EDITORIAL: Desperately seeking a provost

The search committee must act quickly to secure a candidate with a solid academic vision. University President Judith Rodin began the search for a new provost last week with the appointment of a committee charged with finding a replacement for former Provost Stanley Chodorow. The committee -- consisting of a good balance of faculty and students -- must now work expediently to secure a permanent provost by next summer. Whether the top candidate is selected from within the University or from another institution, that person should be someone with a strong vision for academics. He or she will need to be able to quickly acclimate to the culture of the University and be ready to step in with drive and attack to reevaluate weak departments, motivate faculty recruitment and update department curriculum for the 21st century. Additionally, he should have ideas about ways to fund new academic initiatives and to ease the School of Arts and Sciences budget deficit. The provost search committee should look for someone who is willing to stand up for the importance of academics, favoring educational pursuits -- which are often hard to quantify -- over other University projects that reap more tangible benefits. The new provost must be someone with an enthusiasm for education and someone who can provide balance against the rest of the University administration -- a body which currently boasts several people with government and business backgrounds among its membership. Over the past year, University officials have devoted a great amount of energy to attracting new retail and revitalizing the area around campus. But for Penn to remain a top-level institution, academics must not be allowed to falter in the meantime. While Interim Provost Michael Wachter will keep things in check for the time being, a permanent replacement is needed to help the University get back on track toward academic progress.