Office of the Provost

It was in Gilbreath Hall on the ETSU campus where the inaugural faculty of East Tennessee State Normal School first taught more than a century ago. Those 18 faculty members trained at some of the most impressive institutions in the world, and they came to this campus with the shared belief that through education, lives can be changed and our communities could be made better.

Fast-forward over a 100 years later, and that same tradition continues. Today, hundreds of faculty call this institution home. Our faculty believe in the power of higher education, and that with a college degree, any dream is possible. Our faculty are champions for our students. They are leaders, mentors, scholars, innovators, and public servants. They are award-winning teachers and noted researchers in their fields of study. They meet the needs of others. They generate new ideas and develop solutions for our community.

And, they are all committed to the success of their students.

Welcome to East Tennessee State University.

It is my honor to serve as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics at this amazing institution that is transforming the lives of others every day.

Key Updates for ETSU Faculty/Staff

Tenure/Promotion Recommendations Approved

Congratulations to the ETSU faculty members who were awarded tenure and/or promotion during the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, April 22, 2022.

Tenure and Promotion Approval 2022

Position Descriptions

Dean, College of Arts and Sciences:

Dean of Arts & Sciences Position Description

Dean, College of Business and Technology:

Dean of Business & Technology Position Description

SACSCOC Reaffirmation Timeline

Hundreds of ETSU faculty and staff will be part of our reaffirmation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which is the accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. Considerable time will be spent in 2022 preparing for our 2023 reaffirmation, and much of that work in the spring semester will be led by our writing teams. I want to thank Dr. Cheri Clavier for assisting in organizing these writing teams and for the guidance she has provided to them as they begin their work.

We will keep the campus informed throughout the reaffirmation process. Very soon I will share information regarding the institution’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for ETSU. In the meantime, here are some of the important benchmark dates on our reaffirmation timeline.

September 2022: Compliance Certification
November 2022: Off-Site Peer Review
February 2023: Quality Enhancement Plan
April 2023: On-Site Peer Review
December 2023: Decision Announced by SACSCOC

New Vice Provost for Community Engagement & Director of QEP Named

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Susan McCracken has been named Vice Provost for Community Engagement and Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). She will begin her duties on June 1, 2022. In this new position, she will champion ETSU’s regional stewardship mission by leading our academic community engagement efforts and collaborating with our outstanding campus partners in Student Life and Enrollment in achieving our institutional goal of improving student success. She will also guide our new QEP initiative focused on community engaged learning and develop the final report for submission to SACSCOC.

Dr. McCracken comes to us from Appalachian State University (ASU) where, since 2015, she has served as Director of Career Development and Economic Engagement. In this role, she has overseen the operations of the Career Development Center which includes career services and advising, employer relations, student employment, and internships. She has served as the university’s liaison with those working in nonprofits, government agencies, business, and industry sectors who seek to cultivate relationships with university constituents.

University Council Minutes: Looking for the most recent minutes from our monthly University Council meeting? Visit here.