The search for a new provost is over.
On Tuesday, the Rev. Bernard Knoth S.J., university president, announced to faculty and staff members that Walter Harris, Jr., University of North Carolina Senior Executive Fellow, will become provost and academic vice president.
He will relocate to New Orleans this summer and take over Lydia Voigt’s position, interim provost and academic vice president. Voigt also ran for the provost position.
Faculty and student reaction on the naming of Harris is mixed.
“My strong impression is that the faculty (and staff) are very disappointed, if not outraged, that Lydia Voigt was not selected to be provost, considering she was the consensual choice of the overwhelming number of people I heard and talked to in our provost search meetings,” Anthony Ladd, associate professor of sociology, said.
Mary Blue, associate professor of communications, saw the decision to pick the provost as the president’s alone.
“The faculty handbook says he can pick the provost and he did,” Blue said. “He has the right to choose.”
During the search, Blue said she tried to stay as objective as humanly possible but that the search committee was not representative of everyone’s opinions.
“I don’t believe that I got a random sample of people on campus,” Blue said. “We would need to poll everybody or pull a random sample and get everyone’s opinion.”
She added that the provost nomination would not change anything in daily life on campus. Blue said the president has the right to choose the provost because he is the one who will deal with him the most.
“I’ve lived through four provosts and I haven’t noticed any difference,” Blue said. “I’m more concerned about my dean and my chairs. I think the academic area of the university is best served with someone who has a positive relationship with the president, no matter who it is.”
Leslie Parr, associate professor of communications, said she thought Lydia Voigt made a fine interim provost.
“I’m disappointed that Dr. Voigt was not selected,” Parr said. “I felt that she was very qualified for the job.”
Student response to the provost announcement was mixed as well.
“I knew they were looking for one but I don’t know how all that works,” Tracey Greenup, psychology sophomore, said.
“Dr. Voigt proved that she could handle the job over the year,” Brandon Thibodeaux, economics and finance junior, said.
In an e-mail address to faculty and staff members, Knoth said he offered Harris the job after receiving a list of recommended names from the search committee and consulting with the Board of Trustees.
The search committee was composed of nine faculty and staff members, including committee chair Dian Tooley, professor at the law school, Blue from the communications department, Mary McCay, chairperson of the English department, Rhonda Cartwright, the vice president of academic affairs, Craig Hood, chairperson of biological sciences, William Barnett, associate professor of business administration, Susan Brower, associate professor of the university library, Billie Ann Wilson, professor of the City College and director of nursing and Philip Frohnmayer, professor of music. They reviewed five candidates.
Voigt will take a sabbatical before she returns to Loyola as Distinguished University Professor for Planning and Assessment.
Harris will oversee operations to plan and complete the university’s educational objectives and scrutinize all policies, standards and objectives.
Harris received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University.
In 2000-2002, Harris was the provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at North Carolina Central University and spent eight years as vice provost at Arizona State University.
Knoth went on vacation Wednesday and was unavailable for comment.
