The provost search began in May, but Warwick Arden has been serving as interim provost since last May. Although finding a chancellor was more important at the time, the provost is now a pressing issue and the provost search committee needs to choose one soon. With the chancellor pushing for a draft of the University’s Strategic Plan by January, the University needs a provost in place to provide the plan stability.

At the September Chancellor’s Liaison Meeting, Chancellor Woodson expected to have chosen a provost in October. October is almost half way over and interviews just started. On May 17, both the provost and the athletic director searches began, however the athletic director was hired after a little over a month of searching. What happened to the provost?

Woodson added more responsibility to the provosts position shortly after he took office. The provost is now over the Office of Student Affairs, University Planning and Analysis and the Dean of the Graduate School, not to mention the entire academic side of the University. Arden has been keeping the position firmly in place, however the position needs a permanent administrator. They are needed to provide ample support and vision to effectively execute these new responsibilities so the University can move forward.

Although unable to be specific about who or when the candidates will be announced, Kelly Hook says the candidates that have been interviewed will work well with the chancellor and the University. The committee has remained focused on the students, because they will ultimately be affected by the decision. This is a good report, and the University expects action as soon as possible.

As the search winds down, the committee needs to open the search as soon as they feasibly can and make sure they make the candidates accessible. Advertising will be key as the candidates are interviewed by the campus community. Students need to know when and where well in advance so they can attend the meetings to meet the candidates.

For the future of the University, the provost search needs to draw to a close before another month goes by. Having a permanent provost will allow the University to move past the remnants of the Easley scandal and will help aid the chancellor as he pursues his Strategic Plan for the University. The students and the chancellor are ready to move forward, but the committee needs to let them.