I was excited when the provost finalists were announced. Our search team came up with four highly qualified finalists with amazing records of success at their current institutions, solid research records, national reputations and genuine interest in coming to AU. Each candidate could continue the tremendous legacies of past provosts like Ann Ferren, Milton Greenberg, Neil Kerwin and Ivy E. Broder. Unlike other searches, the campus would even have a chance to weigh-in at an open forum. So when I attend the forum I expected to have a practical conversation about where we, as an institution, are going and how these prospective provosts will help us achieve our goals. Yet, that expectation was dashed. I felt I was playing key word bingo as phrases like "collaborative," "academic excellence," "diversity," "engagement" and "retention" were tossed out with reckless abandon.
The problem is not with our candidates; rather, the problem is the timing of the search. We are hiring the builder without an architectural plan. Imagine for a moment that you wanted to remodel your house. You would probably look at your home, determine what features you liked, what you thought could be better and what amenities were being included in newer homes. After getting a few ideas you would get an architect to design plans, and hire a contractor to execute the project. No homeowner would hire a contractor have him install some new fixtures and do some painting only to have to tear out half of the work. That is exactly what AU is doing with our concurrent provost search and strategic planning process.
The strategic plan process is a critical and necessary step. AU saw rapid growth, economic development and program enhancement during the 1990s and early 2000s. We have seen an increase in study abroad sites, the caliber of students and faculty. The provost and campus life have introduced residential learning communities reflecting a better integration between campus life and academics. Our library has transformed itself from a static repository of books to an interactive learning environment. AU has been a juggernaut of academic advancement thanks to the hard work of so many talented individuals.
We need to take a step back and evaluate where we are, and what the future of AU looks like. Since the plan is still being developed, no one knows what steps AU needs to take. Perhaps we need to have a stronger emphasis on study abroad programs, or a decrease teaching loads. Perhaps we need to strengthen our sciences. We simply don't know. Because we don't know where we want to go, we are unable to hire the best provost for our needs.
Looking at the application materials, each of the four provost candidates has a particular strength. One has a tremendous record in improving graduate education and attracting NSF grants. Another has the experience of working as a dean at a large state university with a strong emphasis on the sciences. The third has worked as a dean at a large private university with a strong reputation for the arts and humanities. Our sole internal applicant has been working diligently to make AU better academically, integrating study abroad, and serving as dean of academic affairs. If our strategic plan says that we need to improve our sciences, or our humanities or our graduate education, there are clear choices as to whom we should hire. Without the completed strategic plan, we may just wind up hiring a strong humanities person when in reality we needed the science person. We had nothing to gain by rushing this process; our interim provost is doing an exceptional job and our school is prospering, after the adoption of the strategic plan we could better identify what skill sets would best serve our school. Patience is a virtue, and one that we should have practiced.
Peter Brusoe is a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Affairs and an AU politics columnist for The Eagle.
