Nipissing University Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Nipissing University is located on the territory of Nipissing First Nation, the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, within lands protected by the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850.

Situated in North Bay, Ontario – a regional hub surrounded by breathtaking natural scenery – Nipissing University is a student-focused, primarily undergraduate institution known for excellence in teacher education, the humanities, sciences, and a growing range of professional and graduate programs. The University offers an academic environment characterized by close student–faculty engagement, strong student support services, innovative approaches to learning, and a commitment to research and scholarship that is both rigorous and relevant.

Nipissing is entering a period of measured academic growth and the realization of strategic institutional ambitions. Guided by its Strategic Plan (launched in 2023) and a comprehensive enrolment strategy, the University is expanding in high-demand and STEM-aligned programs, has experienced significant growth in Education and Nursing, and will launch a new Environmental Science program in 2026. With recent balanced budgets and an engaged senior leadership team, Nipissing is well positioned to advance its academic mission in a collaborative and sustainable manner.

The Opportunity

Nipissing University is seeking its next Provost and Vice-President, Academic , the University’s Chief Academic Officer and a key member of the senior leadership team.

Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Provost provides leadership across the academic enterprise, including teaching and learning, research and scholarship, academic planning, enrolment-aligned program development, and graduate studies. Working closely with Senate and academic management team, the Provost plays a central role in shaping academic direction and ensuring institutional priorities are effectively implemented.

With a student-centred perspective, the Provost is accountable for advancing equity, diversity, accessibility, inclusion, Indigenization, reconciliation, and decolonization, and the creation of learning and working environments where students, faculty, and staff can thrive.

The Provost oversees a comprehensive suite of student support services, ranging from academic success and transition programming to mental health, accessibility, and student development, ensuring alignment with institutional values, priorities, and student needs. The Provost prioritizes student recruitment and retention across all academic and operational initiatives, ensuring a comprehensive data-driven approach to meeting institutional targets. Beyond academic leadership, the Provost is a key institutional integrator, aligning academic planning with financial sustainability, faculty and staff complement planning, policy frameworks, and governance processes. In partnership with senior colleagues, the Provost contributes to resource planning, supports institutional decision-making, and helps ensure the University’s academic ambitions are advanced responsibly and transparently.

The Provost provides leadership for a healthy and respectful academic workplace and learning environment, fostering strong relationships with faculty, staff, and academic leaders, and supporting effective shared governance and positive labour relations. As a senior leader, the Provost contributes to the overall stewardship of the University and supports a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate is an inclusive, collaborative, and consultative leader, who demonstrates strong communication and relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively and collegially with faculty, staff, academic leadership, and governing bodies. They will bring sound judgment, financial literacy, and a strong understanding of governance and organizational systems, along with the ability to balance academic excellence with responsible stewardship of people, resources, and institutional trust.

They will be a respected academic leader with extensive senior administrative experience in a university or comparable post-secondary environment along with an understanding of the post-secondary education landscape in Ontario, particularly for smaller institutions and those in underserved communities. They will bring a capacity to lead complex organizations through growth and change within a collegial academic culture.

They will hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree and be appointable at the rank of full professor and will have demonstrated experience leading academic and institutional planning, implementation, and resource alignment.

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application at boyden.thriveapp.ly / job / 3171. For further information and the full executive briefing document, please contact Collin Ritch and Nick Chambers at critch@boyden.com.

The ideal start date for this position is July 1, 2026.

Nipissing University is committed to employment equity and strongly encourages applications, which may include self-identification in a covering letter from Indigenous persons, women, persons with disabilities, persons who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ and racialized minorities.

The search committee would like to thank all applicants for their interest in Nipissing University. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents will be given priority.

Nipissing University is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. We will respect and adhere to any accommodation needs you may need during the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at access@nipissingu.ca.

This is an open vacancy, and artificial intelligence (AI) will not be used in the evaluation or assessment of candidates.