The Provost and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) is an executive-level, Administratively Determined (AD), position responsible for advising sr. leadership on academic programs, strategic ops, and resource planning. CAO reports to the Director and leads AFIT's academic accreditation efforts. Primary liaison to the accrediting bodies, drives educational quality across all programs to meet rigorous national academic standards. CAO directs faculty development and academic governance.

• The Chief Academic Officer is an executive-level, Administratively Determined (AD), federal civil service position, with a protocol grade equivalent to a brigadier general. The incumbent reports to the Institute's Director and Chancellor and performance duties as determined and directed by the Director and Chancellor.
• Advises the Director and Chancellor, Director or Staff, school deans, Director of Civilian Institution Programs and staff directors on the full range of academic and related-support programs and activities.
• Advises the Director of Civilian Institution Programs on the academic quality, relevance, affordability and other issues related to specific academic programs offered by civilian institutions at which AFIT-assigned students might be enrolled.
• Advises on academic issues and impacts related to all Institute operations, including strategic planning, operational planning, validation and prioritization of requirements, allocation of resources (manpower, funding, infrastructure, etc) and preparation and executive of programs and budgets, IAW the DoW Planning, Programming, budgeting and Execution policies and systems.

Responsibilities

• Assists the Director and chancellor and school deans in striving to achieve the highest standards of academic quality (teaching, research and service/consulting), in both advanced academic (graduate) education (AAE) and professional continuing education (PCE).
• Serves as the Institute's lead for academic accreditation and reaccreditation, advising on policies and requirements for regional accreditation by the Higher Leaning Commission (HLC), degree/certificate accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and technology, Inc., (ABET), and PCE accreditation by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training, etc. Serves as the Institute's principal representative to, and liaison with, these accrediting organizations.
• Represents the Institute with the Air University Board of Visitors.
• Initiates and supports strategic engagement, collaboration and partnerships with other organizations, including other Air Force and DoW organizations; other federal agencies; civilian academic institutions; major command chief scientists and staff leads for education and training; Air Force and DoW Scientific Advisory Boards; Federally-funded Research and Development Centers, etc.