Provost Leadership Fellows

Build leadership skills

The Provost Leadership Fellows (PLF) program offers participants the opportunity to learn and contribute alongside the Provost’s Office Team in work that governs academic affairs at Northern Arizona University (NAU).

Participants will develop and enhance their leadership skills by exploring the decision-making processes and policy implementation within academic affairs. They will learn about strategic areas of academic affairs, develop their knowledge of current and emerging challenges in higher education, assess their own interest in university administration, and better prepare for administrative roles.

Areas of work

During the Fall 2025 semester, all fellows will spend some time engaged with and potentially shadowing vice provosts and/or associate vice provosts across the following Provost Office Team’s sectors:

• Academic operations, policy, resource planning, and student support services;
• Online program development and operations;
• Curriculum and program planning and development, and graduate education;
• Curriculum assessment, academic program review, and General Studies;
• Faculty and academic professional policy and practice;
• Faculty training, instructional support, and continuous improvement;
• Student support services, including specialized programming for adult learners and international students.

Throughout the fall semester, the selected fellows will shadow the Provost Office Team. In the spring, they will develop a proposed Academic Affairs project that aligns with institutional priorities. This phase will include consultation with campus stakeholders to refine the project’s scope and goals.

In year two, fellows will implement their project with continued support and regular engagement with the Provost Office Team. Additionally, collaboration with other campus leaders may occur as needed to ensure successful execution.

Eligibility and commitment

This opportunity is open to all full-time faculty and academic professionals at the university currently in a leadership position or with a minimum of 5 years of full-time service at NAU accrued by the beginning of academic year 2025-2026.

The Fellow(s) will be selected based on their demonstrated ability or potential to provide collaborative and aspirational leadership, contribute to initiatives and projects of institutional importance and in alignment with NAU’s Elevating Excellence. Prior leadership, ability to work effectively with a team, shared governance, or service experience is preferred, but not required.

Fellows will retain their academic unit home and have partial administrative assignments that span a full academic year and begin in the fall term. Fellows will be required to commit up to 10% of their annual effort for this assignment in year 1 and up to 20% of their annual effort in year 2, with specific arrangements negotiated individually. The Office of the Provost will collaborate with each Fellow’s home academic unit to provide support for instructional needs necessitated by the appointment along with potential professional development support. Participation in monthly cohort meetings with the Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs is required.

Application information

Applications for the academic year 2025-2026 PLF program will be accepted until August 4, 2025. Fellows will be notified no later than August 11, 2025.

Eligible individuals are invited to submit their applications, consisting of a single PDF document, containing:

• A statement of interest, up to 500 words, summarizing the applicant’s relevant experience in institutional activities, their interest in up to four areas of work in the PLF program, and their goals for the fellowship period and beyond;
• List of names for three professional references at Northern Arizona University; and
• A current curriculum vitae.

Applications should be submitted over email to provost@nau.edu with the subject of the email containing the applicant’s last name and “Provost Leadership Fellows (PLF).” Incomplete applications or applications submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed.

Current and prior cohorts