Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island The Search for a PROVOST/VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS The Search for a PROVOST/VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Salve Regina University, Newport, R.I. Salve Regina University announces the search for a new provost/vice president of academic affairs (VPAA), an uncommon opportunity for academic leadership. Salve Regina is educationally rich and financially stable, providing the new provost with a platform of enviable strength from which to build for the future. The University stands at a positive point of inflection to open a new chapter of academic accomplishments and qualitative growth. True to the value-centeredness of its founders, the Religious Sisters of Mercy, and grounded in a foundation of service to others, Salve Regina welcomes candidates from all faith backgrounds who bring an understanding of and appreciation for the Catholic intellectual tradition. Salve Regina’s next provost will be academically focused, accomplished as a strategic thinker and scholar, consultative by nature, decisive in practice, visionary as a leader, understanding of small comprehensive universities, and informed about the needs of the 21st century learner. Above all, the successful candidate will be motivated by regularly achieving clear goals that will reflect measurable progress for Salve Regina. As the chief academic officer, the provost/VPAA will report to the president and will be recognized within the leadership team as “first among equals.” She/he will exercise oversight of the academic program, all faculty personnel matters, and nine direct reports. The provost will be surrounded by a highly qualified faculty, dedicated support staff, and a high quality, engaged student body. MISSION STATEMENT As a community that welcomes people of all beliefs, Salve Regina University, a Catholic institution founded by the Sisters of Mercy, seeks wisdom and promotes universal justice. The University, through teaching and research, prepares men and women for responsible lives by imparting and expanding knowledge, developing skills, and cultivating enduring values. Through liberal arts and professional programs, students develop their abilities for thinking clearly and creatively, enhance their capacity for sound judgment, and prepare for the challenge of learning throughout their lives. In keeping with the traditions of the Sisters of Mercy, and recognizing that all people are stewards of God’s creation, the University encourages students to work for a world that is harmonious, just, and merciful. ABOUT SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY History and Mercy Tradition - On March 16, 1934, the State of Rhode Island granted a charter to the Sisters of Mercy of Providence for a corporation named Salve Regina College. Beyond noting that Salve Regina was to exist “to promote virtue, and piety and learning,” there were no specific directives; the charter left all educational options to the Sisters of Mercy. In 1947, following more than a dozen years of careful preparation, a magnificent turn-of-the-century Newport mansion was given to the college corporation. The acquisition of Ochre Court, a fifty-room French chateau, enabled Salve Regina to welcome its first class of 58 students in the fall of that same year. Salve Regina became coeducational in 1973 and achieved university status in 1991, at which time the school’s charter was amended to change the name of the corporation to Salve Regina University. 2 The Search for a PROVOST/VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Salve Regina University, Newport, R.I. The Sisters of Mercy are specifically charged to give meaning to their order’s name. Lives of prayer, community and service embody foundress Catherine McAuley’s hope of offering relief to the poor, sick, and uneducated of the world. Their work is grounded in a belief in human dignity, Catholic faith and their own traditions. Through their sponsorship they strive to affirm the presence of mission and values as fundamental forces within an organization. University Profile - Today, with a budget of $74.5 million and an endowment of nearly $60 million, Salve Regina University serves approximately 2,760 men and women from 39 states and 22 nations and boasts more than 22,000 alumni. Undergraduate enrollment is 2,161 students, while graduate enrollment stands at 599. Currently 66 percent of the student population is female, and 79 percent hail from New England. The University is planning to implement a three-year residency requirement beginning in the fall of 2019. The current number of students residing on campus is 1,273. With 127 full-time faculty members (201 FTE), 80 percent of whom hold a doctorate or the MFA, and 49 percent of whom are tenured, the faculty-to-student ratio stands at 1:13. On average, 30 percent of a typical graduating class has participated in at least one study abroad opportunity as part of their degree program. Salve Regina offers over 200 study abroad options in over 45 countries. The University awards B.A., B.S. and B.A.S. degrees in over 46 majors and concentrations. For graduate students, the University offers M.A., M.S. and M.B.A. degrees, as well as a Ph.D. in humanities, a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a variety of certificate programs. Continuing education courses are offered at the University’s Center for Adult Education in Warwick, R.I. Academic Program - Salve Regina University is primarily an undergraduate residential institution, offering a comprehensive education in a wide range of academic disciplines. Central to the University’s identity is a commitment to student development and lifelong success. A rigorous academic program, grounded in a core liberal arts curriculum, offers concentrations in the arts and sciences and pre-professional and professional programs including business, nursing, education, administration of justice and social work. Innovative programs and co-curricular opportunities, including a civic engagement initiative and required community service, offer students the opportunity to grow, learn, and excel. The curriculum reflects Salve Regina’s mission. By providing breadth of study in a core curriculum and depth of study in one’s major, the University prepares students to become lifelong learners and responsible, contributing citizens of their workplace, their local community, and the world. The undergraduate course of study is designed to foster intellectual, social, and spiritual growth that will encourage students to seek wisdom and work for a world that is harmonious, just, and merciful. The University’s undergraduate curriculum is comprised of three interconnected components: the core curriculum; the major; and elective courses. The university undergraduate curriculum seeks to develop breadth of knowledge across a wide range of liberal arts disciplines, with a special emphasis on the ability to integrate and see connections among subject areas. Extending over the traditional four years of baccalaureate study, the core both affirms and illustrates the essential unity of all knowledge, provides a solid basis for lifelong learning, and develops a context 3 The Search for a PROVOST/VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Salve Regina University, Newport, R.I. for the specialized knowledge acquired in the major. The major gives students the opportunity to master a specific field of study in-depth. Normally, students select a major in the first or second year, choosing from a variety of professional fields, the liberal arts, or interdisciplinary programs. Electives at Salve Regina allow students to enhance their education, explore ideas, and challenge themselves outside their chosen major. The Pell Honors Program offers outstanding students the opportunity to challenge themselves academically and personally. Typically, qualified students are invited to join the honors program upon admission to the University. Once on campus, they join a vibrant community of peers and faculty engaged in study and critical debates about big issues: God, politics, human nature and ethics, and the conflicting conceptions of “the good life” that have shaped human history. To build a learning and living community, students are housed with fellow Pell Scholars during the first two years of their academic careers. This living situation helps to provide them with a unique opportunity to form meaningful friendships centered on a shared pursuit of wisdom. The University’s graduate and continuing education programs are tailored to the unique needs of adult students, combining the integration of knowledge and personal values with the development of greater competency in both theory and practice. Salve Regina offers 13 master’s degree programs with options for concentrations, a doctoral program in humanities and the Doctor of Nursing Practice, along with a bachelor’s degree in nursing for licensed registered nurses. Programs are available in a variety of formats, including classroom-based semester-long courses, compressed seven- week courses and hybrid courses that combine online learning with the classroom experience. Many programs also provide choices for four-course graduate certificates. Classes are offered at the Newport campus, at the University’s Center for Adult Education in Warwick, R.I., and online. Salve Regina is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Its business program also holds accreditation from the International Accreditation Council for Business Education. Several University programs hold discipline specific accreditations including nursing, education,