Open Searches

California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) invites confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Provost. The Provost, a member of the President’s Cabinet, reports to President Richard Yao, and will serve as the Chief Academic Officer at a young, vibrant institution committed to academic excellence and student success. The successful candidate will possess a singular commitment to serving a largely first-generation, historically underserved student body and a demonstrated record of advancing inclusive excellence within an academic community. The search is open and international in its outreach.

Founded in 2002, CSUCI is the newest of the 22 campuses in the California State University (CSU) system, the largest four-year public university system in the United States. The campus sits on the eastern edge of the Oxnard Plain, nestled in the western hills of the Santa Monica Mountains, a vibrant area at the interface of urban, agricultural, and coastal California.

The main campus is a unique historical site with Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, complemented by modern facilities. Its history is rooted in the vision of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, and it continues to embody a 40-year commitment to delivering accessible higher education in Ventura County. When classes began in 2002, the campus was a 634-acre facility, with one- to two-story buildings organized around two primary quads. Today, the University encompasses more than 1,200 acres of academic space and is poised for significant capital growth in the years ahead. Gateway Hall, for example, is a $90 million capital project currently underway, scheduled for completion in Summer 2025. It will provide approximately 80,000 square feet of renovated existing space and new construction and will house Student Services, departmental labs (Mathematics, Computer Science, and Mechatronics), Extended University, gathering spaces, and more.

Designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in 2010, CSUCI proudly reflects the diversity of California. Of its 4,880 students, 4,565 are undergraduate and 207 are post-baccalaureate students; 61.9% of undergraduates are Hispanic/Latino, 52.4% are Pell grant eligible, and 58.8% have the opportunity to be the first in their family to earn a college degree. Over half of the undergraduate population are transfer students, emphasizing CSUCI’s strong partnership with community colleges. Additionally, the University supports working adults through graduate and credential programs tailored to their needs.

CSUCI currently offers 27 undergraduate majors, eight graduate degrees, and a variety of certificate and teaching credential programs (see programs and degrees). Three of the University’s eight graduate programs were launched in Fall 2024, the first to be implemented from the University’s Academic Master Plan for 2022-23 through 2031-32.

The Provost serves as the chief academic officer for the University and provides leadership and guidance to faculty, staff, students, and the President’s Cabinet in all areas relating to Academic Affairs as well as counsel to the President and Cabinet in all matters related to management of the University. The Provost leads the Division of Academic Affairs in support of the University’s commitment to a largely first generation, historically underserved student body and advancing inclusive excellence within the academic community. As chief academic officer, the Provost’s leadership in achieving the University’s mission – “Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives” – is critical, particularly given CSUCI’s status as a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2010. The Office of the Provost is charged with the overall administration of all academic units in the context of the University as a whole and is first among Cabinet colleagues to serve, when possible, as the Executive in Charge in the President’s absence. The Provost provides leadership regarding accreditation; faculty selection, evaluation, and performance; analysis of the division’s academic programs, policies, and procedures; and major operational issues. The Provost is a collaborative academic leader who actively embodies shared governance, working closely with the Academic Senate and University Committees to maintain institutional focus on the campus mission and to enhance student learning and success. The Provost works in close collaboration with other divisional leaders and Enrollment Management to achieve the University’s mission, actively continuing work already underway to dismantle the siloing of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Business & Financial Affairs, in particular, and ensuring efficient, effective collaborations across all divisions. The Provost provides critical leadership for a holistic data-informed approach to facilitating timely graduation and eliminating equity gaps in student success (see pp. 17-19 for CSUCI’s Student Success Framework of 2023-24).

More information, including full lists of responsibilities and qualifications, can be found in the institutional profile at the link above.

How to Apply

The University is being assisted by Academic Search. Applications should consist of a substantive letter of interest specifically addressing the applicant’s background in relationship to the qualifications described, a curriculum vitae, and a list of five professional references with full contact information. No references will be contacted without the explicit permission of the candidate. Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest can be submitted electronically, and in confidence, to:

CSUCIProvost@academicsearch.org

The position is open until filled, but only applications received by Friday, March 7, 2025, can be assured full consideration. Confidential discussions about this opportunity may be arranged by contacting consultants Ann Die Hasselmo and Chris Butler. The expected hiring range for this position is $280,884 – $303,348 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

California State University Channel Islands is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status or protected veteran status.