Provost Search Update
September 6, 2012Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
I’m writing to follow up last month’s announcement about Dr. Bruce Carney’s plans to step down as executive vice chancellor and provost on June 30, 2013, to return to teaching and research. (For the full announcement, refer here).
The University’s future academic success depends on finding the right person to succeed Dr. Carney, who, with his colleagues, has accomplished so much in the past two-and-a-half years. The provost serves as chief academic officer and oversees all academic operations including our 13 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences, the University Library, a variety of centers and several cultural and educational units. The provost works closely with our vice chancellor for finance and administration to manage the University's budget process.
This search comes at a time when many of the University’s leading indicators of success are strong and directly linked to the leadership that Dr. Carney has provided in the provost’s office. We’re attracting record numbers of applications (exceeding 29,000) from outstanding first-year students. Faculty research funding and expenditures are at levels highly competitive with the nation’s very best public and private research universities. Faculty retention is improving. Private giving last year ranked second in University history. And we’re launching a campus-wide conversation this fall focusing on a “21st Century Vision of the Public University,” an initiative we’re undertaking jointly with our Board of Trustees. We expect a report emerging from that process next spring will help shape the University’s future and provide a foundation for the next private fundraising campaign.
This week, we finalized the membership of a 21-member search committee, which will be led by Kristen Swanson, dean of the School of Nursing and Alumni Distinguished Professor. I have asked her to work toward a timetable that will permit us to announce a new chief academic officer by next spring. The committee will decide the details of the national search process and share its recommendations for top candidates with me. I will make a recommendation to our Board of Trustees for final approval.
Joining Dean Swanson on the committee are a dozen other distinguished faculty colleagues representing the College of Arts and Sciences, our professional schools and the Office of Faculty Governance. They are:
- Howard Aldrich, Kenan professor and chair, Department of Sociology
- Bill Andrews, E. Maynard Adams Professor of English, Department of English and Comparative Literature
- Valerie Ashby, professor and chair, Department of Chemistry
- Jan Boxill, faculty chair and senior lecturer, Department of Philosophy
- Jo Anne Earp, professor and chair, Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health
- Thomas Hazen, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of Law, School of Law
- Barbara Moran, Louis Round Wilson Distinguished Professor and former dean, School of Information and Library Science
- Cam Patterson, Ernest and Hazel Craige Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine
- Douglas Shackelford, Meade H. Willis Distinguished Professor of Taxation, Kenan-Flagler Business School
- Mike Smith, dean and professor of public law and government, School of Government
- Dulcie Straughan, James H. and Hallie M. Parker Distinguished Professor and former interim dean, School of Journalism and Mass Communication;
- and Kim Strom-Gottfried, Smith P. Theimann Distinguished Professor for Ethics and Professional Practice and former interim dean, School of Social Work.
Also serving on the committee are:
- Alston Gardner, a member of our Board of Trustees and a lecturer of strategy and entrepreneurship, Kenan-Flagler Business School
- Taffye Clayton, vice provost for diversity and multicultural affairs
- Stephen Farmer, vice provost for enrollment and undergraduate admissions
- Karol Kain Gray, vice chancellor for finance and administration
- Bettina Shuford, associate vice chancellor for student affairs
- Jackie Overton, chair, Employee Forum
- Will Leimenstoll, student body president and a member of the Board of Trustees
- and Michael Bertucci, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation.
I will keep you informed as the search progresses.
Sincerely,
Holden Thorp