Vice Provost and University Librarian

The University of Oregon (UO) seeks a visionary, creative, and inclusive leader as its new vice provost and university librarian, and the institution invites nominations, inquiries, and applications. UO Libraries is an essential partner in the university’s educational, research, and public service mission. It is committed to providing the university with outstanding library resources, programs, and services. The work of UO Libraries and its many dedicated faculty and staff underpins the scholarly and educational activity across the entire institution. With five locations on the Eugene campus, and branches at UO Portland and at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, UO Libraries offers many flexible and well-equipped environments for library users’ research and learning needs. The newest library is the Allan Price Science Commons and Research Library, which offers a cutting-edge DeArmond MakerSpace facility and a Visualization Lab for students and instructors. The other locations on the Eugene campus are: the Design Library, the John E. Jaqua Law Library, the Mathematics Library, and the main Knight Library. UO Libraries has an annual operating budget of $21 million and employs 55 faculty librarians, just over 150 staff members, and more than 150 student workers. The new vice provost and university librarian will envision a future for the 21^st century library to support the UO’s mission and aspirations, raise the visibility of, advocate for, and raise funds for the UO Libraries, and build and develop the organization’s senior leadership team. The person in this position will engage stakeholders across the campus in important conversations regarding UO Libraries and its future, and advance the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The successful candidate must have a minimum of five years of progressively responsible and substantive administrative leadership experience in an academic or research library setting. An ability to lead, envision, and innovate; to engage and unite stakeholders; to listen carefully and communicate persuasively; to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively; to understand and support the needs of all disciplines; to secure external funding; and to operate library administrative and budgetary functions with a high level of skill are all desired qualities. In addition, a steadfast commitment to the success of students and faculty in a dynamic research university grounded in the liberal arts is essential. The University of Oregon is an academic community relentlessly pursuing excellence as a top tier research university with a rich history in liberal education. It has come a long way since 155 students showed up on a fall Oregon morning in 1876—the start of the UO’s storied history. Today, UO enrolls almost 23,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 different countries and territories. With 325 degree or certificate programs—and more in development all the time—the UO is a dynamic place for students, faculty, and staff.  The University employs approximately 2,000 faculty and 3,500 staff with an annual operating budget of more than $1.1 billion. UO has an endowment of just over $880 million and has more than 220,000 living alumni worldwide. The UO is a member of the distinguished Association of American Universities (AAU). As the State of Oregon’s flagship university and a Carnegie Tier 1 institution, the UO is committed to combining impactful research and scholarship with strong undergraduate and graduate teaching. The university invites inquiries, nominations, and applications. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by February 15, 2020. Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae and a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in this leadership profile. These materials should be sent electronically via email to the University of Oregon’s consultants, Suzanne Teer, Philip Tang, and Jessica Herrington at UOregonVPUL@wittkieffer.com. A full leadership profile is available at www.wittkieffer.com. 

The University of Oregon values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Learn More »