provost

Provost is a title used in various institutions to denote a senior official. In higher education, a provost is typically a senior administrator charged with the academic mission of the institution. In many universities, the provost serves as the chief academic officer, responsible for curriculum, faculty appointments and development, research policy, and academic budgeting, and acts as a key adviser to the president or chancellor. In some universities, the provost is the second-highest official after the president and may also hold the titles of executive vice president or chief academic officer.

Regional variations include that in the United States the provost is usually the second in command, supervising academic affairs and strategic planning. In other systems, such as some Canadian institutions, the provost is similarly the chief academic officer or assumes broader executive responsibilities. In some universities, especially older European institutions, the title may be used for the head of a college or faculty within a larger university, or for a provincial or campus administrator. The positions and powers of a provost thus differ widely between countries and institutions.

Outside higher education, provost also has civic uses: in parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland, historically a provost was a civic head or magistrate in a town or city; in Scotland the term persists as the title for the ceremonial head of a burgh, equivalent to mayor in some contexts. The word derives from Old French prevost, from Latin praepositus, meaning "placed in front" or "in charge."