The Provost as Swiss Army Knife

Being a provost means you must be a change agent. While resistance to change from people throughout your college or university is inevitable, you must maintain a positive mindset and recognize that the failure to evolve is a primary reason why many higher education institutions are facing financial crises these days. According to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, for instance, approximately one college or university has closed per week so far in 2024.

As the chief academic officer, you must operate like a Swiss army knife. You must navigate the academic enterprise and elevate it to new heights, often without a significant increase in budget—or, in fact, in situations with shrinking resources. You must create revenue-generating academic programs. You need to break down silos. You must strengthen the student support system. You must make your college or university more data-driven and optimize its financial aid process. You must re-engineer enrollment management—even if a vice president of enrollment is part of the institution’s hierarchy, everyone will look to you, as well, for enrollment success.

These transformations come with implications. For example, you may see inefficiencies that cost your institution money. By making the institution more efficient, you can produce savings that can be transferred to other important needs, such as improving student services. But, at the same time, you can negatively impact adjunct salaries and create work overloads for full-time faculty members.

In addition, being second-in-command to the president, you are tasked with balancing the needs and concerns of both the administration and the faculty. This delicate balance can often lead to clashes between the two sides, as their priorities and perspectives may not always align. As an administrator, you need to empathize with faculty members and understand their concerns, but you must also make difficult decisions that may not always be popular with them. To ensure your college or university’s long-term success, you will need to make tough choices that prioritize the institution’s overall well-being over individual concerns. That can be challenging, as it requires you to take a holistic view of the university and consider every possible angle.

Many colleges and universities have a culture of opposition toward significant change, which can make your job as provost even more challenging. While everyone wants to see positive outcomes, they aren’t all willing to do what needs to be done to achieve those outcomes. Also, when a new provost takes office, they inherit the university’s past and current problems, regardless of when those issues first arose. It will be your responsibility to address these problems and find solutions, even if they may have been left unsolved for years before you were on the scene. By the time you arrive to create positive change, the severe financial issues may be so deeply rooted your college or university may continue to struggle despite your best efforts. While you can extend a university’s lifeline as a change agent, you ultimately may not be able to save it.

All that said, however, change is essential, as failing to achieve desired outcomes can have serious consequences for the institution. And to perform all these functions and bring campus constituencies along with you requires that you maintain a strong presence at numerous campus and community functions. Your calendar can become chock-full of meetings and other appointments. You may toil into the wee hours. Your weekends may vanish. And, as a result, your health and happiness will suffer.

Yet practicing self-care and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial not only for the institution but also for your own well-being. Developing an effective plan that navigates the complexities of the status quo is critical to managing change successfully and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Based on my own experience and that of other provosts I know, managing effective change and balancing mental health can be created through at the following six key strategies.

1. Staying laser-focused on the strategic plan. Unfortunately, some colleges and universities lack strategies. Others create them for simply to comply with accreditation requirements. However, a strategy guides the direction of the institution. It’s your north star.

Human beings want and need direction. It helps people develop a sense of purpose behind what they are working towards. In addition, it helps to create bridges and tear down walls. Lacking direction can harm both the institution’s and your morale.

The deans of each college or school at your institution will also develop strategic plans for their unit, and those strategies must align with the college or university’s overall strategy. And some departments may create their own plans, as well. Therefore, you need to work with various stakeholders, obtain their input and ensure everyone is on the same page as you plan for the future.

2. Developing effective communicators. Even if you send countless emails, participate in college meetings, host listening sessions, lead town hall sessions and attend faculty senate meetings, people can still complain that you aren’t communicating sufficiently or well enough.

Communication problems can occur for several reasons. For example, not enough context was provided, or the issue wasn’t explained thoroughly or accurately. People might interpret the message through the lens of past administration. Regardless, poor communications can encourage a lack of trust. Repeated instances can create emotional distress, frustration, doubts, conflict, uncertainties and negative relationships.

If you think miscommunications have occurred or people on the campus perceive there’s a lack of communication from the administration, you must identify root causes and seek guidance on new communication strategies. During your first 90 days as provost, make it a priority to identify strong communicators on your campus. They can help you to identify where the breakdown is occurring and pinpoint how to fix the issue. They also play an integral role in maintaining healthy relationships and promoting positive mental health among people at the institution.

In addition, outline professional development opportunities to address improving communication, encouraging open dialogue and promoting emotional intelligence. University administrators, deans, department chairs, directors, managers and faculty senators need to be part of this training. By leading by example and demonstrating their commitment to effective communication, these leaders can inspire others to follow suit and create a more positive and productive work environment for all. Regular evaluation and adjustment of these professional development programs based on feedback and outcomes will help ensure their long-term effectiveness and relevance.

3. Identifying trusted supporters. To succeed, a provost needs to develop an army of trusted supporters who can provide valuable feedback, insights and assistance. You should identify key stakeholders in your institution’s ecosystem who can help you advance the strategic goals, including faculty and staff members, students, alumni, donors, community partners, and industry leaders. These individuals can offer distinct perspectives and resources that can help drive your institution’s success. And when your institution achieves success, celebrate it together with those supporters.
4. Maintaining sanity in a complacent culture. Always remember that meaningful progress takes time and perseverance. Stay focused on your goals, prepare yourself mentally for resistance and setbacks and don’t get discouraged easily. Make time for activities that rejuvenate you and know when to disengage if the complacency starts to impact your mental well-being.
5. Staying consistent on policies and procedures. Establishing and implementing policies and procedures may initially cause some disruption to the current way of doing things, but consistently applying such guidelines ultimately leads to a more stable and less stressful work environment. By following the rules and holding everyone to the same expectations, you can ensure you are fair and equitable. This accountability helps build trust and confidence among students, faculty and staff members and other stakeholders.

Adhering to policies also minimizes legal risks for your college or university. When you confront particularly difficult decisions, you can rely on and point to the policies as the basis for your actions. That allows you to make such tough calls without people viewing it as personal. At the end of the day, you can feel good knowing you were fair and impartial in your application of the rules.

Establishing a culture of accountability through consistent policy enforcement may cause some initial disruption. But in the long run, it leads to a more stable and equitable institution. And the short-term pain is worth the long-term gain of building confidence and trust among all constituents.

6. Scoring quick wins. The idiom “low-hanging fruit” refers to the easiest or most straightforward opportunities to achieve success or make progress. In the beginning, focus your efforts on such low-hanging fruits, as they represent the path of least resistance. By tackling the more accessible goals, you can gain early wins and build momentum before moving on to more challenging endeavors. It’s a strategic way to make tangible progress while conserving resources and energy for the more complex challenges that lie ahead. Research also shows how perceived progress leads to higher levels of well-being. Therefore, this approach not only yields quick results, but it can also boost morale and increase satisfaction throughout the campus.

Last but not least, recognize that fostering psychological safety for your team and yourself is paramount. Embrace an environment where failing fast and failing forward are encouraged. Convey the message that unsuccessful ideas are acceptable. This principle applies reciprocally, as your own decisions may not always yield the anticipated outcomes. By nurturing a secure space for your team, you simultaneously safeguard your own psychological well-being.

Following the six recommendations that I’ve outlined will help you ensure your institution succeeds and thrives into the future, while maintaining your health and well-being in the process. At the end of the day, the colleges and universities that best serve this generation of students and those to come will do so because of the effective work as change agents that provosts perform.