Spring Break
No clear candidate yet as provost search persists
BRITTANY COFER
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: News
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William Potter, chair of the Provost Search Committee, said the committee created the Web site www.libs.uga.edu/provost to list the job ad, committee members and general information for applicants.
The provost serves as the University's Chief Academic Officer, responsible for instruction, research and outreach, Potter said.
"The core mission of the University is to teach, to research and to serve," Potter said. "All three of those come under the provost."
University President Adams announced the retirement of Arnett Mace, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, at the annual State of the University address in January. Mace's retirement is effective Jan. 1, 2010.
Potter told The Red & Black the 20-member search committee - consisting of faculty, staff, administrators, students and alumni - is looking for a "distinguished record in teaching and research and in service," but it doesn't want to "get too restrictive" in the qualifications.
Last month the University Council passed a motion that would give it more say in the hiring decision. Adams responded after the motion passed, saying the decision was "ill advised" and he might veto it because it could affect the number of applicants.
"I don't think that's true at all," said Susan Mattern-Parkes, the council member who brought forward the motion, in a phone interview Tuesday. "I don't think any candidate we would want to hire would not expect to face careful scrutiny of the decision."
Mattern-Parkes said she sees the University's reputation of hiring internally as being a deterrent.
"We have seen inside candidates appointed [for positions], and it's not that they're not qualified - everyone agrees they are qualified," she said. "We would just like to see a full and fair procedure that gives people a chance to come in from outside. It's a concern of not getting fresh blood and fresh ideas."
Potter said the search committee has "absolutely no preconception" to hire a candidate from inside the University, saying the position is "wide open."
"The president has made it clear to us it's a wide-open search," Potter said. "We'll look at everybody outside and everybody inside, and we'll treat them equally."
In the past two provost searches, applicant numbers have been "upwards of 100," Potter said.
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