Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile

Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile

Table of Contents Position Description

Pages 2-7

The Opportunity ‑ Page 2 Leadership Opportunities ‑ Pages 3, 4 Qualifications and Attributes ‑ Pages 5, 6 Applications, Nominations & Expressions of Interest ‑ Page 7

About Emporia State University

Pages 8-16

Administration

Pages 17‑18

Board of Regents ‑ Page 17 President’s Leadership Team ‑ Page 18

The Office of Academic Affairs

Pages 19‑20

Provost and VPAA Direct Reports ‑ Page 20

City of Emporia

Pages 21‑22

Emporia State University invites nominations and applications for the position of Provost and vice president for academic affairs. Reporting to the president, the provost and vice president for academic affairs serves as the chief academic officer of Emporia State University and its recognized academic programs in The Teachers College, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, and the School of Library and Information Management.

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Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

The Opportunity

Emporia State University (ESU) is an intensely personal, welcoming campus community. With a highly engaged student-centered learning environment, ESU is committed to providing expanded access to a high-quality education that elevates economic opportunity and contributes significantly to the vitality of a diverse society.

Founded in 1863 as Kansas Normal School, Emporia State University (ESU) is the only public institution in Kansas named a “College of Distinction” because of the real-world, high-impact learning that ensures students are career ready. The ESU campus, online, and hybrid-served student population of 2,948 undergraduate and 2,667 graduate students is guided by an accomplished faculty, staff, and administrative team numbering 738. The university budget is $96.8 million. A vibrant living and learning environment invites students statewide, nationally, and globally to be a part of the campus community and its close-knit university-city relationship.

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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Leadership Opportunities for the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs • Serve as an important member of the President’s Leadership Team and as a critical representative of Emporia State with the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR).

The next provost for ESU must be prepared to lead and manage in an accelerated environment of change. Like many regional universities, ESU has encountered the headwinds of declining enrollments and budget shortfalls while continuing to deliver a high quality, high touch education for its students. In partnership with KBOR, ESU is making strides to become a key contributor to the Board’s Strategic Plan, Building A Future. The next provost will be expected to lead and manage the academic enterprise, coordinate academic programming and innovation with the president and his leadership team and serve as one of the president’s primary liaisons with KBOR.

• Reimagine Emporia State’s academic programming and space utilization to support student growth and learning and contribute to a bold and strategic vision for the future.

ESU must continue to capitalize on its nationally renowned 3

Teachers College and its creative approaches to teacher education while also expanding opportunities in new marketdemand academic programming throughout the university’s four colleges and schools. The provost must demonstrate courage in making difficult strategic decisions to ensure ESU thrives in the everchanging landscape of higher education. In partnership with the Kansas Board of Regents, ESU has been engaged with the RPK Group to assess current academic programming and offer solutions that will benefit students and future employers as well as meet the budgetary demands of the university. ESU is well positioned to create new and innovative academic programs as well as reimagine its building and grounds to continue its service to students and families seeking a cutting-edge education in a highly supportive university community.

• Provide trusted leadership built upon meaningful engagement and a transparent approach to change management.

The provost and vice president for academic affairs will devote time, energy and sensitivity to establishing strong relationships and gaining the trust and respect of senior leadership, faculty,

staff, students and the broader community. They must lead by example, listening and learning from colleagues, and personally setting the tone for civil discourse.

Grounded in a solutions-oriented approach to complex decision making, the provost and vice president for academic affairs is expected to seek input from invested stakeholders, make decisions fairly and take decisive action to ensure ESU remains a leader in graduating students who are career ready.

While change is an expected and necessary component for growth, the provost and vice president for academic affairs must have the ability to process multiple positions on issues, seek solutions based upon trusted input, and effectively explain how and why decisions are made when complete and seamless reconciliation is not possible. Success in this position is as much about building relationships and establishing trust in the community as it is about academic leadership and expertise. Engagement, transparency, respect, and trust will be hallmarks of a successful tenure as the academic leader of the university.

Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

• Work collaboratively to develop and execute an enrollment management plan that fosters an inclusive environment to support the growth and retention of a diverse student body across multiple learning platforms.

The university has experienced enrollment challenges in recent years resulting from the changing demographic trends of the region as well as new and diverse perspectives on the value of higher education among stakeholders.

It is imperative that the provost and vice president for academic affairs lead the development and execution of a strategic enrollment management plan that is focused not only on growth in numbers but also on state-of-the-art models for student success and retention. It is essential that efforts are aligned to support the whole student from their experiences in the classroom to co- curricular activities and experiential learning. As a part of a robust enrollment management strategy, it will be important to develop a modern advising system that honors faculty workload and expertise yet also incorporates the advantages offered by a professional advising staff with a focus on student success and the elimination of retention gaps between different student constituencies.

With the goals of increasing enrollment and enhancing

retention across multiple learning platforms, the provost and vice president for student affairs must: 1) possess an understanding of national and regional enrollment trends and the factors that contribute to successful growth including partnerships and alternative methods of education delivery; 2) have a lens of expansion to include more nontraditional learners, stackable credentials, and innovative instructional delivery models and degree pathways; and 3) work collaboratively to recruit a diverse student population with particular attention on expanding relationships and opportunities with the local Hispanic community.

• Recruit, retain and develop a committed and talented faculty.

ESU’s faculty is its most valuable resource; they bring distinction to the university through excellence in teaching fueled by their own scholarly accomplishments and distinctive engagement with students. In pursuit of ESU’s highest aspirations, the provost and vice president for academic affairs will ensure that the university continues to recruit, support and retain a diverse faculty that strengthens the fabric of ESU and furthers the university’s distinctive education, research and commitment to the common good. A hallmark of the ESU faculty is its student-centered approach to teaching and learning

and the offering of real-world experiences that best prepare students for success beyond college.

• Engage with university, local, and state constituents to enhance community connections and make a distinctive contribution to a thriving state economy.

The provost and vice president for academic affairs must be attentive to the university’s internal communities and convey a visible commitment to building a holistic culture that unites students, faculty, staff, foundation trustees and other governance units in support of the university’s mission and core values. Likewise, strategic partnerships with businesses, non-profit organizations and units of local, regional and state government will play an important role in ESU’s future success. One prime opportunity for the region’s success will be an enhancement of partnerships and academic programming that is inclusive of the local K-12 schools and assists in building a more diverse student community at ESU. The next provost and vice president for academic affairs must be highly skilled in donor relations and expanding external support.

Accomplishing this engagement will require a provost who is as comfortable working outside the university as within.

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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Expectations Emporia State University seeks an energetic, results-driven, innovative, culturally competent, and relationaloriented provost and vice president for academic affairs. The candidate must demonstrate an enthusiastic, sincere commitment to the mission of the university with the knowledge that ESU embraces four core values: excellence, respect, responsibility, and service.

The ideal candidate should be an excellent communicator, eager to engage with faculty, students, staff, and the larger community on a frequent and meaningful basis, and have a supportive, diverse, and inclusive style of critical thinking and decisive action. The candidate should also have significant financial management skills, a demonstrated commitment to transparent and participatory decision-making, a record of commitment to shared governance, and a dedication to the value of a regional university’s collaborative links with the communities it serves.

Qualifications and Attributes Candidates for this position must have an earned doctorate or terminal degree appropriate to discipline and a demonstrated record of teaching, service, and research. Further, the individual should have an accomplished record of academic leadership, curriculum development, accreditation, faculty recruitment and retention, and management of operational and financial aspects of university academic affairs. The provost and vice president for academic affairs must support inclusive strategic planning that inspires the campus community to educate for the common good, promoting academic excellence and success throughout the institution. This individual must work collaboratively with the university president and other university leadership including academic deans, faculty, staff, and students to advance the academic mission of the university.

The successful candidate should possess the following attributes:

Leadership

Academic Excellence

ȓ Ability and desire to navigate and lead Emporia State University through complex planning and action to address the challenges of current and emerging trends in higher education;

ȓ Ability to reimagine the recruitment and support of current and emerging student populations and execute on innovative strategies that support student success and retention;

ȓ An engaging leadership style with the desire and skills to listen actively and carefully, assess fairly, innovate strategically, and build a shared commitment to a progressive agenda;

ȓ Understanding and knowledge of academic affairs issues and strategies, including instructional technology and how it advances teaching and learning;

ȓ An understanding of the need to achieve early, visible successes while implementing long-term projects and developing organizational infrastructure;

ȓ Encourages and inspires innovation in teaching and learning and curriculum/program development;

ȓ A commitment to developing productive working relationships that fosters a sense of trust with schools/colleges and the school/college deans; ȓ An ability to demonstrate courage in making difficult strategic decisions and the willingness to embrace and manage change that leads to an enhanced vision for success; 5

ȓ Commitment to growing online learning, hybrid, and traditional, campus-based learning, recognizing all three models for learning are critical and oncampus vitality is essential; ȓ Commitment to the highest quality education and understanding of accreditation processes; ȓ Unfailing support of the public university’s access and affordability mission;

Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

Communication

Fiscal Acumen

ȓ Excellent communication skills, written and spoken, with ability to practice an open-door, open-mind style of engagement;

ȓ Knowledge of fiscal management, healthy leverage of existing resources and generation of new funding, and fundraising that enhances revenue diversification;

ȓ A demonstrated student-centered approach with an emphasis on relationship building, seeking opportunities to actively engage a diverse student body via multiple communication and learning platforms;

ȓ Capability to initiate fact-based discussions of the cost of educating students in the various disciplines and ways that resources may be reallocated to the benefit of the university as a whole;

ȓ Deep and demonstrated respect for faculty, staff, and all Emporia State University stakeholders’ contributions;

ȓ Understand and embrace the Kansas Board of Regents’ “Building a Future” and its second pillar focusing on advantages higher education can provide to Kansas businesses;

ȓ Clear recognition and execution of shared governance practices, consensus building, talent development, and recruitment and retention of diverse talent; ȓ Ability to interact effectively with diverse constituencies, including the state legislature, K-12 leadership, and business/industry partners; ȓ A willingness to engage with the city of Emporia and Lyon County leadership to recruit diverse students and faculty as well as to capitalize on strategic collaborative partnerships;

ȓ Appreciation for and ability to engage an active alumni and foundation association;

Personal Characteristics ȓ The ability to earn and retain the respect of faculty engaged in high-level teaching, service and research; ȓ A genuine affinity for the academic process and an appreciation of the work of teachers and scholars; ȓ Commitment to faculty and student diversity and inclusion as a means of achieving institutional excellence; ȓ The highest ethical and moral standards, both professionally and personally; ȓ Perseverance, a strong work ethic and the drive to build a legacy of success; ȓ A keen intellect as evidenced by educational attainment, scholarly achievements and a genuine sense of curiosity; ȓ The eagerness and stamina to serve 24/7 as an institutional advocate and spokesperson.

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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Applications, Nominations & Expressions of Interest AGB Search is pleased to assist Emporia State University with this leadership search. To apply for the provost and vice president for academic affairs position, candidates are requested to submit the following: • a letter of interest (not to exceed three pages) that addresses the leadership opportunities in the position profile; • a resume or curriculum vitae; and • contact information for four references, none of whom will be contacted until a later stage of the search or without the formal permission of the candidate.

All inquiries and applications will be received and evaluated in confidence.

Applications should be sent to EmporiaStateProvost@agbsearch.com by October 7, 2022, for best consideration. The search will remain open until an appointment is made.

Nominations and expressions of interest in the provost and vice president for academic affairs position are encouraged. Please direct them to EmporiaStateProvost@agbsearch.com or to the AGB Search consultants listed below: Richard A. Wueste Executive Search Consultant Richard.Wueste@agbsearch.com 540.431.5131 (Home Office) 719.480.3050 (Cell)

Beverly J. Warren Executive Search Consultant Beverly.Warren@agbsearch.com 804.201.0260 (Cell)

Go to EmporiaStateProvost@agbsearch.com for resources and more information.

The Kansas Board of Regents is committed to compliance with all applicable laws concerning affirmative action and equal employment opportunities. All employment terms and conditions, including but not limited to compensation and benefits, shall be granted without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, genetic information, disability or sexual orientation.

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Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

About Emporia State University Emporia State University is an intensely personal, welcoming campus community. We challenge the idea of what education is in the minds of our students. We provide real-world, hands-on learning experiences that help students uncover what they can offer the world because of what they start here.

Founded in 1863, Emporia State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers over 200 academic programs in the School of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Library and Information Management, The Teachers College and Graduate School. For five consecutive years, Emporia State University is the only public university in Kansas to have earned national recognition as a College of Distinction, an honor for universities that demonstrate innovative application of high-impact education. U.S. News ranked Emporia State University as the highest-ranked regional public institution in Kansas and the only public regional that ranked in social mobility.

Vision Changing lives for the common good.

Mission Preparing students for lifelong learning, rewarding careers, and adaptive leadership.

Core Values With excellence, the university values intellectual challenges, problem solving, and creative and critical thinking.

With respect, the university values integrity, collaboration, diversity, freedom of thought, freedom of inquiry, and freedom of expression.

With responsibility, the university values accountability and stewardship of the institution, the environment, human resources, and personal well-being.

With service, the university values engagement in leadership and community that positively impacts our global society.

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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Emporia State University is Investing in the Future With an eye to the future, Emporia State University is investing in academic programs and campus facilities to best serve student and economic demand.

Academic Excellence

Faculty at Emporia State have developed academic programs of the highest quality and integrity. Students are hard-working and career minded. Through the combination of academic rigor and hands-on experiences Emporia State University produces distinctive graduates.

Resources are being prioritized to ensure continual alignment of programs to student and market demand.

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Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

Programs Meeting Kansas Demand

Education

159

Supplying Kansas Educators for 159 Years

2,800

Educators Graduated in Last Five Years

MS

MS Elementary Education Degree for Career Changers

Nursing

100

Years of Nursing

2X

Doubled Nursing Cohort Spring 2019

MSN

Launched Master’s in Nursing Spring 2021

2+2

Partnership with Community Colleges – Students get Four-Year Degree Locally

New, Market Demand-Driven Academic Programs Business Data Analytics

Technology

Cybersecurity

Informatics

Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship

Forensic Science

MS Information

Communication + Emerging Technologies

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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Beautiful Campus Community

Emporia State University is housed on a beautiful 234-acre campus setting situated prominently in the community with visibility from Interstate 35. Regular investment keeps buildings up to date with modern spaces, amenities and functionality. Recently, new construction projects have improved the campus landscape and created exceptional living and learning spaces for students.

Schallenkamp Residence Hall (New, Fall 2019) places learning front and center for all students, first-year and upperclassmen.

Located near the southeast entrance to the Emporia State campus, Schallenkamp provides up to 324 residents of all majors flexible collaborative spaces.

Schallenkamp Residence Hall

Abigail Morse Hall (Fully Renovated and Reopened, Fall 2020) offers original 1920s beauty with modern day amenities like a community kitchen, study areas for collaboration and lounges for up to 102 residents.

Abigail Morse Residence Hall

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Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

Breidenthal University House

Breidenthal University House (New, Fall 2020 – 100% donor funded) combines an on-campus private residence for the university president and family with a meeting and entertainment space that can be used for special events. A separate catering space is available for events, and the location next to Sauder Alumni Center provides synergy.

Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center (New, Spring 2021 – 100% donor funded) provides hands-on learning opportunities and the capacity for outreach education. Emporia State is the only Kansas university with an aquatic research and outreach center on campus.

Prophet Aquatic Research & Outreach Center

Kossover Family Tennis Complex

Kossover Family Tennis Complex (New Indoor/Outdoor Facility, Fall 2021 – 100% donor funded) is a first-ever concept of this size in the MIAA. It features six new championship-quality tennis courts — two indoor and four outdoor — houses the tennis teams' locker rooms, coach's office, players' lounge, studentathlete study area, indoor court viewing deck and outdoor patio.

Most importantly, it provides an on-campus, cold-weather tennis training center, a valuable resource that few NCAA Division II programs offer.

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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Athletics

A member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), one of the largest and most competitive conferences in the nation, Emporia State University Athletics is poised to achieve next level excellence.

With a strong administrative team, continuity in its head coaching staff (including several conference and regional Coaches of the Year), and a culture focused on student success and the student-athlete experience, Emporia State University Athletics enjoys strong support from the campus and community.

Our student-athletes have a reputation for out-performing expectations.

They and their teams earn conference, regional, and national honors.

Recent facilities improvements include the installation of the Kossover Family Tennis Complex, a state-of-the-art $4 million indoor/outdoor tennis facility funded through generous donor support that is the first of its kind for a MIAA school. A strong athletics scholarships program strengthens Athletics ability to compete for top regional talent.

Women’s Teams

Men’s Men’ Teams 13

Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

Softball Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field

Basketball

Tennis

Soccer

Volleyball

Cross Country

Football

Baseball

Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field

Basketball

Tennis

Cross Country

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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By The Numbers

2,948

Undergraduate Enrollment

2,667

Graduate Enrollment

Career Outcomes (4-year avg.)

#56

100+

Student Organizations

Only KS Public Institution Ranked by U.S. News for Advancing Socioeconomic Status

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#1

NCAA Division II Athletics Teams

15

96%

78%

Student Retention Rate

60,000 Alumni Worldwide

$111 M

Foundation Endowment (June 30, 2021, valuation)

Lowest Student Debt of all Public Universities in Kansas

Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

ESU is Vital to State and Local Economy

86%

Of on-campus students are from outside Lyon Co., representing 30 states and 35 countries.

88%

Undergraduate Students are Kansas Residents

63%

Graduate Students are Kansas Residents

85%

91%

2019-2020 Graduates Reported Employment in Kansas + KCMO

738

Full time employees

#4

Largest Employer in Emporia

100K+

Visitors at Events Annually

2019-2020 Graduates Reported Employment in Kansas

Emporia State University Budget by Fund State appropriations: 33.6% Student tuition: 28% Gifts, grants, research, contracts and other: 33.6% Auxiliary enterprises: 4.2% Service clearing: 0.6%

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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Administration Kansas Board of Regents – The nine-member Kansas Board of

Regents is the governing board of the state’s six universities and the statewide coordinating board for the state’s 32 public higher education institutions (six state universities, one municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges).

In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, high school equivalency, and career and technical education programs. Private proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions are authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents to operate in Kansas.

Kansas Board of Regents Strategic Plan Building a Future In June 2020, the Kansas Board of Regents voted to adopt a new strategic plan for the state’s public higher education system, Building a Future. This new plan seeks to help the system better serve Kansas families, Kansas businesses and the state’s economic prosperity. The plan is based on three pillars:

Pillar 1

Pillar 2

Pillar 3

Helping Kansas families by ensuring that higher education remains affordable and accessible to Kansas.

Supporting Kansas businesses by focusing the advantages higher education can provide to businesses, with emphasis on developing a talent pipeline to meet the demands of employers and the state’s economy.

Advancing economic prosperity by leveraging the capabilities and innovation of higher education to enhance the general economic prosperity of communities based on a local, regional and statewide basis.

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Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

ESU President’s Leadership Team Ed Bashaw, Dean, School of Business Joan Brewer, Dean, The Teachers College Jenni Denton, Vice President, Foundation Cory Falldine, Vice President, Infrastructure Shelly Gehrke, Vice President, Enrollment Management + Student Success Kelly Heine, Chief Marketing Officer

Emporia State University Strategic Plan – The Adaptive University Designed to engage faculty, students, and staff to be responsive to the unique challenges of a dynamic society. Students’ success in that endeavor will require not only the foundations of the major program of study, but the exercise of adaptive leadership skills through broad involvement for the common good. The Adaptive University is based on five goals:

Wooseob Jeong, Dean, School of Library and Information Management Kevin Johnson, General Counsel Shawn Keough, President, Faculty Senate Jolanna Kord, Assistant Provost, Institutional Effectiveness Diana Kuhlmann, Vice President, Administration + Finance Gwen Larson, Director, Media Relations Ray Lauber, Chief Human Resources Officer

Goal 1 Pursue distinctive initiatives in curricula and programs.

Steven Lovett, Associate General Counsel for Academic Affairs Bill McKernan, Executive Director, Facilities

Goal 2 Develop the university’s capacity for adaptive leadership consistent with the Kansas Leadership Center framework.

Goal 3

Erin Mykleby, Associate Athletic Director, SWA Doug Polston, Chief Information Officer Nyk Robertson, Senior Director, Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Greg Schneider, Government Relations

Enhance the competitive role of Kansas by enrolling, retaining, and graduating students ready for life and career.

Goal 4

Shane Shivley, President + CEO Foundation Jerry Spotswood, Dean, Graduate School Brent Thomas, Dean, College Liberal Arts and Science Angela Wolgram, Director, Budget Office

Create and support sustainable innovation and growth.

Gary Wyatt, Associate Provost, Dean Honors College

Goal 5 Become a model for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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About the Office of Academic Affairs The Office of Academic Affairs at Emporia State University values intellectual challenges, problem solving and creative, critical thinking. Overseeing six departments, including Institutional Effectiveness, College of Liberal Arts + Sciences, School of Business, The Teachers College, School of Library and Information Management, Graduate School and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, academic affairs ensures Emporia State University’s academic programs, recruitment processes and retention policies create an environment where students can thrive and the university can continue to develop and grow.

Emporia State University programs emphasize high-impact learning, focusing on individual students’ career goals and aspirations. Course work and academic opportunities in all majors are meant to build real-world skills that carry students out of the classroom and into their future careers or the next steps in their educational journeys.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences encompasses 11 departments, including art, biological sciences, communication, theatre, English, modern languages and journalism, interdisciplinary studies, mathematics and economics, music, nursing, physical sciences and social sciences, sociology and criminology. Students are provided with career preparation as well as the knowledge, skills and connections necessary to enrich their lives and their communities.

The Teachers College at Emporia State University is locally, nationally and internationally known for its teacher preparation program. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, educators from around the world looked to Emporia State University as a leader in providing online educational instruction. Graduates from the education program are guaranteed by Emporia State University through a quality assurance program where school districts can request additional assistance for new teachers from ESU. In 22 years of this program, only five districts have requested this service and all instances were resolved.

Emporia State University’s School of Business has a long history of success. Founded in 1917, the School of Business has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) for two decades. The School of Business provides valuable and accessible educational opportunities, high-impact learning experiences, a student-focused learning environment, applied scholarship and service to the public. Programs prepare students for professional careers that contribute to the economic well-being of the region.

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Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

Founded in 1902, the School of Library and Information Management (SLIM) at Emporia State University is the oldest school of library and information studies in the western half of the United States. Accredited by the American Library Association, SLIM offers a Master of Library Science, Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Management, school library media licensure as well as six different certificate programs in the field. Programs in the School of Library and Information Management educate successful library and information professionals with imagination, creativity and innovation.

Leadership Team of Academic Affairs Ed Bashaw, Dean, School of Business Joan Brewer, Dean, The Teachers College Wooseob Jeong, Dean, School of Library and Information Management Jolanna Kord, Assistant Provost, Institutional Effectiveness Teresa Rios, Executive Assistant to the Provost Jerry Spotswood, Dean, Graduate School Brent Thomas, Dean, College Liberal Arts and Science Gary Wyatt, Associate Provost, Dean Honors College

Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Leadership Profile | Emporia State University

About Emporia

Located in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas, Emporia is a vibrant, eclectic university community with entrepreneurial roots located a short drive to the metro areas of Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka.

Our campus community is home to remarkable people, events, and experiences. Just steps from the front door of the campus, is Emporia’s downtown business district with a variety of shops and restaurants.

Emporia hosts parades, events, and annual celebrations throughout the year: From Emporia First Fridays Art Walk, to live music and events at the Emporia Granada Theatre, Cinco de Mayo, Welcome Back ESU Block Party, Halfway to Everywhere Music Festival, the Great American Market, No Coast Film Festival, Homecoming, Dia de los Muertos, and parades for St. Patrick’s Day, Homecoming, Veterans Day and Christmas — there’s always something to do.

Unique to Emporia are Disc Golf and Gravel Racing. Emporia is known as the Disc Golf Capital of the World and home to Dynamic Discs and the Dynamic Discs Open that takes place every April in Emporia. Jeremy Rusco, founder and CEO of Dynamic Discs started his business for a class as a student in the School of Business.

Residents can be part of the cycling club community with weekly rides and events. UNBOUND Gravel is the marquee cycling event of the year and is dubbed the world’s greatest gravel event drawing thousands of professional and amateur racers from around the world.

Population 25,000

Top 5 Employers Simmons Pet Food - 1,370 employees Tyson Fresh Meats - 950 employees USD 253 - 933 employees Emporia State University - 738 employees Hostess Brands - 570 employees Links and Resources at emporia.edu/provostsearch

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