Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å President Pat Pitney selects Dr. Brian Smentkowski to serve as next vice president and chief academic officer
President Pitney has selected Dr. Brian Smentkowski of the University of Idaho to serve as the University of Alaska’s next Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. Dr. Smentkowski will succeed current Vice President for Students, Academics, and Research Dr. Paul Layer, who is retiring in January after nearly 36 years of service to ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å.
Dr. Smentkowski joins ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å from the University of Idaho, where he is the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and also serves as a professor of political science.
President Pitney consulted with the Board of Regents, and both are confident that Dr. Smentkowski is the right person to serve as VP-CAO. Dr. Smentkowski was one of 3 finalists for the position in a very strong field of applicants.
Dr. Smentkowski’s first day will be Monday, February 3, 2025.
President Pitney, the Board of Regents, and the entire ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å Community are incredibly grateful to Dr. Layer for his more than three decades of dedication to the University system.
Position Profile
The ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å invites applications and nominations for the position of Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. The position reports to the President of the ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å.
With this profile, the Search Committee seeks to provide nominators and potential candidates with information about ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å, the position, and participation in the search.
This position is open until filled.
Position Overview
The Vice President/Chief Academic Officer (CAO) serves as a member of the University of Alaska system President’s executive team. The VP/CAO provides academic leadership and strategic guidance to the President, Board of Regents and system office. This position works with the universities’ academic, student services and research leadership to shape, promote and leverage capacity across the system. The CAO assists the President to ensure effective and efficient operation of the universities’ educational programs. The CAO evaluates and reports on how each university is implementing Board policy.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provides overarching academic leadership and planning for the University of Alaska System.
- Understands the academic mission with the ability to gather and disseminate concise information internally and externally.
- Provides proactive, data-informed strategic guidance to the President and Board of Regents on the wide range of academic issues including program offerings, student success, research, faculty, and accreditation.
- Develops and revises academic policies and regulations to address priorities of the Board of Regents and Academic and Student Affairs Committee.
- Leads creation and implementation of system-wide recruitment, retention, and graduation plan with mechanisms for accountability and tracking.
- Manages high priority projects and programs designed to support the Board’s goals and strategic objectives.
- Monitors and articulates the strategic vision across multiple universities, campus and units; ensures that constituent representatives are kept appropriately informed of project activities.
- Resolves problems and conflicts within and across the universities and the system.
- Gathers information and completes analysis in order to propose potential solutions and specific recommendations for the President’s and Board’s consideration.
- Provides an independent perspective; this may include providing observations regarding key dynamics during meetings, challenging assumptions, or sharing relevant information of which the President may not be aware.
- Builds relationships across the University system and serves as a key information funnel, filter, and facilitator for the President – collecting new information and prioritizing and synthesizing it for the President and Board of Regents.
- Supervises system office staff in institutional research, workforce development, and governance.
- Represents the university’s mission and programs to external stakeholders and represent the system on academic and research related committees.
- Assures accountability systems for accreditation are developed, implemented and monitored.
- Serves as facilitator and liaison for system-wide shared governance.
Experience & Qualifications
- 10 years higher education or related leadership with progressively responsible duties; experience as an academic dean or administrator preferred.
- Experience with higher education policy and accreditation.
- Experience working with faculty unions and shared governance preferred.
- Master’s degree required; doctoral degree preferred.
Personal attributes
- Demonstrated ability to develop high levels of trust, relationship building, and effective communication and engagement of multiple stakeholders.
- Collaborative problem-solver with experience working with diverse perspectives and interests to efficiently arrive at solutions.
- Relationship builder who listens, engages in dialog, and is transparent and accountable.
- Forward-focused mindset around the academic mission.
- Team builder and talent developer who respects and leverages the expertise of the team.
- Working leader who is willing to be hands-on as needed.
- Understanding of the Alaskan culture, dynamics, and physical logistics preferred.
- Desire to be an engaged and integral part of the University of Alaska community.