Executive M/C

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Binghamton University

Executive Summary

Binghamton University seeks an inspiring, entrepreneurial and visionary leader to become its next Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (Provost). One of four research universities in the SUNY system, Binghamton enrolls more than 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students in its six schools and colleges. Founded in 1946, this relatively young university has swiftly built a reputation for excellence in undergraduate education that is bolstered by growing, high-quality graduate programs and a rapidly expanding research enterprise that places it among the elite universities in the nation that have earned very high research activity status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Binghamton is consistently ranked among the top 40 public universities in the nation and has been called the “premier public university in the northeast” by the Fiske Guide to Colleges for over a decade, distinguishing itself for its exceptional quality combined with affordability. The university has received national recognition for its special programs and overall success in comprehensive internationalization, as well as its residential communities led by tenured collegiate professors who seamlessly integrate life inside and outside the classroom, creating the feel of a small college with the resources of a major university. Binghamton recruits outstanding and diverse undergraduate students (one-third of whom are people of color), and Binghamton's overall student body hales from all 50 states and 100 countries.

The Provost will build on this strong foundation and continue the university’s impressive trajectory. The selected candidate will be a high-energy, experienced and entrepreneurial leader who will articulate a vision for Binghamton’s academic future; provide intellectual leadership and support for the university’s faculty; support and strengthen the culture of genuine collaboration that exists among faculty, administrative leadership and staff in the various parts of the university; and be a visible and inspiring presence to students. In partnership with the president, the provost will also provide effective leadership in growing and managing the university’s financial resources.

To submit a nomination or express personal interest in this position, please see Procedure for Candidacy at the end of this profile.

The Role of Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Donald G. Nieman, an eminent historian, is stepping down after 10 years of service as Binghamton University’s Provost and Executive Vice president for Academic Affairs. Following a year-long leave, he will return to the faculty in the Department of History in fall 2023.

He has played a crucial role in the university’s upward trajectory, including leadership of several critical academic projects, from the establishment of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and expansion of the Decker School of Nursing to the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, to implementing a new strategy of hiring faculty to establishing the six Transdisciplinary Areas of Excellence (TAEs), to increasing growth in graduate enrollment. His leadership has strengthened the tradition of academic excellence for which Binghamton is recognized nationally.

In its next Provost, Binghamton seeks an individual with the experience, dedication, intellectual curiosity, and breadth of vision to serve as the chief academic officer for one of the nation’s leading higher education institutions. Reporting to, and working in close partnership with the President, the Provost develops and implements Binghamton's academic vision and priorities, oversees enrollment efforts, manages overall budget and finance operations and also plays an important role in the university's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The Provost is the President's primary senior executive in helping to lead the institution.

The Provost and the Division's staff partner closely with Binghamton faculty and academic leadership in a robust shared governance model to achieve the overall goals of the university. These include developing new ideas and perspectives to improve programs, thinking creatively about budgeting and resources, crafting strategic approaches to increasing Binghamton's enrollment over the coming decade, and working to create a diverse, inclusive and equitable environment at Binghamton. Overall, the Provost leads a Division of more than 1,300 faculty and staff and oversees the following colleges, schools and units: 

  • College of Community and Public Affairs
  • Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences
  • Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
  • School of Management
  • Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science
  • School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • The Graduate School
  • University Libraries
  • Continuing Education and Outreach
  • Enrollment Management
  • Office of International Programs
  • Strategic and Fiscal Planning
  • Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

The provost also manages the following direct reports:

  • Deans of the six schools and colleges
  • Dean of the Graduate School
  • Dean of University Libraries
  • Chief Financial Officer and Senior Associate Vice President for Business Affairs
  • Vice Provost for International Education and Global Affairs
  • Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Enrollment Management
  • Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusiveness
  • Directors of the TAEs
  • Director of Interprofessional Education
  • Director of the University Art Museum

Opportunities and Expectations for Leadership

The new provost will be expected to assist the president in reinforcing Binghamton's current strengths and expand on the university’s ambitions for its future. The overarching challenge for the new provost is to build on Binghamton’s exceptional momentum as an academic institution and to assist the president in the university’s development in spite of the economic obstacles facing public institutions around the nation. The new provost will address the following opportunities and challenges during the first years of their tenure:

Articulate a Vision for Binghamton’s Academic Future

Over the past three decades, Binghamton’s strategic planning and rigorous implementation have fueled the university’s remarkable growth. Led by a highly collaborative and consistent senior administration, the outcomes have been clear and precise, and the implementation successful. The new provost will work closely with constituencies across the university to build on its solid foundation and forge a vision for the academic future of Binghamton. This opportunity comes at a critical time when anticipated academic leadership transitions will provide an opportunity to re-evaluate Binghamton's focus and continue its upward trajectory.

Ensuring the continued reinvention of Binghamton's pedagogical approach in response to a changing world, remaining student-focused while increasing scholarship and creative endeavors, finding creative ways to generate resources, working collaboratively with the SUNY system and fostering the continued growth of internationalism are some of the key elements in the effort to keep Binghamton on its impressive path. In addition, it will be vital for the new provost to continue Binghamton's commitment to diversity, not only in the student body, which is now much more diverse than even a decade ago, but also in the faculty and staff. Partnering with senior administration and faculty, the provost will continue to implement elements of the university’s Road Map to Premier strategic plan, with a focus on creative activities, our learning community, our inclusive campus, engagement, strategic investments and, most recently, internationalization.

Strengthen the University's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Justice

In addition to advancing Binghamton's overall academic environment, the new provost will play a central role in furthering the university's efforts in anti-racism and in modeling inclusive excellence. Apart from the president, the provost has the single greatest potential for influencing the academic enterprise at Binghamton in this important area. The provost will lead the university in advocating and being accountable for the recruitment, development and retention of not only faculty but also institutional leaders, staff and students who reflect and extend the diversity of Binghamton's surrounding communities and our global society.

The provost will also support existing programs and units on campus that explore diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and justice (DEIAJ) issues as well shepherd the creation of new ones. Binghamton already has a firm foundation in place. In addition to departments of Africana Studies; Asian and Asian American Studies; Judaic Studies; the Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and others, Binghamton has also created multi-disciplinary programs and initiatives that address justice issues directly and seek to inform policy changes domestically and globally. These include the Harriet Tubman Center for the Study of Freedom and Equity, the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, and the Human Rights Institute.

As Binghamton continues to dedicate itself to preparing the next generation of leaders and conducting important scholarship in DEIAJ, the new provost will join with other university leaders to create a welcoming environment for these efforts and initiate reforms required to fight discriminatory ideas and practices on campus. In this work, the provost must provide the personal leadership that advances this culture of equity and inclusion in intellectual and community life.

Support and Champion the University’s Culture of Collaboration and Shared Governance

Binghamton has a deeply established culture of collaborative problem-solving across disciplines, schools and administrative functions with a strong tradition of shared governance. This culture has served the institution well as faculty, administrative leaders and staff find ways to establish policies, share information and solve problems across organizational lines. The provost will benefit from this collaborative, problem-solving culture and have the opportunity to reinforce it and use it as a tool of professional and organizational development for both academic and administrative leaders. The provost will be an active listener and an engaging leader for an organization populated with dedicated and committed members at all levels. In addition and after close consultation with academic leaders, faculty and administrative colleagues, the provost must be able to make difficult decisions and implement the steps necessary to carry them out. 

Expand Graduate Programs and Research Activities While Maintaining a High-Quality Undergraduate Program

As Binghamton moves forward, it seeks to continue its expansion of its graduate programs and scholarship and creative enterprise in line with core strategic objectives. A faculty committed to scholarship and creative activities provides the Binghamton student with a richer educational experience and the university with additional revenue and a deeper connection to industry, cultural institutions, practitioners, policymakers and the academy. New graduate programs that will meet the needs of students and society should emerge from interdisciplinary work and capitalize on existing strengths at the university. In addition, the provost should focus significant effort on raising the quality and visibility of existing graduate programs so that they match the reputation for undergraduate education at Binghamton.

Raising graduate stipends will be critical to this effort. Binghamton’s stipends are currently lower than many of the universities with which it competes for graduate talent. New programs and research initiatives will put increased pressure on facilities and necessitate continued expansion of infrastructure to accommodate growth.

As funded research and graduate programs grow, however, Binghamton remains deeply and firmly committed to continuing its proud tradition of superb educational quality featuring both breadth and depth and the belief that research must strengthen, not detract from, the undergraduate student experience. The next provost will guide Binghamton as it maintains that equilibrium, helping the university define and adopt internal policies and systems that balance the growth of graduate programs and research with a commitment to the undergraduate experience that continues to bring national distinction to the university. 

Broaden the Base of Support while Reinforcing Binghamton's Core Values

While Binghamton is positioned to continue its solid financial position, there are challenges in maintaining its financial health. As funding for public universities across the country has decreased, New York State is not unique in its budgetary challenges. State appropriations have not kept pace with inflationary pressures resulting in increasing tuition rates and budget cuts. The pandemic has also impacted budgets at all levels.  

The provost will be responsible for leading the development and prudent execution of Binghamton’s operating budget and for working to ensure financial health and stability. To retain and strengthen its position as a leading institution of higher education, Binghamton must identify the core values on which in cannot compromise and identify the opportunities that it must seize in order to move ahead. These considerations will necessitate systematically making strategic choices, managing budgets with great care and allocating resources to their best and highest use.

To expand future potential, the provost will assist the president in working diligently with elected and appointed public officials in a wide variety of public bodies, including the executive branch, the legislature and all levels of government to advocate for the university’s economic needs. The provost will also work alongside the president to enhance Binghamton's relationship with the State University of New York system and its fellow SUNY institutions to take advantage of revenue-generating opportunities and partnerships when they arise.

Other potential areas for resource development include growing income from tuition and fees by building a consensus on the optimal level of student enrollment; expanding grant-funded research revenues and partnerships with government and industry as well as private foundations and nonprofits; and increasing focus on the university’s global programs. As universities expand their use of information technology in educating students both on campus and off, the provost will lead an exploration of the potential for expanded distance learning initiatives for Binghamton. The provost will also foster an entrepreneurial culture in which people are encouraged to pursue opportunities for resources that will advance the university’s mission.

Strengthen and Expand the University’s Involvement in Economic Development

The future of Binghamton University and the prosperity of the region are highly correlated. Given the economic challenges facing the region, economic development and knowledge transfer are vital to the success of Binghamton and the community. Binghamton has woven itself into the fabric of the community by creating partnerships, research opportunities and services that have been mutually beneficial. It is critical for the new provost to understand and continue the focus that has been placed on issues regarding economic development, not only for the university but also for the continued economic health of the community in which Binghamton resides. This could include a greater and more visible role in connecting with local businesses, economic councils and others to share the work of the faculty and build community relationships as well as expanding community engaged scholarship and teaching.

Continue to Enhance the Environment for Students

Binghamton is home to a community of students seeking to advance not only themselves but also the health and well-being of the world around them. These students come from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds from across the globe, and their diverse perspectives and life experiences enrich the Binghamton community. In order to continue to attract and retain the extraordinary students currently choosing Binghamton, the next provost will need to think creatively about meeting students’ needs in a rapidly changing environment.

COVID has impacted American university campuses in many ways, and the provost must nimbly manage the fluid set of circumstances the pandemic creates unless and until a permanent solution to the virus can be found. One issue that COVID helped to highlight is the emotional fragility that some students feel on campus, and the next provost must continue to develop tools and resources that support Binghamton students' mental health and well-being. Promoting diversity, inclusion and racial justice motivates today’s students. Therefore, the next provost must prioritize conversations around these topics – including ways in which they impact the teaching and research missions of the university – and help make important decisions that will further advance progress in these crucial areas. Overall, the provost must be a trusted partner and strong advocate for students, someone who will support their aspirations and their health both in and out of the classroom.

Enhance Binghamton University's National Reputation

Binghamton continues to be widely recognized for the academic caliber of its students and their success after graduation, as well as the strength of its faculty and its growing research enterprise. However, it is important to continue to call public attention to these assets and increase the university’s brand awareness. The new provost must work with the president and others to broadcast the institution’s brand and build upon its strengths to enhance the national reputation of the school, particularly as it is measured by published nationally recognized surveys ranking the quality of higher education institutions.

The Successful Candidate: Qualifications

Binghamton University seeks in its new provost a leader with creative vision, a global view, extraordinary energy, intellectual curiosity, and the personal qualities and integrity to inspire the community and lead the institution to new levels of excellence.

The ideal candidate will be a scholar and strong advocate for academic excellence, an experienced executive with administrative acumen, and a leader who is collegial, collaborative and decisive. Candidates should have the academic credentials and experience to warrant appointment as full professor. Demonstrated experience in procuring extramural funding is desirable. Candidates should respect a variety of approaches to scholarship and creative endeavors generally and be strongly committed to the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students from diverse and especially traditionally underrepresented background. Candidates will be expected to be able to represent well the interests of the Division of Academic Affairs to all constituencies.

The search committee understands that no single candidate will have all of the ideal qualifications, but seeks candidates with the following experience and abilities:

  • A powerful affinity for and commitment to the mission and values of Binghamton University;
  • Broad managerial skills and experience; an understanding of the full range of strategic issues in complex organizations, particularly public institutions of higher education;
  • Successful experience as a strategic and inclusive leader; the ability to build strong management teams and execute large and ambitious plans with fiscal responsibility;
  • An ability to bring campus constituencies to actionable consensus; the ability to energize and inspire students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders; the capacity to articulate Binghamton’s mission and direction to all of its essential audiences;
  • An appreciation for the importance of maintaining a healthy, productive balance between research and high-quality education;
  • A commitment to professional and graduate education and relevant experience in strengthening graduate level institutions;
  • The ability to communicate articulately both in writing and when speaking, and to have a sense of humor to build engagement with all constituencies;
  • Experience in and knowledge of national and global business, educational and cultural matters;
  • Proven success and interests in fundraising; the capacity to represent Binghamton compellingly to donors;
  • A demonstrated commitment to diversity, including individual action and institutional leadership to advance diversity;
  • The ability to serve as a strong advocate for Binghamton at the system, state and federal levels.

The SUNY System

SUNY is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive state university system consisting of 64 campuses including major research universities, health sciences centers, comprehensive and technical colleges and community colleges committed to providing a broad range of outstanding academic programs for students within New York and from around the world. Each college and university within the State University of New York has its own Council and is administered by a president who recruits and leads an administrative team. The campus presidents report to the SUNY Chancellor and the SUNY Board of Trustees.

SUNY enrolls over 424,000 students, half of them in community colleges; has more than 91,000 employees; and has a projected budget in excess of $13 billion. Binghamton is one of four research centers in the SUNY system along with the University at Albany, University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University. The system annually receives upwards of $1 billion in sponsored research. SUNY is both a significant force in higher education nationally with increasing global impact as well as a vital economic, social and cultural engine for the state of New York.

Jim Malatras was appointed the 14th Chancellor of the SUNY system in August of 2020. Prior to his appointment, Malatras served as president of SUNY Empire State College and of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, where he led the institution’s modernization effort to offer policymakers evidence-based policy analysis and recommendations on timely topics. He also has held several high-ranking positions in New York state government.

Binghamton University History

Binghamton University opened its doors as Triple Cities College in 1946 to serve the needs of local veterans at the end of World War II. Originally located in Endicott, five miles west of the present campus, the fledgling school was a branch of Syracuse University. When the college was incorporated into the State University of New York system four years later, it was renamed Harpur College in honor of Robert Harpur, a Colonial teacher, patriot and pioneer, who devoted his later years to settling the area around Binghamton.

Until 1953, Harpur College was one of only two public liberal arts colleges in the state. In 1961 the campus was moved across the Susquehanna River to Vestal. Growing enrollments and a reputation for excellence soon led to the selection of Harpur College as one of four doctorate-granting University Centers in the state system. In 1965, the campus was formally designated the State University of New York at Binghamton, retaining the Harpur College name for its arts and sciences component. The name Binghamton University was adopted in 1992.

Schools and Academic Programs

Binghamton offers 130+ programs of undergraduate study and 90+ graduate programs in its six schools and colleges:

  • College of Community and Public Affairs
  • Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences
  • Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
  • School of Management
  • School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science

The College of Community and Public Affairs is located in the University Downtown Center, where students can work closely with non-profit and government community partners through internships, independent study and fieldwork. The college offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in human development and social work, as well as graduate programs in education, human rights, public administration, public health (with Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences), Higher Education and Student Affairs and sustainable communities (with Harpur College of Arts and Sciences). In addition, the school offers a PhD in community research and action.

The Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences comprises the Decker School of Nursing, founded in 1969, as well as the School of Rehabilitation Sciences and the School of Applied Health Sciences, both established in 2019. The Decker School of Nursing awards bachelor’s degrees in nursing and graduate programs leading to a Master of science degree with majors in family nursing, community health nursing, gerontological nursing and family psychiatric mental health nursing; a Master of Public Health degree; a PhD in nursing with a focus on rural health; a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree; and a new RN-BS online program. Following a $50 million renovation, Decker College recently moved into a 96,000 square-foot former shoe box factory at the University’s Health Sciences Campus in nearby Johnson City, N.Y. The college is developing programs leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. The college’s new facility houses a cutting-edge Innovative Simulation and Practice Center that is home to several human patient simulators and an 18-bed teaching lab.

Harpur College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest of the university’s six schools offering more than 200 majors, minors, concentrations, tracks, specializations and graduate programs. Nearly 60% of Binghamton undergraduates and 28% of graduate students earn a broad range of degrees from its 46 departments and programs within its three divisions: humanities and fine arts, science and mathematics, and social sciences. Harpur offers the ideal liberal-arts foundation — effective oral and written communication, rigorous analysis, creative expression, independent thinking and cultural literacy — for any career or advanced course of study.

The School of Management (SOM) offers Bachelor of Science programs in accounting and business administration, a Master of Science in Accounting, a Master of Business Administration and a PhD program offering specializations in accounting, finance, marketing and organizational behavior/leadership. SOM students enjoy a stunning facility in which to learn the theory and real-life practice of management and accounting. The facility features the high-tech Zurack Trading Room where students can help manage a half-million dollar portfolio using professional trading software. School of Management students benefit from education-abroad partnerships with dozens of accredited business schools around the world. The school also has an Executive MBA program that is ideal for working professionals and a fast track professional MBA program in New York City. The school was recently ranked 28th best undergraduate business school (and 4th top value in business schools) by Poets & Quants, a leading news website dedicated to covering undergraduate business education.

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University’s newest professional school, offers the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree, and will enroll its first students in the new MS and PhD programs in pharmaceutical sciences in fall 2022. The school is research-focused and educates students who understand the value of evidence-based, patient-centered pharmaceutical care and innovative research, and scientists who will extend the knowledge base of pharmaceutical sciences in the areas of drug target discovery, drug testing and drug delivery. The PharmD program, established in 2017, graduated its inaugural class in May 2021, and received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in June 2021. The school is a cornerstone of the University’s Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City, N.Y., also soon to be the site of a R&D building that will begin construction in the near future.

Founded in 1983, the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, named for the legendary leader of IBM, is the fastest-growing engineering program in New York State. The school offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in bioengineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, and systems science. Unique undergraduate initiatives like the general engineering minor, the first-year Engineering Design Division and the Watson Engineering Learning Community have created a supportive, vibrant and diverse environment in which to learn.

Faculty and Research

During the 2020-21 academic year, full-time teaching Binghamton faculty members numbered 773, including SUNY Distinguished Professor of Chemistry M. Stanley Whittingham, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019. The Binghamton faculty also includes Fulbright scholars; members of the National Academy of Sciences; National Science Foundation CAREER Award winners, including seven in the 2020-21 academic year; and numerous other recognitions for scholarly distinction. 

In the 2020-2021 fiscal year, Binghamton was awarded $46.5 million in sponsored research. Research awards are administered through The Research Foundation, a private, nonprofit educational corporation that administers externally funded contracts and grants for and on behalf of the State University of New York. The Research Foundation provides the independence and administrative flexibility to respond quickly to the special demands of sponsored programs in a manner that facilitates their scientific or technical execution; these are needs that could not be as easily accommodated through state processes.

Many faculty collaborate on interdisciplinary research through Binghamton’s four federally-designated research centers, including the Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center (DEARC); its New York State Center of Excellence (the Small Scale Systems Integration and Packaging Center); its 19 organized research centers; and its nine institutes for advanced study. The university also developed six Transdisciplinary Areas of Excellence (TAEs) that bring faculty together to address critical social, scientific, technological, economic, cultural and policy issues that can best be addressed by teams of faculty employing the perspectives and methodologies of multiple disciplines. The six TAEs are: citizenship, rights and cultural belonging; data science; health sciences; material and visual worlds; smart energy; and sustainable communities. 

Students

Binghamton students are hard-working, motivated and successful. The university is home to 14,333 undergraduate students. About 6% are from out-of-state and another 10% are international students. This year, Binghamton received over 39,500 applications for its first-year class, of whom only 44% were accepted. Of these, nearly 3,100 students enrolled. During the past 10 years, 91-93% of Binghamton first-year students returned for their sophomore year. On average, 72% of first-year students graduate after four years and 81% after five, well above national averages. Forty percent of Binghamton’s students are the first in their families to attend college and one-third are people of color.

Student Life

Much of Binghamton’s success in retention and student satisfaction can be attributed to the integration of student life and academics through its living and learning communities. Binghamton has six residential communities that give students the close-knit and supportive feel of a small college while still providing the resources and advantages of a larger university. The communities were originally modeled after Oxford University. Each community is distinctive, with its own dining hall, area government, professional staff, and tenured Collegiate Professor, who reports jointly to the vice provost for undergraduate education and enrollment and the director of Residential Life and is dedicated to facilitating learning outside the classroom. These communities provide students with a strong sense of identity at the university that remains strong even after they graduate.

Binghamton undergraduates enjoy a wide range of self-directed learning opportunities. Specialized programs allow creation of individualized majors, service learning in the community and experiential education with community and industry partners. Working closely with faculty, students have access to research and scholarship opportunities in partnership with graduate students and post-doctoral fellows through initiatives such as our First-year Research Immersion program that provides first-year students with a three-semester, authentic research experience in the sciences and engineering, and our Source Project, a sequence of two research courses for students in the humanities and social sciences. Students and alumni reflect that access to research faculty and cutting-edge facilities, in an accessible collegiate environment, are key to their success. They also make significant contributions to community service through volunteer and course-based activities of many kinds. The campus boasts over 450 student-led clubs and organizations as well as a comprehensive and very active school-wide student government. Binghamton University’s student leaders are engaged with the university president, administrators and faculty to promote understanding of student concerns and perspectives on campus and in relation to administrative activity.

In recent years, Binghamton undergraduates have won Goldwater, Luce, Fulbright, National Science Foundation, Udall, Thayer and Truman scholarships, among others.

Internationalism

Internationalization is woven into nearly every aspect of academic and co-curricular life at Binghamton. In non-COVID years, there are approximately 2,000 international students from 100 countries enrolled, placing Binghamton among the top 100 colleges and universities in the United States based on international student enrollment. The number of students studying abroad has grown steadily over the past 25 years, and the Institute for International Education estimates that about 16% of all students enrolled in baccalaureate programs study abroad at some point. On average in a non-COVID impacted year, approximately 535 students participate in one of Binghamton’s more than 60 education abroad programs in a wide variety of locations around the globe. Binghamton students also have access to more than 1,000 other SUNY programs and have the option of considering programs outside the SUNY system. Some of the education-abroad institutional partners include the London School of Economics, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology and Soochow University.

Binghamton University has forged strategic partnerships with several top universities around the world to create diverse dual-degree programs, strengthen research networks and affect the university's global footprint. Our collaborative partners include Jordan University of Science of Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Mohammed V University, and Sichuan University, among many others. Binghamton University has also established five centers of excellence in India to collaboratively solve big challenges of the 21st century.

Graduate Students

Binghamton is an attractive destination for graduate work, enrolling 3,815 graduate students this year. The university offers 60 master’s degree programs and over 30 doctoral programs in arts and sciences and in its professional schools with an average of more than 150 doctorates awarded annually over the past decade. As teaching assistants, these graduate students contribute substantially to the cutting-edge intellectual atmosphere for undergraduate education in classrooms, laboratories and studios across the campus. In addition to teaching, many graduate students devote their time to providing needed services in the community as well as contributing their expertise toward the development and implementation of SUNY initiatives.

Athletics

Binghamton athletics completed its transition from Division III to Division I in 2001, joining the three other SUNY research centers (Buffalo, Albany and Stony Brook) in Division I. Student-athletes at Binghamton play on 21 Division I varsity teams in the America East Conference. Scholar-athletes have maintained an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or higher for 31 consecutive semesters and of 3.1 for 18 semesters. Binghamton has captured the America East Academic Cup twice, has finished second two other times and been in the top three eight times since joining the conference. Since entering Division I play in 2001, 24 teams have advanced to NCAA Division I tournament play and the university has also crowned one national champion and 26 All-Americans. Community support for Binghamton athletics is very strong with Binghamton spectator attendance leading the America East conference.

Staff

Binghamton University benefits from a large cadre of experienced, long-term non-faculty employees who are committed to the university. It has 1,777 employees, the vast majority of whom are represented by four bargaining units with contracts negotiated at the state level. The university aims to be the employer of choice in the region by supporting work-life balance. It offers competitive benefits and policies as well as learning opportunities for employees that are widely recognized and appreciated in the region. The university is proud of the commitment of an excellent staff, a point that is readily apparent in interaction with staff at all levels.

Campus Facilities

The Binghamton campus — spread over 930 acres on a wooded hillside above the Susquehanna River — features physical facilities that are modern, attractive, accessible and exceptionally well-maintained. A special campus feature is the Nature Preserve, a 190-acre forest and wetland area with a six-acre pond that adjoins the campus. The university’s physical plant is in excellent condition with little deferred maintenance as a result of construction projects completed over the past several years.

The university completed its most extensive construction project in 2013, the $375 million East Campus Housing project. This included reconstruction of two residential communities and resulted in an additional 1,000 beds for on-campus student housing. In 2018, the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building was completed at the Health Sciences Campus in nearby Johnson City, N.Y., the first to be sited on the campus. It was joined in 2020 by the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, with a R&D building set to begin construction soon. Additionally, the university will open a family wellness center for seniors in the community in late fall 2021.

Two academic buildings that were completed in 1998 were featured in Progressive Architecture for their striking designs. They are home to the School of Management, the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, and various program offices. Binghamton's facilities for the fine and performing arts include a world-class performance complex. The Floyd E. Anderson Center for the Performing Arts features the 1,200-seat Osterhout Concert Theater with a retractable rear wall to allow for an additional 1,500 audience members in lawn seating for summer events, and a 420-seat Chamber Hall for small stage productions and recital. The University Art Museum has an Asian Art Gallery and a permanent collection of 4,000 art objects representing many periods and styles. 

Binghamton's extensive athletic and recreation facilities include two large gymnasiums with swimming pools; an indoor track; and basketball, volleyball and racquetball courts. A $60 million baseball stadium complex funded by a donor will be completed in early 2022. FitSpace, a state-of-the-art fitness facility, is available to the entire campus community, as are numerous outdoor facilities. The multi-purpose 156,000 square-foot Events Center is home to basketball, indoor track and tennis. Large concerts and other programs are held in the center, as are the University Commencement ceremonies.

In 2007, the university expanded its reach in downtown Binghamton with the construction of the Community Development and Education Center, a 74,400 square-foot facility that is home to the College of Community and Public Affairs and supports a wide range of community related programming.

“Green” Campus

Binghamton’s official color is green and the “green” theme carries through in its commitment to the environment and sustainability. In September 2007, then-President Lois B. DeFleur endorsed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, pledging to eliminate, over time, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Binghamton’s campus activities. She also established the President’s Taskforce for Campus Climate Commitment which recommends projects for the campus. Binghamton is regularly selected by The Princeton Review as one of the “greenest” colleges or universities in the nation.

Binghamton’s sustainability efforts range from an energy management system to extensive recycling efforts that include organic gardening and composting. Other initiatives include a variety of energy-savings projects, LEED building standards and educational efforts that have included a residential community energy contest as well as regular programs and events that engage and educate the campus community in thinking about and changing energy habits.

Finances

Binghamton University has an endowment valued at approximately $148.1 million, as of June 30, 2021. The university’s expenditures from all funds sources total approximately $374 million annually. About 20% of the operating budget is supported by general revenues of the state and an additional 31% is from student tuition and fees. Tuition, room and board for in-state students is $24,134 and $41,974 for out-of-state students.

Alumni and Development

Binghamton University has 143,000 alumni, who live in every state of the union and in countries around the world. It is a young alumni body with an average age of 45. The Binghamton University Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation established to raise funds for the university. It administers 435 named scholarships, 113 named awards and 59 fellowships. Combined with internships, graduate-travel support and emergency loans, the Foundation provided nearly $3.4 million in aid to more than 1,900 Binghamton students in the most recent year. It is a led by a board of 25 alumni, friends and elected officers who work closely with the university’s development team.

The Foundation is closely linked to the Binghamton University Forum, an organization that opens doors to the campus and allows business, professional and community leaders the opportunity to know the university on a personal basis, while also promoting community relations. The University Forum has been very successful in developing a mutually beneficial relationship between the university and the community.

Binghamton completed its very first capital campaign in 2003, The Believe in Binghamton Campaign, a year ahead of schedule and at 122% of its goal. The campaign raised $43.7 million. A second campaign, Bold. Brilliant. Binghamton. The Campaign for Binghamton University began in 2005. The public phase of the campaign was launched in April 2010 via an innovative live internet event with over 1,100 participants. The campaign surpassed its original goal of $95 million, as well as its new goal of $100 million, raising $101,219,372 to conclude the campaign in 2012. The university is currently in the silent phase of its third comprehensive gifts campaign, which will hold its public launch April 9, 2022.

Leadership

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras

Jim Malatras
Jim Malatras was named the 14th chancellor of The State University of New York on August 21, 2020. 

Prior to his role leading the SUNY system, Malatras served as the fifth president of SUNY Empire State College. Prior to joining SUNY Empire in May 2019, he served as president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, where he led the Institute’s modernization effort to offer policymakers evidence-based policy analysis and   recommendations on timely topics.

Malatras has held several high-ranking positions in New York State government, including director of state operations to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, where he managed the day-to-day operation of state government and served as the administration’s point person on policy development and implementation.

An education policy expert, Malatras served as the executive director of the governor’s New NY Education Reform Commission from 2012-2014, executive director of legislative affairs and state policy to Attorney General Cuomo, and legislative director to former assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky. He served as Chief of Staff for Chancellor Nancy Zimpher from July 2013 to August 2014. Malatras received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate in political science from the University at Albany.

President Harvey Stenger

Harvey Stenger
A native of upstate N.Y., Stenger was appointed president at Binghamton University in Nov. 2011, and assumed his duties Jan. 1, 2012. Prior to coming to Binghamton, he served as interim provost at the University at Buffalo, where he had been dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences since 2006. A chemical engineer by training, he earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University in 1979, and his doctorate in the same discipline from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983.

Prior to joining the administration at UB, Stenger was a professor at Lehigh University's College of Engineering and Applied Science, where he also served as dean for six years and served terms as co-chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and director of the Environmental Studies Center.

As an administrator, his emphasis has been on expanding graduate programs and enrollment, adding academic programs, increasing international research and academic partnerships, strategically hiring faculty and increasing enrollment. Since his arrival at Binghamton, he launched the Road Map to Premier strategic planning process, involving more than 400 students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members and business leaders. In 2017, he led an update of the plan through the Road Map Renewal, which also involved hundreds of stakeholders, and he established the university's newest professional school, the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, which graduated its first class in 2021 and received accreditation. The strategic plan is currently undergoing another update — Re-aiming the Road Map — with broad participation from across campus. With a focus on academic excellence, operational excellence and university growth, the university is moving forward on its journey to becoming an elite public university.

Vestal and Binghamton, New York

Binghamton University’s main campus is located in the Town of Vestal, just one mile beyond the Binghamton city limits in the Southern Tier of Upstate New York. Binghamton, Endicott and Johnson City — along with Vestal and a few other suburban towns and villages — make up Greater Binghamton, offering a sophisticated cultural life, lively spectator sports and accessible outdoor recreation. Major employers include United Health Services, Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Lourdes Hospital, IBM, Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, BAE Systems Controls, Maines Paper and Food Service, Universal Instruments and the university itself, one of the largest employers in Greater Binghamton.

Several theaters, a professional opera company, philharmonic orchestras, the Roberson Museum and the Kopernik Observatory are well supported by the community. The Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, home to the Binghamton Black Bears hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League, also hosts well-attended rock, country and pop concerts. The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (a double-A affiliate of the NY Mets) play baseball in a downtown stadium. The area also offers restaurants, shopping centers, and many urban and wooded parks and picnic areas as well as a rail-to-trail path.

Binghamton is located at the crossroads of I-81, I-88 and NY Rte. 17/I-86, within easy reach of major metropolitan areas. Binghamton is 50 miles (75 minutes) from Ithaca, 72 miles (80 minutes) from Syracuse, 140 miles (2 hours) from Albany, and about 200 miles (3 and a half hours) from both New York and Philadelphia. The Greater Binghamton airport non-stop commercial flights through Delta Airlines.

Procedure for Candidacy

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile.

WittKieffer is assisting Binghamton University in this search. For fullest consideration, please submit your materials by January 14, 2022.

Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:

Greg Duyck and Melissa Fincher
Binghamton Provost@wittkieffer.com

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

The State University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. As required by Title IX and its implementing regulations, Binghamton University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the educational programs and activities which it operates. This requirement extends to employment and admission. Inquiries about sex discrimination may be directed to the University Title IX Coordinator or directly to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Contact information for the Title IX Coordinator and OCR, as well as the University's complete Non-Discrimination Notice may be found here.

It is the policy of Binghamton University to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of sex, age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

For more information visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website at https://www.binghamton.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion/index.html.


Search Committee

  • Barry Jones, professor, chair, Department of Economics, co-chair
  • Karen Jones, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, co-chair
  • Anne Bailey, professor of history, director, Harriet Tubman Center
  • Aaron Beedle, associate professor, chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Linda Biemer, Binghamton University Council member
  • Subimal Chatterjee, distinguished teaching professor, School of Management
  • Jill Dixon, deputy University librarian, Libraries
  • Mark Fowler, distinguished teaching professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Rodney Gabel, professor, founding director, Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Decker College
  • Courtney Ignarri, assistant dean, graduate affairs, Harpur College
  • Karima Legette, director, Educational Opportunity Program
  • Tomonari Nishikawa, associate professor, chair, Department of Cinema
  • Owen Pell, chair, Binghamton University Foundation Board
  • Nadia Rubaii, professor, Department of Public Administration
  • Caroline Sandleitner, student representative, Binghamton University Council
  • M. Stanley Whittingham, distinguished professor, Department of Chemistry