The search for a permanent university provost is underway, said John English, chair of the provost search committee and the dean of the College of Engineering.
An advertisement calling for applications and nominations for the position was distributed across the U.S. in early June, English said.
“We want the very best possible provost,” English said. “The committee is actively involved in the process, trying to locate possible candidates and collect applications.”
The committee is comprised of 24 members, including deans, faculty, staff and two students.
“We’ve tried to get a very large cross section and design it so it cuts across different levels of academics,” English said. “We wanted to include all colleges and administration units, so it’s a complementary representation of the university.”
Chelsea Good, graduate student in communication studies, is a student member of the search committee. She said though the committee is large, she feels the other members have done a good job including Dalton Henry, student body president and senior in agricultural economics and agricultural communication.
“They encourage us to speak up,” Good said. “The students’ opinions are important to the committee.”
After the previous provost, M. Duane Nellis, was named president of the University of Idaho, Ruth Dyer stepped up from her position as associate provost to serve as interim provost on June 15. Dyer said Nellis was helpful in preparing her to take over the responsibilities of the provost and she has enjoyed leading K-State in this new position.
Dyer also said she has been working on issues related to budget cuts and Kansas Board of Regents performance agreements.
“I feel what my role is is to move the university forward and make the transition smooth for the next provost,” Dyer said.
Dyer said she has learned that being the provost requires a broad view of the university and an understanding of all aspects and academic units.
“And a sense of humor!” she said. “There are a lot of stressful situations that you have to deal with, so you have to be able to have a good laugh every now and then.”
Sue Peterson, assistant to the president and director of governmental relations, said she has worked with Dyer for the past several years at K-State and is impressed with her ability to take charge and accomplish goals. Peterson also said finding a permanent provost will be “no problem” for the search committee.
“I think we have an outstanding national reputation for academics and leadership and I think we’ll attract terrific candidates and interest,” she said.
The search committee is open to both internal and external applications and will start reviewing applications and narrowing the search on Aug. 18. English said he hopes to have the new provost in place by January 2011 and is confident in the committee’s decision.
“We need a provost who will be aggressive and have that extraordinary leadership,” he said. “They are the drive behind the K-State of tomorrow.”
Be the first to comment on this article!