Kent State University is looking for a provost, and depending on who they hire, Loyola could be on the hunt for one in the coming months as well.

Provost Walter Harris is one of four candidates in the running for the Ohio university’s position.

According to Harris, he’s not actively looking for a new job but said he was nominated as a candidate. Still being considered this late in the search is something he’s excited about, he said, adding he still continues “to be very excited about Loyola.”

If he is selected, Harris said he’s not yet sure he’d accept the job. “I’ll have to make a decision on that,” he said.

A provost position might not be all Harris has to decide on at some point. He said several other universities have spoken to him about president positions. He would not expand on which universities, though.

“I have had a number of people nominate me for positions, and we’re just taking it one day at a time,” he said.

The announcement of Harris’ candidacy comes a little less than a month after Loyola announced John Cornwell, assistant provost, will be leaving in February for an administrative position at Rice University.

The Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president, said that should Harris leave, Loyola will seamlessly transition through the interim and search phases for new provosts. No interim provost has been named for Cornwell’s position or for Harris if he should leave, Wildes said.

“I think we have enough talented folks around that I could find someone to be interim (provost) while we did the search,” Wildes said.

Harris agreed with Wildes, saying, “Loyola is a very strong university, and I think we have been able to put in place some mechanisms that will serve the university well (if I leave).”

Joseph Harris, chairman of the faculty senate and associate professor of theatre arts and dance, said he’s had “relatively intense” interaction with Walter Harris this year. He said in his experiences, the provost “demonstrated … a sincere desire to cooperate with the faculty in terms of issues and questions that have arisen during the year.”

He thinks the possible loss of two provosts will have some effect on Loyola, and while he said he’s not sure what it will be, he doesn’t think it will be insurmountable.

“Administrative offices are not just one person, and things move along and are dealt with with a staff, and I think that will continue to happen,” he said.

“If he moves, I would hope that whoever comes into that position would be able to provide just as good a working relationship.”

Walter Harris will visit Kent State next week to meet with the search committee. One question that may arise during interviews is that of recent votes of no confidence by the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences.

He said his resume is the best answer to any of those questions.

“I think people will have to look at my record and make a decision based on their own judgment,” he said.

A recent report by the American Association of University Presidents that examined New Orleans universities post-Katrina and criticized the way Loyola restructured the university will not affect his odds, Harris said.

“That report was directed to the president. I don’t think it would have a bearing on me.”

The Kent State search committee hopes to make a recommendation on a provost candidate by Feb. 15.

Daniel Monteverde can be reached at [email protected].