Provost & Chief Academic Officer

The California Lutheran University community seeks an innovative, experienced, and student-centered Provost & Chief Academic Officer. Working in close collaboration with President John A. Nunes and Cal Lutheran’s dedicated Cabinet, faculty and staff, the Provost & CAO will lead the university to its next level of curricular and institutional innovation, academic distinction, and continued student success in the context of its Lutheran mission and core values.

California Lutheran University, located in Thousand Oaks, California, is a four-year, private university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Serving more than 3,100 undergraduate and graduate students across six academic units, including Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Cal Lutheran offers an education distinguished by small classes and close faculty mentorship. Cal Lutheran has received significant national recognition, including:

• #16 in Regional Universities West (U.S. News & World Report, 2026)
• #10 Best Value Schools in the West (U.S. News & World Report, 2026)
• Federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2016
• Two NCAA Division III national championships in 2023–24

Cal Lutheran’s next Provost & CAO will have the unique opportunity to lead several strategic institutional priorities: driving curricular innovation and market relevance across undergraduate, graduate, professional, and seminary programs; leading positive change with continued transparency and collegiality while strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and shared governance; elevating academic excellence and the scholar-teacher model through robust accreditation and faculty development; and ensuring data-informed fiscal stewardship that sustains program quality while cultivating new revenue streams.

Arriving at a moment of intentional academic renewal and strategic momentum, the next Provost & CAO will help shape a dynamic, mission-driven future for the university. Key qualifications for the next Provost & CAO include:

• Successful, progressively responsible administrative leadership experience, with expert understanding of faculty affairs, research, teaching, and student success across undergraduate, graduate, and professional models;
• Proven capacity for effective change management within a complex academic ecosystem and the ability to guide stakeholders toward innovative pathways;
• Demonstrated financial acumen and strategic planning skills, with evidence of overseeing a significant portfolio of academic programs and partnering with faculty to scale instructional models that align with market demand.
• A commitment to shared governance and inclusive decision-making, and a deep passion for both liberal arts education and serving students of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and faiths.

A complete Leadership Profile with additional information may be found above.

Nominations and Applications

To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by October 29th, 2026 and must include:

• A letter of interest addressing the strategic opportunities and qualifications identified in this profile;
• A current curriculum vitae; and
• A list of five professional references with email addresses, telephone numbers, and their relationship to the candidate. References will not be contacted without prior authorization from the candidate.

All inquiries, nominations, and applications will be held in strict confidence. Application materials should be submitted through the AGB Search portal system here: Cal Lutheran Provost Search Portal 

Inquiries and nominations should be sent to CalLutheranProvost@agbsearch.com or:

Matthew J. Kilcoyne
Principal
matt.kilcoyne@agbsearch.com

Tamara Jhashi, Ph.D.
Executive Search Consultant
tamara.jhashi@agbsearch.com

California Lutheran University is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment for all persons, regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable law. No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program, activity or facility of the University on the basis of these factors in a manner consistent with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, ordinances, orders and rules, and University's policies, procedures, and processes. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process can be provided to individuals with qualifying disabilities. Please contact the Human Resources Department for further information or to request an accommodation.