It’s the final countdown in the College of Arts and Sciences dean search with the fourth and final candidate visiting campus yesterday.

Joseph Glover, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida, was the last candidate brought to campus. Although he is the one leaving the final impression on the search committee, Glover said that will have no effect on the decision.

“There are all sorts of psychological games that goes with these things,” Glover said. “Some people think the first one that comes in sets the bar for everyone else. Also, people are fresh and interested, and by the end of it they’re sort of tired and bored.”

One student attended the meet and greet and asked Glover what he thinks university entry requirements should be.

“The college gets the people that the admissions department lets in – but once these students are here, you want to make sure that they have the best opportunity for success,” Glover said. “So one of the things (the university) would like to do, at the very least, is to improve the retention rate among the undergraduate students, and to also improve the graduation rate among the undergraduate students.”

Glover said the University of Florida is about twice the size of Kent State. This is what he said would be the biggest difference between the two universities.

“That difference in scale makes for different challenges in management,” Glover said. “Plus, the development of the evolution of the universities is a little bit different.”

Glover said the University of Florida’s student body has different characteristics than that of Kent State’s. He also said the University of Florida is a more mature institution. He said he feels Kent State is a younger institution that is developing and ready to move on to its next stage of evolution.

“I think what the university is looking to do is to establish an identity for itself that would resonate nationally and really move up to the next level of achievement and excellence,” Glover said. “(The university) wants to ratchet up everything it’s doing to the next level.”

Glover said trying to identify the problems and “roadblocks to success” the students are having will allow the university to create programs and intervention strategies that will help students make progress and succeed.

Glover also said the biggest challenge at any university is to affect change in the culture.

“You’re going to have to change the way you do some things,” Glover said. “What that really means is you’re going to have to change the way people act, interact and go about their business. That is something that needs to be done slowly, carefully and in conversation with a lot of people. Change in culture is always an interesting endeavor.”

Contact College of the Arts and Sciences reporter Angelo Gargaro

at [email protected].