Provost is the title of a senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada, the equivalent of Vice-Chancellor at certain institutions in the British Isles such as UCL and Trinity College Dublin, and the head of certain smaller colleges (e.g. in Oxbridge: Worcester College, Oxford, King's College, Cambridge). Even within these different types of appointments, the precise role of a provost varies from institution to institution. It is also the title of the Dean of certain cathedrals within the Church of England (such as Southwark Cathedral)
In most North American research universities and independent colleges, the provost is generally the chief academic officer. The incumbent is responsible to the institution's chief executive officer (variously called president, Chancellor, or rector) and governing board or boards (variously called the board of trustees, the board of regents, or the corporation) for oversight of all educational affairs and activities, including research and academic personnel. The deans of a university's various schools, colleges, or faculties, generally report to the provost or report jointly to the chief executive officer and the provost. Various interdisciplinary units and academic support functions, such as libraries, student services, admissions, academic facilities, and information technology, generally fall within a provost's administrative purview. Finally, provosts often receive staff support or delegate line responsibility for certain administrative functions to one or more subordinates variously called "assistant provost", "associate provost", "vice provost", or "deputy provost".
The specific duties and areas of responsibility for a provost vary from institution to institution. Invariably, provosts are drawn from the tenured faculty of the institution or from among a pool of professional administrators (with academic credentials) at other institutions. In many, although not all, public and private North American universities and colleges, the provost (or functional equivalent) is the second-ranking officer in the administrative hierarchy. Very often, the provost serves as acting chief executive officer during a vacancy in that office or when the incumbent is absent from campus for prolonged periods. In these institutions, the title of provost is often combined with those of "senior vice president", "executive vice president", "executive vice chancellor", or the like, to denote that officer's high standing.

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administrators: trustee, president, vice president, chancellor, principal, dean
other: college, faculty (university), professor, tenure, curriculum, graduate student