Provost Faculty Fellows Program

Program Overview

The program is designed to develop leadership capacity at the university-level among some of our most accomplished faculty. Fellows participate in a range of mentoring and learning opportunities, collaborate with colleagues in the Provost’s Office and other academic and administrative offices across the university, and will assume leadership roles on critical campus strategic initiatives and projects. The focus of Fellows’ work is co-designed by the Provost’s Office to align with university priorities and the Fellows’ interests and longer-range career goals.

Background

The university, and higher education in general, need talented and well-prepared leaders at all levels, from leaders within the University Senate to Department Chairs and Center and Institute Directors and other campus administrators (e.g., associate deans, Senate committee chairs, program directors, etc). As is the norm in typical training for a faculty career in higher education, relatively few faculty members receive training that focuses on the development of leadership and management skills. As a result, it is not unusual to have newly appointed leaders who feel unprepared for effective leadership. 

About the Program

The Provost Fellows Program aims to provide a focused experience that embeds interested and highly motivated faculty members in leadership and administrative contexts at the campus level. The program provides leadership opportunities to faculty members, resulting in an improved ability to retain successful leaders who can and will help Miami achieve its strategic goals.

As part of the program, Fellows will become familiar with university-wide academic initiatives (e.g., Miami Thrive), budget issues, and broader challenges facing higher education. In addition, Fellows make direct contributions to the work of the Provost’s Office by taking on special projects and assisting in more routine activities. The goal of the program is to provide interested faculty members with leadership experiences at the university level to contribute to building a deep bench of academic leaders at Miami. In addition, each fellow works with a primary mentor in the Provost’s Office.

Fellows normally engage with MAC-ALDP Fellows and participate in the Certified Advancement Partner Program (CAPP) during their appointment. Provost’s Fellows serve as members of the Provost’s staff and participate in regular Provost’s staff meetings.

Appointments

Fellows have one workload unit (WLU) appointment equivalent to one three-credit hour course of assigned time to their leadership roles in the Provost’s Office during the spring semester and they will maintain appointments in their home department during this time. The Provost’s Office will work with each Fellow’s department chair to provide teaching release during the appointment. The appointment is for one year, though a semester or one-year extension is possible if warranted. Fellows are provided a modest discretionary travel and/or training budget of $2500. These resources can be used to fund activities on campus, to learn about organizational and leadership structures and processes at other institutions of higher education, to participate in formal training opportunities, and to attend relevant conferences in higher education.

Areas of Focus for Fellow Appointments

Each Fellow will be identified with a particular area of strategic importance within the purview of the Provost’s Office: 

Examples of areas include:

• Artificial Intelligence: [HIGH PRIORITY] Provide leadership in establishing guidance for faculty and students in the use of artificial intelligence including leading a team of AI faculty ambassadors, developing academic policy, curating a website the provides resources and guidance, and creating opportunities for faculty professional development 
• Faculty Development and Retention: Support and initiating activities to support faculty development and retention and/or enhancing faculty mentoring activities
• Miami Thrive: In anticipation of initiatives from the Miami Thrive strategic planning process that will involve Academic Affairs, provide coordination in leadership as needed to ensure the success of initiatives over the coming academic year. Examples include curriculum and experiential learning. 

Nomination and Selection Process

Applicants must be either tenured or Associate-level TCPL faculty members. Prior leadership experience is preferred but not required.

A request for nominations for Provost Fellows is circulated to campus leaders from Academic Affairs. Deans and Department Chairs/Directors can nominate faculty members and self-nominations are also welcome. Applicants are encouraged to work with the Associate Provost’s in crafting their letter of application. 

Applications/nominations must include:

• A letter of application that includes a statement that summarizes the nominee’s professional goals and outlines their interests and prospective goals for their time as Fellow (maximum 2 pages).
• A current CV
• The Provost’s Office will solicit endorsement of the nomination from the nominee’s Dean and Department Chair.