Office of the Provost - Vice Provost for Academic Innovation

Statement from the Office of the Provost

• Message from the Provost

  As the Chief Academic Officer at Texas State University, the Provost's role is to advance excellence across the university’s academic landscape by supporting faculty, enhancing student academic success, and ensuring a strong foundation for impactful teaching, research, and innovation. Working closely with five Vice Provost offices—Academic Planning, Policy and Budgets; Faculty Success; Academic Success; Academic Innovation; and the University Library—the Provost prioritizes collaboration to meet the evolving needs of our academic community.

  The Office of Academic Planning, Policy and Budgets is integral to aligning resources with strategic goals, supporting initiatives like Academic Affairs and College Budgets, and steering Academic Resource Planning and Academic Policy. This office also oversees Strategic Academic Initiatives. These functions ensure that the university’s mission and financial sustainability are at the forefront of academic decision-making.
  The Office of Faculty Success, which includes oversight of the Center for Teaching and Learning, Faculty Development, and Tenure and Promotion, is key to fostering an environment that values faculty achievement and supports career growth. This commitment to faculty success not only strengthens teaching and research but also enhances the student experience, ultimately contributing to the university’s reputation and mission.

  The Office of Academic Success focuses on essential services such as Academic Advising and Transitions, Experiential and Academic Initiatives and supports student-centered initiatives that enhance retention and academic achievement. This office also assists the Texas State Round Rock Campus, expanding the university’s reach and accessibility to diverse student populations.

  Additionally, the Office of Academic Innovation ensures curricular excellence by managing institutional accreditation, program accreditation and assessment, supporting innovative curricular and academic program development and commencement, and academic program review, thus upholding the university’s commitment to quality education.

  Together with the Vice Provost for University Libraries, the Wittliff Collections, and the leadership of the academic deans, the Provost's office works to elevate the university’s academic impact, ensuring that Texas State University remains a beacon of knowledge, innovation, and societal contribution.

• About the Office of the Provost

  Dr. Pranesh B. Aswath joined Texas State University as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost on February 1st of 2024. He is a Fellow of National Academy of Inventors, American Society of Materials and Society of Tribology and Lubrication Engineers. He is an accomplished scholar with over 150 journal publications and has graduated over 20 Ph.D. and 40 MS-Thesis students.  

  At Texas State University, in addition to direct oversight of the Division of Academic Affairs, Dr. Aswath’s sphere of influence includes the Office of Research, TXST-Round Rock, Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Student Success and Global Engagement. He works closely with President Kelly Damphousse and Executive Vice President for Operations and CFO Eric Algoe in executing the mission of the university.

  Texas State University has over 40,000 students with 800 tenure track faculty, 550 full time non-tenure line faculty and about 600 adjunct faculty and is one of the largest universities in Texas. Texas State University welcomed over 8000 First-Time In College (FTIC) and over 2500 transfer students in Fall 2024. With a stated mission of achieving Carnegie R1 status by 2027, it is an exciting time to be part of a growing educational enterprise.

  Visit Texas State University’s Provost’s webpage: https://www.provost.txst.edu/

• Role of the Vice Provost for Academic Innovation

  • Description of the Role

    The Vice Provost for Academic Innovation (VPAI) will play a pivotal role in coordinating and advancing academic strategies and activities across the university while building a robust, integrated academic innovation function across the university. This position is responsible for ensuring the academic quality of all programs across the university, including programs for credit and noncredit in all modalities; and promoting and supporting the integration of academic innovation practices across the entire institution. The VPAI will also advance the goals and values of Texas State by providing leadership for the following areas: curriculum and academic program development and approval, commencement, general education core curriculum, program accreditation and assessment, and institutional accreditation.

  • In This Role, You Will:

    • Articulate a clear vision for academic innovation and excellence focused on the university’s overall academic enterprise and supporting the university’s commitment to growing enrollment and serving a broader range of learners. 
    • Provide leadership for the university academic innovation function in new program development and revitalization, including supporting faculty in developing new programs or enhancing existing programs and coordinating with other university leaders in aligning market research and demand with credit and noncredit program offerings. 
    • Foster an environment that encourages experimentation and innovation in curriculum design and instructional practices, including educational methodologies, digital tools, and technologies to enhance teaching and learning. 
    • Drive change across the university and facilitate the identification, review, development and revision of institutional policies, practices and learning modalities affecting the student academic experience. 
    • Provide leadership in facilitating external discipline specific accreditations, institutional accreditation, and Academic Program Reviews.
    • Provide leadership for and optimize commencement ceremonies.
    • Perform other duties as assigned.

  • Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities

    The successful candidate should have the following qualifications:

    Required Qualifications:

    • A distinguished record in teaching and scholarship with an earned doctorate (or equivalent terminal degree) to warrant an academic appointment at the rank of full professor with tenure in one of Texas State University's academic departments.
    • A minimum of five years of experience in a leadership role in academic affairs.
    • Knowledge of curricular and program development and experience in developing and submitting new degree program proposals to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
    • Knowledge of THECB and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) policies and procedures and experience submitting Substantive Change Prospectuses to SACSCOC.
    • The ability to work independently and efficiently, as well as work effectively in a collaborative manner with faculty, academic leadership, and other senior administrators across all divisions in a dynamic, evolving environment.
    • Experience with Courseleaf, EAB and Hanover Research.
    • Experience proving oversight and management of university-wide commencement.
    • Experience in working with data enabled ecosystem to impact student academic success.

    Preferred Qualifications:

    • Experience with accreditation, policy development, implementation, and interpretation. 
    • Exhibits exceptional interpersonal communication skills and ability to interact effectively, honestly, and with transparency.
    • Strong analytic writing skills and ability to plan, organize, document, and follow through initiatives.
    • Experience leading a General Education Council and working knowledge of the Texas Core Curriculum.
    • Ability to utilize curricular analytics to facilitate the development of innovative curricula to promote student success.
    • Experience overseeing and managing a university-wide marketable skills project.

  • Application Portal

    Apply Now!

• About Texas State University

  • Hopes and Aspirations High

    TXST's Strategic Vision
    
    In 2023 we launched Hopes & Aspirations High, an ambitious vision with five bold strategic imperatives — elevate student success, Run to R1, increase enrollment, grow the Round Rock Campus, and become an employer of choice. And, we have made tremendous progress in positioning ourselves to achieve this vision in a very short time.

    
    Elevate Student Success
    
    Student success remains at the heart of everything we do at Texas State University. Improving student success metrics is a top pillar of the Hopes & Aspirations High vision for TXST’s future.

    
    Run to R1
    
    Texas State University is a national research university on the path to achieve the R1 Carnegie classification. The process will include earning access to the state’s National Research University Fund.

    
    Increase Recruitment and Enrollment
    
    President Damphousse created the Division of TXST Global to implement strategies to increase enrollment among international, transfer, master’s and online students.

    
    Becoming an Employer of Choice
    
    A critical goal of Hopes & Aspirations High is to become an employer of preference for faculty and staff.

    Learn more about the Hopes and Aspirations High here!

  • Texas State University 125

    THE LEGACY OF TOMORROW
    
    Offering 99 bachelor’s, 91 master’s and specialists, and 16 doctoral degree programs through the following colleges: Applied Arts, McCoy College of Business, Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Health Professions, Liberal Arts, Science and Engineering, University College, The Graduate College and Honors College. 
    
    The university’s students are diverse, closely reflecting the demographics of the State of Texas. TXST was designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in 2011, earned the Seal of Excelencia in 2022, and has the 14th largest Hispanic enrollment among public universities in the U.S. TXST has long served a significant number of first-generation and Pell-eligible students.
    
    WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED
    
    At our university, we recognize that faculty and staff serve as the building blocks to the foundation of our work with students. Texas State is proud of our competitive benefits from health plans, wellness leave, life insurance and retirement programs provided to keep our Bobcats healthy and happy. 
    
    By joining Texas State University, employees gain access to work in one of the best public universities in the country and the opportunity to live in one of America’s most beautiful towns. All employees have access to our competitive benefits package on day one of their employment at Texas State.
    
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