Input sought for provost search
By Blair Busch
Skiff Reporter

Faculty and staff expressed their opinions about what characteristics the Advisory Provost Search Committee should look for in a candidate during a forum Wednesday.

The committee invited faculty and staff to the forum for responses to three questions: What challenges would the new provost face, what characteristics would lead to success and what is most compelling about the position of provost at this time?

“This is a forum and I intend for it to be forward-looking,” said Nadia Lahutsky, committee chair. “The advisory search committee is seeking your best advice for these three questions.”

Geology Chairman Nowell Donovan said the opportunities for a provost here are spectacular. The university has excellent undergraduate studies that need to be maintained, he said.

“We have a nice solid endowment and we are a solid university,” Donovan said. “The provost should view TCU as a well hidden secret.”

The new provost should have knowledge of the use of technology and be willing to take the challenge of keeping the university on the cutting edge, said Catherine Wehlburg-Krasowsky from the Center for Teaching Excellence.

“People want to be involved in this process,” Lahutsky said. “I counted 58 people at one point, and I think that speaks to the level of commitment faculty and staff have to the university.”

Bill Funk, the consultant from Korn/Ferry, is also going through the leaders he knows in the academic world to find some that will be a good fit with TCU, Lahutsky said. The university is also actively seeking nominations for the position from faculty and staff, she said.

“We are going to work our way from what we hope is a small mountain of resumes so that we have a lot of choices,” Lahutsky said.

The committee drafted an advertisement that ran in the Chronicle of Higher Education last week and again this week. The ad listed the qualifications candidates should meet. Among those were an earned doctorate, earned tenure and a strong record of accomplishment in teaching and scholarship. Also listed was the ability to think strategically, build consensus, and engage the multiple constituencies of the university in collegiate and constructive decision making.

For faculty and staff who could not attend the meeting, the committee will have a Web site (www.provost.tcu.edu/search) available Sept. 26 to receive comments about candidate qualifications.

“The Web site is designed to keep faculty and staff in communication with the committee,” Lahutsky said.