Provost and Vice-President Academic

Location

Guelph, ON, CA, N1G 2W1

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Primary Category Page: Executive

Division: Office of the Provost and VP Academic

Requisition ID: 2691

Department: Office of the Provost and VP Academic

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume directly at: boyden.thriveapp.ly/job/3326

With gratitude, the University of Guelph recognizes that its campuses are located on the lands of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum and the traditional lands of the Hodinöhsö: ni’, Anishinaabeg and Huron Wendat, and offers respect to the Mississaugas of the Credit, Six Nations of the Grand River, the Delaware Nation at Moraviantown and the diverse communities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples who reside on these lands. The University of Guelph also recognizes that its educational and research enterprises occur on Indigenous lands across Turtle Island and Mother Earth and endeavours to ensure that its activities honour and respect Indigenous peoples and their lands.

Home to more than 36,000 students across three campuses and supported by a community of more than 4,000 faculty and staff, the University of Guelph is recognized for academic excellence, innovative research, and a longstanding commitment to improving life through learning, discovery, and engagement.

Building on more than 150 years of history through its founding colleges, the University combines broad academic strengths with internationally recognized expertise spanning food, agriculture, veterinary medicine, environment, life sciences and health, as well as engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, humanities, and the arts. Together with a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, this comprehensive breadth creates a distinctive learning and research environment that attracts talented students, staff, and faculty from around the world.

Beyond the quality of its programs and research, the University is known for the impact of that work. Through exceptional learning experiences, meaningful discovery, strong partnerships, and a commitment to putting knowledge into action, it prepares graduates to lead in a rapidly changing world and advances solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities.

The Opportunity

The University of Guelph invites applications and nominations for the position of Provost and Vice-President, Academic at an important moment in its evolution, marked by significant growth and transformation across the academic enterprise. The next Provost will help shape how the institution grows while preserving the collegial culture, strong relationships, and student-centred values that define the University of Guelph. This is a role for a leader who can guide the University through necessary change, including the difficult decisions required to secure its long-term sustainability and impact, while bringing the vision, adaptability, and judgment to lead with confidence.

Reporting to the President and serving as the University's chief academic officer and a member of the executive leadership team, the Provost helps guide academic priorities, informs institutional decision-making, and supports the University's long-term success.

The portfolio offers a unique opportunity to influence the full breadth of the University's mission, with key areas of focus including enhancing the student experience, advancing academic excellence, supporting the conditions that enable research and innovation to thrive, fostering an engaged and inclusive university community, and ensuring the alignment, capacity, and stewardship required to achieve the University's ambitions.

This is an opportunity to help shape the next chapter of a university with a strong foundation, a clear sense of purpose, and a growing national and global profile. The next Provost will join a community committed to excellence and will play a defining role in positioning the University of Guelph for continued success and impact in the years ahead.

The Successful Candidate

The successful candidate will be an accomplished scholar with a distinguished record in academic leadership, teaching, and research, and experience leading high-performing teams within a complex university environment. They will be a strategic leader with strong self and situational awareness and the judgment, adaptability, credibility, and integrity to navigate complexity, set priorities, and build alignment across diverse constituencies while remaining grounded in the values of higher education and collegial governance.

They bring a compelling, forward-looking perspective on the future of higher education, including how artificial intelligence, changing learner expectations, and new approaches to teaching, learning, and academic integrity are reshaping universities and the student experience.

The ideal candidate will bring an academic and enterprise mindset, pairing a deep commitment to academic values with a clear understanding of how universities are funded and resourced. They will have demonstrated experience making and implementing difficult academic prioritization decisions, including the allocation and reallocation of resources across programs and units in alignment with institutional priorities. The University is seeking not careful oversight of existing structures alone but a bold and innovative leader who can design new financial and incentive models that secure its long-term sustainability while preserving its comprehensive, multidisciplinary character. Comfortable navigating competing priorities, they will communicate the trade-offs involved in balancing academic excellence, the student experience, and financial sustainability with clarity and candour.

The successful candidate will also demonstrate a strong commitment to Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and will contribute to a culture in which all members of the University community feel respected, supported, and empowered to succeed.

An effective communicator and relationship builder, the Provost will work successfully with the President and fellow vice-presidents, faculty, staff, students, academic leaders, Senate, the Board of Governors, alumni, governments, Indigenous communities, and external partners. They will be an inclusive and empowering leader who values diverse perspectives, brings people together around shared goals, and builds trust through openness, transparency, and authentic engagement. At the same time, they will pair genuine consultation with decisiveness, ensuring that complex decisions are both well made and effectively implemented, and they will hold the community's confidence even when decisions are difficult or not universally supported.

To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please contact Collin Ritch (***email_hidden***) and Kate Ralston ([email protected]) of Boyden Executive Search. To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume directly at: boyden.thriveapp.ly/job/3326

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. Acknowledging the University’s diverse population and ensuring that every member of an inclusive campus is a valued contributor is a foundational pillar of success. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

The University of Guelph invites applications from all qualified individuals; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. The University recognizes that career paths can be diverse and career interruptions may occur. You are not required to disclose these circumstances in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these circumstances do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

The University of Guelph is committed to ensuring all applicants have fair and equitable participation in the hiring process. If you anticipate needing accommodations during the recruitment or selection processes, confidential assistance is available on request by contacting Collin Ritch (***email_hidden***).

Employee Type: Regular

Position Number: 10004021

Classification: Executive

Posting Date: 07/13/2026

Closing Date: Until Filled

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume directly at: boyden.thriveapp.ly/job/3326