Senior Vice Provost for Student Success

Pennsylvania State University; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Penn State seeks a visionary, collaborative leader to serve as its inaugural Senior Vice Provost for Student Success (SVPSS). This campus-spanning role will shape an institution-wide strategy to improve persistence, retention, graduation, and career readiness while fostering civic engagement across campuses and World Campus.

The SVPSS will lead the new Office for Student Success, align academic and administrative units, and partner with colleges to build a data-informed, outcome-oriented

Job description

Penn State seeks a visionary, collaborative, and results-oriented leader to serve as its inaugural Senior Vice Provost for Student Success (SVPSS).

Founded in 1855, Penn State fulfills its land‑grant mission through teaching, research, and public service that benefit the citizens of Pennsylvania. In partnership with industry, education, government, and agriculture, the University leads in research, learning, and engagement—driving innovation, inclusion, sustainability, and global impact. Under President Neeli Bendapudi's leadership, Penn State operates as a comprehensive, global institution with a university‑wide budget of approximately $11.1 billion, a $5.2 billion endowment, and 33 million square‑feet of infrastructure spanning more than 2,100 buildings—including housing, utilities, and public safety services. As Pennsylvania's largest non‑governmental employer, Penn State has a presence in all 67 counties. With more than 86,000 students across multiple campuses and its top‑ranked World Campus, Penn State is a digitally advanced, geographically distributed university. Its research expenditures have steadily grown, fueling innovation and economic development. Recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a top‑tier research university, Penn State prepares globally‑minded leaders.

This newly created position represents a transformative opportunity to shape the future of student success at Penn State. Reporting directly to Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos, the SVPSS will serve as the University's chief strategist for student success, responsible for advancing a comprehensive, institution-wide vision that enhances student persistence, retention, graduation, career readiness, experiential learning, and post‑graduate success, while also preparing students for civic engagement. The SVPSS will provide leadership for key student success functions while collaborating closely with leaders across academic and administrative units, the Commonwealth campuses, and the colleges to create a more integrated and effective student success ecosystem. The SVPSS will lead the new Office for Student Success, a central coordinating hub that will bring together existing and new student success functions.

At a pivotal moment in the University's evolution, Penn State is making student success a strategic institutional priority and seeks to become a national model for student success at scale. Serving one of the nation's largest and most complex student populations across the University Park campus, the Commonwealth campuses, and World Campus, the University is creating this role to develop a more coordinated, data‑informed, and outcomes‑oriented approach to supporting student achievement and flourishing. The SVPSS will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive, university‑wide student success strategy, establish a shared framework and measurable goals, strengthen accountability for student outcomes, and foster deeper collaboration among key partners. That framework will emphasize on‑time graduation, education for democracy and civic engagement, and structured academic pathways that give students clearer routes to degree completion. By aligning efforts across organizational and geographic boundaries while honoring the unique strengths of Penn State's campuses and colleges, the SVPSS will help ensure that all students have equitable access to the resources, experiences, and opportunities necessary to succeed academically, personally, and professionally.

The successful candidate will be a highly visible and influential leader with a demonstrated record of driving meaningful change in complex organizations. Possessing a deep commitment to students and an appreciation for the unique opportunities and challenges of a multi‑campus, land‑grant institution, the SVPSS will bring strategic vision, strong relationship‑building skills, and a demonstrated ability to translate ambitious goals into measurable outcomes. This role offers a rare opportunity to shape a newly created leadership position, influence the future of higher education at one of the nation's premier public universities, and make a lasting impact on the lives and success of generations of Penn State students.

While the position is open to candidates from a variety of professional backgrounds, Penn State is open to considering a tenured faculty appointment for candidates whose academic credentials, scholarly accomplishments, and experience support such an appointment, consistent with university policies. A detailed leadership profile is available at wittkieffer.com.

Nominations and inquiries can also be directed to Suzanne Teer, Ashlee Musser, and Bronwen Bares Pelaez, Ph.D., at [e-mail].

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with university policies.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: For more information about safety at Penn State, and to review the Annual Security Report, which contains information about crime statistics and other safety and security matters, please go to http://www.police.psu.edu/clery/, which will also provide you with details on how to request a hard copy of the Annual Security Report.