildlife sanctuary, on the shore of Lake Michigan. The fourth largest city in Wisconsin, Kenosha is situated in the growing Milwaukee-to-Chicago light industrial-suburban corridor. To the north, Milwaukee is home to a thriving convention and tourism industry, as well as major art and cultural museums, professional baseball and basketball teams, and performing arts organizations. To the south, Chicago is a major national center of art and culture. The immediate area, with affordable housing, is home to the headquarters of major operations of Abbott Laboratories, Jockey International, SC Johnson, and Snap-On. Foxconn Technology Group recently announced that it will build a $10 billion production facility in the region.

In the decades following Carthage's move to Kenosha, the College has been on a sustained trajectory of expansion and improvement. The growth of the College has accelerated considerably: whereas the student body numbered 1,300 in 1991, today there are 2,600 full-time students. During this period Carthage's budget surpluses have mostly been placed in the College's endowment. In addition, the last two decades have seen a tremendous investment in facilities.

Carthage faculty and staff consistently describe the College's students as inquisitive, open, bright, and engaged. Carthage is a top producer of Fulbright Scholars—in 2016-2017, four students won awards, the highest total among bachelor's degree institutions in Wisconsin—and is ranked fifth in the nation among baccalaureate institutions for student participation in short-term study abroad. More than 50 percent of the entering students in 2017 ranked in the top 20 percent of their high school classes, and 27 percent came from underrepresented groups. With 120 student organizations and 16 sororities and fraternities, and with 24 NCAA Division III and additional club and intramural sports, Carthage offers a vibrant and engaged campus.

The College attracts excellent faculty who are committed to teaching and mentoring, service, and scholarship (in the last three years, Carthage attracted $6.4 million in external funding). Ninety-one 2

Provost and Chief Academic Officer Carthage College

percent of the faculty hold the doctorate or other terminal degree in their fields. The average class size is 17, and the College has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1. The teaching load is 3-3, with an additional "J" (January/June) term assignment expected for two out of three years.

Carthage is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and in accordance with this affiliation is dedicated to freedom of inquiry and the development of the whole person. ELCA colleges and universities educate students for a sense of calling or vocation, which will allow them to live meaningful lives that contribute to the common good. As a community, Carthage embraces the qualities of inclusivity and hospitality. People of all faiths and non-faith traditions are welcomed to engage in meaningful learning and dialogue.

Program

A Carthage education has three components: free exploration of ideas; immersion in practical and practice-based learning; and a presumption that education promotes service to and engagement with the world. Learning in the liberal arts and sciences develops strengths in analysis, critical thinking, and rigor in self expression; experiential learning opportunities such as internships, study away, and other programs nurture independence, problem-solving, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a tolerance for informed and intelligent risk. A Carthage graduate is well rounded, intellectually flexible, and prepared. Carthage launches students into productive lives.

Carthage offers undergraduate and graduate programs in more than 50 areas of study. J-term offerings allow students to focus on a single subject, often through international study. Students also conduct research with faculty mentors in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, and they participate in specialized internship programs that provide students to develop professional work habits, build their resumes, and foster professional connections for future employment.

For graduate, professional, and adult learners, the College offers an array of part-time undergraduate degree programs as well as master's degrees in education and business design and innovation. Carthage is in the planning stage of a RN-to-BSN program, which has attracted enthusiastic interest. In conjunction with Loyola University Chicago, Carthage also offers a Master of Social Work degree, with Loyola faculty teaching on the Carthage campus.

Finances

The College's annual operating budget is $118 million. As of February 7, 2017, the endowment was just over $100 million, up from $30 million a decade ago, the result of budget surpluses being placed into the endowment.

In December 2016, Carthage completed The Campaign for Carthage, raising $47 million in a three- year campaign and exceeding its goal of $35 million.

Leadership

In July 2017, John R. Swallow became the 23rd president of Carthage College. He came to Carthage from The University of the South ("Sewanee"), where he served as chief academic and operating officer, overseeing curriculum, enrollment, equity and inclusion, faculty and staff development, fundraising, strategic planning, and student life. Prior to Sewanee, President Swallow was at 3

Provost and Chief Academic Officer Carthage College

Davidson College, where he taught mathematics and was also a faculty member in the College's interdisciplinary humanities program.

President Swallow's undergraduate degree is from Sewanee, where he enrolled at age 15 and graduated with honors in Mathematics and English literature. He also earned two master's degrees and a PhD in mathematics, all from Yale University.

For more information about Carthage College, visit: ● www.carthage.edu/about/top-10 ● www.carthage.edu

CURRENT OUTLOOK

Carthage has enjoyed a remarkable run of growth and prosperity, which confers upon it a position of competitive and financial strength. Years of surplus have allowed it to build signature new buildings; additional projects are forecast for the near future. Carthage has also strengthened its financial base and assured itself a degree of institutional stability rarely found these days in higher education. At the same time, Carthage is heavily tuition dependent, and its leaders are keenly aware that its years of growing undergraduate enrollment (of traditional, residential students) will not continue indefinitely.

The College is open to investments in programs, personnel, and infrastructure that will help support and sustain academic excellence; there is also a willingness to consider how existing structures can be assessed and brought to scale. There is widespread acknowledgement that pronounced and sustained growth has tested systems and processes meant for a smaller institution. A recent reorganization of academic affairs created three academic divisions (Arts and Humanities, Natural and Social Sciences, and Professional Studies) from seven, and new administrative positions have been established. These measures were intended to build capacity in the face of growth.

Thus there are two primary areas to which the next Provost must attend: the needs presented by rapid organizational and structural change, and the requirements of an institution that seeks to extend its record of programmatic success. The College's strategic plan lays out many of these institutional ambitions, and it will fall to the next Provost to work with colleagues on the administration and faculty to prioritize, sequence, and operationalize those ideas.

For more information, visit www.carthage.edu/president/strategic-plan.

ROLE OF THE PROVOST

The Provost and Chief Academic Officer works closely with faculty, staff, and students to realize the teaching mission of the College. The Provost guides the College's educational programs; carries responsibility for the allocation of all academic resources at the College; and partners with colleagues throughout the institution to ensure the delivery of an intellectually stimulating and student-centered learning experience that is integrated, relevant, and purposeful.

The Provost reports to the President and serves as a member of the President's Executive Staff. Reporting to the Provost are a senior associate provost, an associate provost for planning and 4

Provost and Chief Academic Officer Carthage College

assessment, an associate provost for continuing studies, and the three divisional deans of Arts and Humanities, Natural and Social Sciences, and Professional Studies.

For more information, visit: ● www.carthage.edu/provost ● www.carthage.edu/academics/divisions

KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The next Provost will:

Articulate and implement a distinctive, competitive academic vision.

A Carthage education has always been grounded in the liberal arts, with a strong practical bent that prepares students to serve their communities and civic society. This idea was radical in the mid- nineteenth century, but in the twenty-first century it is a notion commonly espoused—if not always achieved—on many campuses. The Provost will ensure that Carthage's historical approach is substantially evident in current activities and reflected in possibilities for the future. The Provost must also hold in regard the full range of the College's programs and exert a unifying influence so they integrate with and complement one another. Finally, the Provost will work to guide Carthage's curriculum so that it may effectively differentiate itself from other colleges and universities, even as the landscape of higher education continues to evolve.

Invest in, strengthen, and develop high-quality academic programs.

The next Provost will join Carthage College at a particularly dynamic moment. The College has recently embarked on an update of the general education curriculum (The Carthage Plan); the institution's curriculum committees and curricular process will also be restructured. These developments present opportunities to re-examine current practices and assumptions, and to implement changes with greater agency and agility. The Provost will support and facilitate these endeavors. The Provost will also partner with faculty to ensure that the College's educational goals for its students are met, that the necessary investments are made to keep the curriculum and co- curriculum current and relevant, and—because a successful college cannot simply pursue a policy of curricular accretion—to assess the impact and effectiveness of existing programs.

Attend to the needs of a dedicated faculty and staff.

In the last five years, Carthage's faculty body has grown by eight percent, a consequence of new program development and increased enrollment. It would be fair to say, however, that this increase has not fully mitigated the additional burden felt by faculty and academic staff as the College grows in size. Alongside their instructional roles, faculty serve as mentors, advisors, program leaders, and center and institute directors; they are also active scholar-teachers. The next Provost must attend to issues of faculty workload. The Provost will listen to and work with others to support the professional development and day-to-day work of faculty; lighten administrative demands through more streamlined processes; and promote fairness through clearly-understood policies. The Provost will also appreciate that faculty scholarship and excellence in teaching are complementary endeavors, and will enable faculty to pursue an active research agenda as part of their professional identities. 5

Provost and Chief Academic Officer Carthage College

Build for growth.

In many respects Carthage is a small college with a very large—and ever-growing—number of students and set of requirements: the campus is tight-knit, and sustained growth has not changed its relational quality. While the communal nature of the College is a tremendous asset, this also means that longstanding customs and ways of doing business remain in place. The next Provost must be able to appreciate the opportunities and address the challenges at this phase of Carthage's history. The Provost will respect and value personal connection, and—without diluting that sense of connection—simultaneously establish and communicate processes, systems, and structures to rationalize work and make growth more manageable. The recent reorganization of the divisions and departments—and the creation of administrative structures in the Provost's office—are both structurally complete, but have not been fully absorbed into the fabric of long-held practice. The Provost must work to socialize and clarify these structures, and ensure that they represent value and improvement to the lives of faculty and staff.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate will possess many of the following qualifications, characteristics, and experiences:

A track record of imaginative and facilitative leadership: Highly effective strategic oversight; experience in settings of growth; a command of the tactics required to develop and strengthen extraordinary, attractive academic programs. Ability to observe, identify, and anticipate trends; recognize roadblocks and devise solutions; and seize opportunities. A talent for working across divisional and functional lines, in a spirit of partnership. Demonstrated success communicating and implementing new ideas with agility and collegiality.

Commitment to academic excellence: Demonstrated commitment to teaching and learning, in a setting founded on the liberal arts. A record of championing faculty and students; success in strengthening programs. Broad curiosity about the full range of disciplines and programs found at Carthage; a high degree of engagement with the faculty and staff who design and deliver the curriculum and co-curriculum. A fundamentally student-centered approach; ability to align programs with student interest as well as the requirements of the surrounding city and region.

Demonstrated commitment to faculty and staff, as well as the larger campus community: Respect for faculty governance structures, and an orientation to collaboration and teamwork. Experience in recruiting, developing, mentoring, and retaining faculty. A record of supporting and strengthening diversity, inclusion, and equity across students, faculty, and staff; success in achieving a more representative community. Experience in and facility with balancing issues of faculty workload, institutional need, and resources, with transparency and fairness.

Superb management, planning, and financial skills: Fluency and sophistication with analytical tools that support decision-making; an understanding of and interest in finances and the interplay of academic priorities, budgeting, and resource generation. Ability to create a framework for allocating resources and making difficult decisions, and to communicate decisions and their rationales consistently and transparently.

Provost and Chief Academic Officer Carthage College

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: High emotional intelligence; demonstrated ability to make connections with others thoughtfully and intuitively; a skill set that includes working through engagement, influence, and mutual respect. Strong communication skills; outstanding listening and observational skills. Proven ability to inspire enthusiasm, earn trust, and energize, motivate, and empower others.

Professional and personal qualities: A leadership style that operates simultaneously at strategic and personal levels; an inclusive, approachable presence; the embodiment of engagement and curiosity. Bias toward action; ability to inspire confidence and garner support for ideas. A fundamental and visible commitment to fairness; integrity of the highest order. Personal qualities of optimism, humility, calm, resilience, persistence, good humor, and team spirit.

An earned doctorate (or terminal degree). A professional academic record befitting the chief academic officer of a selective college, with an appointment as tenured full professor.

INQUIRIES, NOMINATIONS, AND APPLICATIONS

Confidential inquiries, nominations/referrals, and resumes with cover letters can be sent electronically and in confidence to:

Anita Tien, Vice President Emily Buehrens, Associate Isaacson, Miller www.imsearch.com/6458

Carthage College is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse community. We welcome applications from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.