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Position Summary

The University of Alabama (UA) seeks a distinguished academic leader with an outstanding record of scholarship and leadership to serve as the next Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School.

Graduate education at UA involves over 6,200 students, enrolled in 150 certificate, master’s, EdS, and doctoral programs spanning the humanities, science and engineering, social sciences, and many professional programs.

Detailed Position Information

Reporting to the Provost, the Associate Provost and Dean will develop a future-oriented vision for graduate education at UA, with a particular emphasis on growing doctoral enrollment to support the needs of the state as well as the University’s fast-growing research enterprise. The Associate Provost and Dean will work with department, college, and university leaders to foster the development of new graduate programs, maximize recruitment and financial support structures to increase UA’s competitiveness in attracting top students, create efficiencies in the processes of admission and student progress, and establish exemplary standards for graduate student mentorship, support, and success. With a full-time staff of 20 and stewarding a budget of approximately $10M, the Associate Provost and Dean will sustain a culture of shared governance, leading the Graduate Council and ensuring that faculty voices are heard when proposing changes in curriculum, policies, or student support. The Associate Provost and Dean will also work closely with the Office of Research and Economic Development, the Office of Teaching Innovation and Digital Education, and other campus units to ensure that graduate education is aligned with and strongly contributing to the university’s strategic vision.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will hold a terminal degree in a discipline represented among the University’s graduate programs and will possess a record of research, scholarship, or creative activities sufficient to qualify for appointment at the rank of tenured associate or full professor.

Required qualifications include:

• Terminal degree in a discipline represented among the University’s graduate programs.
• Eligibility for appointment at the rank of tenured associate professor or higher.
• Demonstrated record of progressively responsible academic leadership with responsibility for personnel, budgets, and/or academic policy and procedures.
• Broad understanding of national trends and future directions in graduate education.
• Proven capacity for ethical leadership, sound judgment, and integrity.

In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate many of the following preferred qualifications:

• Eligibility for appointment at the rank of tenured full professor.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and academic leaders within a shared governance framework.
• Experience leading strategic initiatives and organizational change in complex academic environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage conflict and navigate challenging situations involving faculty, staff, and students with fairness, transparency, and respect.
• Proven leadership in aligning graduate education with the University’s research mission through strengthened doctoral training, research mentorship, and measurable gains in research productivity or funding.
• Ability to articulate the value of graduate education across a comprehensive range of disciplines.
• Demonstrated effectiveness representing the importance of graduate education to internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven capacity to provide strategic leadership across the full portfolio of graduate programs, including research doctorates, professional/practice doctorates, and master’s programs.
• Demonstrated record of improving graduate student outcomes, including retention, time-to-degree, and post-graduation placement.
• Experience supporting access, mentoring, and pathway programs (e.g., AMP and other bridge programs) that connect undergraduate and graduate education.
• Success developing external partnerships with industry, government, nonprofit organizations, and peer institutions.
• Commitment to workforce development and alignment of graduate education with regional, state, and national workforce needs.

About The University of Alabama

Located in the heart of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, The University of Alabama is one of the nation’s premier universities, offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 200 fields of study. UA’s more than 1,000 acres of tree-lined pathways and state-of-the-art facilities are a source of inspiration for students, faculty and staff. UA is among the nation’s fastest-growing flagship universities. The University set a new enrollment record for fall 2025 welcoming 42,359 students, a 3.7% increase. The freshman class boasts a record 362 National Merit Scholars, a 37.1% increase, reinforcing the University’s status in the state and nation as a destination for high-achieving students from across the country. UA saw a more than a 4% increase of in-state students, demonstrating UA’s role as the state’s flagship institution and a vital contributor to the state’s workforce. UA’s commitment to student success begins before students even step foot on campus, as demonstrated by a 30.8% rise in in-state Early College enrollment. UA enrollment in the Graduate School surpassed 6,200, another new record. With students from every Alabama county, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 99 countries, UA is educating and graduating more students than any college in the state, awarding more than 9,500 degrees over the past year. The Carnegie Foundation lists The University of Alabama as an R1 institution, placing it among the top doctoral research universities in the United States. UA’s world-class faculty, professional staff and students are leading the way to develop new technologies, advance scientific discovery and harness the power of creative thought. Faculty members work closely with students, and many involve students at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels in basic and applied research. The University employs more than 2,100 faculty and over 5,400 staff, with 41 current faculty having received the NSF CAREER Award, one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions of top-performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences. In addition, 72 UA researchers have been included in the National Academy of Inventors since its inception. Forbes magazine has named UA as one of America’s Best-In-State Employers and Best Employers for New Graduates.