Provost

This position is no longer open.

The Lebanese American University (LAU), a leading private US-accredited university chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and the Lebanese Government, seeks a Provost. The position reports directly to the President, Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra who assumed the LAU Presidency in 2004. The Provost position will be available on August 1, 2018.

The Institution

Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the Lebanese American University, an independent, non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts and professional studies university, enrolls over 8500 students representing 75 nationalities. Over the past ten years, the student body has grown by more than 35%. The University is governed by a private autonomous board of US, Lebanese, and other Middle Eastern trustees, the majority of whom are American. All instruction is in English. Founded in 1835 as a school for the education of women in the Ottoman Empire, the institution became a college in 1924 and a university in 1993. The University has campuses overlooking the Mediterranean in Beirut and Byblos, a hospital in East Beirut, and a major headquarters and Academic Center in Manhattan, NY.  LAU is organized into:

• School of Architecture & Design
• School of Arts & Sciences
• School of Business
• School of Engineering
• School of Medicine
• School of Nursing
• School of Pharmacy

The University offers MA, MBA, MS, BA, BArch, BE, BS, MD, and Pharm.D. degrees as well as several certificate programs. LAU, which has an operating budget of $178 Million and a healthy endowment, receives substantial support from USAID, MEPI and ASHA. LAU has 42 alumni chapters in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Additional information is available at www.lau.edu.lb.

Responsibilities

The Provost is the Chief Academic Officer of the University and the chief associate of the President on academic matters. The Provost, who reports to the President, oversees all academic affairs of the University and serves as the Secretary of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees, a member of the President’s Cabinet, and chairs the Council of Deans. The Provost may be called upon to serve as acting president when needed.

The Provost also is a member of the University Planning Council and works closely with the President to develop strategic plans and academic directions based on the University’s mission, values, and vision. Working with the President’s Cabinet and the Council of Deans, the Provost provides leadership in the development of plans, budgets, and policies regarding academic programs, instruction, and research. The Provost provides leadership for achieving and retaining university accreditation, oversees school plans for professional accreditation, and works closely with the Faculty Senate on all matters of policies and procedures relating to faculty affairs.

Positions reporting to the Provost include:

• Dean of the School of Architecture & Design;
• Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences;
• Dean of the School of Business;
• Dean of the School of Engineering;
• Dean of the School of Medicine;
• Dean of the School of Nursing;
• Dean of the School of Pharmacy;
• Dean of the Graduate Studies & Research;
• University Librarian;
• Director of Continuing Education Program;
• Director of the Institute of Women’s Studies in the Arab World;
• Director of the University Enterprise Office; and
• Director of the Lebanese Heritage Center

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or a terminal degree and successful academic career in an American institution of higher education;
• Full Professor Rank;
• Successful higher education management experience, typically at the level of dean and above;
• Proven ability to listen, consult, and shape mutually satisfactory resolution of issues associated with academic governance in a complex and rapidly evolving institution;
• Culturally eclectic personality with experience and expertise to deal with a wide range of programs and specialties at undergraduate and graduate level;
• Appreciation of and commitment to the virtues of liberal arts education and how it can support and strengthen professional programs;
• Familiarity with major issues and challenges facing higher education as they apply to American education abroad (assessment, rising costs, students/faculty retention, competition in a globalized market);
• Ability to lead change effectively and move the academic leadership and the faculty in a consensual and inclusive manner;
• Ability to lead the deans and the academic management team;
• Proven experience in managerial professional skills, including project management and budgeting; and
• Awareness and appreciation of multicultural diversity and ability to work effectively in such settings.

Knowledge of the Arabic language, the cultural heritage of Lebanon, and the region is a plus.

Applications will be accepted until a qualified candidate is selected.

Please send your application and pertinent documents, preferably by e-mail, to:

Joseph G. Jabbra
President, LAU and Chair
Search Committee for Provost
Lebanese American University
P.O. Box13-5053
Beirut Lebanon
Tel: 00961 1 782 111
E-mail address: jjabbra@lau.edu.lb