Who We Are

The University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-Dearborn) was founded in 1959 through a gift of land from the Ford Motor Company and a grant from the Ford Motor Company Fund. UM-Dearborn is located on 200 beautiful acres of the original estate of Henry Ford bordering the Rouge River. Though only ten miles from downtown Detroit, the campus neighborhood includes some 70 acres of nature preserve. The city of Dearborn, known for its historical role in the automotive industry, has recently seen significant re-investment from local industries and is today noted for its cultural and ethnic diversity. The University of Michigan is governed by the University of Michigan Board of Regents and overseen by the University President. The University of Michigan-Dearborn Chancellor serves as the chief executive officer of the campus and an executive officer of the University as a whole and reports directly to the President. 

Additional facts about UM-Dearborn, rankings and honors may be found here.

Job Summary

The University of Michigan-Dearborn invites nominations and applications for the position of Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. We seek a colleague with an expansive view of the academy and insights into all aspects of the university. The successful candidate will have knowledge of UM-Dearborn and be poised to maintain progress toward university goals and lead both ongoing and emerging initiatives. This includes robust and productive research/scholarship and teaching endeavors across a wide spectrum of disciplines, with a strong focus on student experience and outcomes. As chief academic officer, working with the faculty and senior leadership, the provost will articulate the intellectual construct of the institution as a practice-based university, promote holistic excellence across the academic enterprise, engage and support the goals and strategies of deans and faculty members, and facilitate research and innovative education through strategic enhancement and deployment of resources.
 

The Provost reports to the Chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, is the chief academic officer of the University and has a broad portfolio of responsibilities. Reporting directly to the Provost are the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management; the Vice Provost for Research; the Dean of Students; the Associate Provost for Graduate, International, and Online Learning; the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Student Success; the Registrar; the Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters; the Dean of the College of Business; the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science; and the Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services.
 

As UM-Dearborn's chief academic officer, the Provost is expected to work closely with the Chancellor to help support the aspirations and goals of the deans and faculty, to articulate and advance the intellectual aspirations of the Dearborn faculty and students, to facilitate the University's research and teaching endeavors by strategic enhancement and deployment of resources, and developing new opportunities to raise the level of excellence in the University's colleges, departments, institutes and centers.

Required Qualifications*

• Intellectual breadth: Candidates must value and appreciate all of UM-Dearborn's current academic and research domains. Their professional experience must exhibit intellectual rigor, curiosity, and creativity in developing new programs and initiatives that complement and leverage institutional and academic assets as well as increase distinctive contributions to important research and education. Candidates should have distinction as a scholar, researcher and educator.
   
• Engagement and Inclusive Excellence: Candidates must believe in a culture of accessibility and inclusive excellence. They must have a record of engaging faculty, deans, administrators, and students on an academic and personal level as well as facilitating a substantive dialogue about academic priorities and policies, budgets and faculty development, and opportunities for synergy and optimization across the schools. They must have demonstrated a commitment to the diversity of thought of the academic community and support its role in achieving institutional success.
   
• Ability to lead and execute: Candidates must demonstrate the ability to be decisive, flexible and effective in pursuing UM-Dearborn's goals. Working with the Chancellor and faculty, they must be able to, with appropriate input, develop a shared context for major decisions, gain buy-in for decisions and communicate those decisions transparently. They must have the demonstrated ability to build new endeavors within the academic enterprise, as well as to transition older endeavors in new directions. They must be able to create a culture of accountability where everyone is aware of their commitments, progress is tracked and the consequences of decisions are assessed and managed with empathy and efficiency. They must display a commitment to follow through, responsiveness, and processes and systems that create efficiency in institutional performance and decision-making.
   
• Partnership and teamwork: Candidates must have a broad institutional perspective and demonstrate the ability to be inclusive, transparent, collaborative, and flexible. They must work as a valued and respected partner with UM-Dearborn's Chancellor, senior leadership and board, generate and develop ideas that guide the strategic direction of the University, and make consequential contributions to major decisions that directly impact fulfillment of the University's agenda. They must demonstrate the ability to build institutional partnerships and relationships that redound to UM-Dearborn's academic enterprise and reputation.

Skills You Have

Candidates for the position must possess a distinguished record as a scholar and educator, significant administrative experience (especially at the university-wide level), excellent communication and collaboration skills, and personal qualities of vision, integrity, equanimity, dedication, strong work ethic, empathy, a can-do attitude, and a sense of humor.
 

The successful candidate will be:

• An academic leader who understands UM-Dearborn and can identify opportunities and marshal the resources necessary to strengthen UM-Dearborn's educational and research activities.
• A strategic thinker who, working as a trusted partner with the Chancellor, will enable the University to identify its priorities in a highly competitive environment.
• A committed educator who seeks to assess and improve educational quality and effectiveness and judiciously bring to bear the educational potential of new pedagogies and technologies.
• A champion of inclusive excellence who views the diversity of our faculty, students and staff as a core ingredient of our success.
• A consensus builder, committed to shared governance who will inspire confidence, build trust and collaboration with the deans and faculty, and contribute to a vibrant environment in which faculty, staff, and students are motivated to excel.
• A decisive, versatile personality who will catalyze and sustain an inclusive campus-wide dialogue with the faculty and students while also prioritizing the multiple demands and aspirations of the UM-Dearborn community.
• A seasoned and effective administrator to continue UM-Dearborn's mission to recognize, recruit, develop, reward and retain top talent, to uplift the standing of its academic units, and to address the complexities and the evolving role of the university in the 21st century.
• A capable financial manager to strategically develop and align University resources to maximize the effectiveness of UM-Dearborn's human capital and increase the efficiency of its operations.
• A compelling communicator and ecumenical emissary for UM-Dearborn who will enthusiastically represent the University on the local, state, national and international stages.
• A broad and holistic thinker whose ethos reflects the values of the institution.

Why Work at U-M Dearborn?

The University of Michigan-Dearborn is a vibrant and diverse community, centrally located within one of America's largest business regions. The area provides a variety of urban, suburban, and rural environments within a reasonable commute, including Detroit, its suburbs, and Ann Arbor.

The University of Michigan-Dearborn takes pride in being an inclusive, student-focused institution offering a transformative education reflective of University of Michigan stature. It is deeply committed to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, as well as to ensuring access and affordability.
 

In May 2026, the University named former Provost and current interim Chancellor, Gabriella Scarlatta, as the 7th Chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn to lead the effort in preparing for the next era in higher education. Since she started in the Chancellor's Office, she has increased collaboration with community partners, practice-based learning opportunities across the four colleges, increased research programs, and focused on student success initiatives.
 

The chancellor has identified strategic opportunities that are inspirational, aspirational, attainable, sustainable and measurable. These opportunities leverage UM-Dearborn's strength, scope, potential and reputation as a member of the University of Michigan family, a world leader in education, research and service.

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan-Dearborn offers a comprehensive benefits package, effective on your first day to help you and your family stay well, and plan for a secure future.

Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions after 12 months of eligible service
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance, along with prescription drug plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Eligibility for benefits is based on your job group, your appointment percentage and the length of your appointment. Learn more about employee benefits and eligibility from the UM Human Resources Benefits and Wellness webpage.

Additional UM-Dearborn benefits include:

• Employees may be eligible for tuition reimbursement. Learn more about the tuition reimbursement policy.
• Eligible UM-Dearborn dependents may receive a 50% tuition and fees scholarship towards undergraduate courses. Learn more about the Dependent Tuition Scholarship from the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships webpage.
• No charge for all faculty and staff parking permits. Learn more from the Parking Transportation webpage.

Information about our mission, values and leadership can be found at: https://umdearborn.edu/about-um-dearborn/mission 

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

If you would like to submit a nomination for this position, you may do so confidentially by emailing [email protected] 

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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