Committee begins provost hunt

The 16 members of the Provost Search Committee met for the first time Monday and took up the charge made by President Sheldon Hackney to find a replacement for outgoing Provost Michael Aiken. Economics Department Chairperson Andrew Postlewaite, who is chairing the committee, said the group met with the president for more than an hour Monday, but has not had its first official committee meeting. Postlewaite said the search committee will consider candidates from both inside and outside the University. He said the president has not given the committee a deadline. Before the search starts, Postlewaite said, committee members will consult with University deans and others at "a large number of universities" about possible candidates. He said the vacant position will be advertised nationally in educational publications. The first job of the committee is to determine a time when all members of the committee can meet, Postlewaite said. He said the search process "has to be fairly long and drawn out" since the chief academic officer's position is so important to the University. "I'd be happy if we are able to finish something by mid-fall," he said, but added that is "probably optimistic." Postlewaite added that if a replacement for Aiken is not found by the beginning of next semester, it will be up to Hackney to choose an interim provost. Aiken will leave the University in June to become chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Aiken was named to the post on February 5, but Hackney did not finalize a search committee until late last week. Hackney initially said he hoped a new provost would be named by July 1. The 12 faculty members on the committee -- six of whom were appointed by the Faculty Senate and six of whom were chosen by Hackney -- include three College professors, two Wharton School professors, one Nursing School professor, one Engineering School professor, two Medical School professors, one Dental School professor and two Social Work School professors. Hackney named Postlewaite as committee chairperson. The Nominations and Elections Committee chose College sophomore Beth Hirschfelder and College senior Jonathan Goldstein as the undergraduate representatives. Goldstein is a past member of the Undergraduate Assembly. Representatives of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly are GAPSA Chairperson Allen Orsi and GAPSA Vice Chairperson for Policy Anne Cubilie.

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