Job Details

Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs

Position Number: 6276582
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Position Type: Academic Vice Presidents and Provosts

Palo Alto University (PAU) seeks a Provost & Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs (Provost) who will serve as a scholarly leader with a collegial and collaborative leadership style. The Provost will have the energy and integrity to lead an engaged community deeply committed to the mission of preparing its students to address pressing and emerging issues that equitably meet the needs of our ever-changing human condition. Candidates should have a history of academic leadership; the ability to build and cultivate consensus among various stakeholder groups; accomplishment in creating and supporting a climate of understanding and mutual respect; and a deep and demonstrated commitment to the values of equity and inclusion, community, excellence and integrity, compassion, and innovation.

PAU is a private, non-profit institution located in the heart of Silicon Valley. For nearly five decades, PAU has been dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging issues in behavioral health, equipping practitioners to meet the diverse needs of a contemporary society. PAU offers a range of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs delivered through innovative online, hybrid, and residential modalities. Engaged faculty, recognized for their significant contributions to their fields, prepare practitioners and students through rigorous educational programs, cutting-edge research opportunities, and extensive hands-on clinical practice.

Palo Alto University's values provide the compass for navigating organizational norms, behavior, decisions, and activity; they are tangible expressions of what an organization strives to consistently achieve and express what the organization believes, and how people within the organization behave. In developing the 2021-2026 Path to Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan, PAU addressed solutions to challenges with a resolute commitment to viewing them through the lens of inclusive excellence.

Today PAU has 20 undergraduate, 1,209 graduate students, and more than 4,200 proud alumni. The University offers a variety of programs in behavioral health disciplines at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Through a consortium agreement with Stanford University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the PAU-Stanford PsyD Consortium program is for students interested in building a career in direct clinical psychological services. These programs are designed to deepen students' understanding of the human condition and develop in-demand clinical, research, and interpersonal skills. The University employs 51 faculty and 112 staff and is supported by an operating budget of $41 million. The University has two main campus locations in Silicon Valley: Palo Alto and Mountain View.

This is an exciting time for PAU with the recent appointment of President Farouk Dey, who brings an entrepreneurial and global perspective rooted in workforce development and seeks a true academic partner who will inspire innovation, growth, and collaboration. The Provost & Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs reports to the President and serves as the Chief Academic Officer of the University and sits on the President's cabinet. In providing unified leadership across the institution, this comprehensive role uniquely integrates oversight of both academic programs and student life to create a more cohesive educational experience. The Provost will be charged with strengthening academic excellence and student support systems; increase public recognition of PAU's academic strengths; lead strategic resource management and research development; and support PAU's "Path to Inclusive Excellence" strategic plan.

Overseeing the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, the Provost upholds PAU's commitment to student success, scholarly excellence, and equitable access to education. By fostering innovation in teaching and learning, supporting faculty development, and championing holistic student engagement, the Provost helps shape a learning environment where every member of the community can thrive.

This role calls for a leader who brings academic credibility, a deep understanding of the behavioral and mental health fields, and the ability to guide a diverse and evolving academic enterprise with clarity and care. Successful candidates will have an earned doctorate and a distinguished record in teaching, scholarship, and service that merits a tenured faculty appointment. An earned doctorate in behavioral or mental health science and/or a history of success leading an academic affairs unit that includes those programs are preferred. Candidates must provide evidence of a strong record of academic administrative experience with outstanding leadership and oversight of faculty, accreditation, curriculum, budget, and planning.

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a current curriculum vitae or resume and a cover letter describing relevant experience related to the themes in the leadership profile and interest in the position. The leadership profile can be found here.

WittKieffer is assisting Palo Alto University in this search.For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by August 11, 2025. Applications, nominations, and inquiries can be directed to PAUProvost@wittkieffer.com.

Palo Alto University reasonably expects to pay within the range of $325,000-$375,000.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and is firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and other employment practices and in the application of its personnel policies. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists, employment decisions will be made irrespective of the staff member's race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic condition), disability and/or any another status protected by law. When necessary, the University will reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities, if the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform all essential functions of the position and if it will be done without undue hardship to the University.