Candidate interviews expected to begin later this month

Wanted: an accomplished and intelligent leader, with the vision, commitment and ability to advance a multi-campus public research university.

That’s one of the things Jim Gaudino, dean of the College of Communication and Information and head of the provost search committee, says the university is looking for in its next provost. The provost is head of academics at the university. In fact, President Lester Lefton has changed the title to senior vice president for academic affairs and provost to reflect this.

The search for the next provost began earlier this semester after Provost Paul Gaston announced he will step down from his position to become an English professor at the university.

At that time, Lefton appointed Gaudino to head the search. Gaudino said the committee will likely begin interviewing candidates by Nov. 20.

“We are going through the process now of making initial reviews of applications as they are received,” Gaudino said.

The qualifications for prospective candidates were created based on input from groups the committee spoke with and an online survey. Other qualifications, according to Gaudino and the committee’s Web site, include excellent management and communication skills as well as ability to be a good spokesperson for the university, including its regional campuses.

Gaudino said some of the groups the committee met with for input about the position were the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, chairs and directors of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Faculty Senate, Kent State deans and a number of school and department faculty adviser committees.

The Web site survey helped to find the common elements people desire in a provost, Gaudino said.

The provost search committee is on a tight schedule and will have to present three to five candidates for the job to Lefton by January.

“The provost search is progressing well and is consistent with the timetable that we had established at the beginning of the search,” Lefton said. “The committee is meeting regularly and sifting through files and has reported to me that we have a good group of applicants and nominees.”

Contact academic affairs reporter Heather Scarlett at [email protected].