There is a search underway for a new Provost and there’s a web site for it right here.
Two observations for now:
First, the time frame for this search seems to me to be compressed to say the least: it was announced in February or so, began in early March, and will wrap up in early May. Maybe this timeline is more common for these kinds of suited positions, but it takes us about 3 times as long to begin, conduct, and finish a search for a faculty member.
Second, a lot of folks who might be reading this– particularly students, parents, just folks in the community– might not be aware of what exactly the provost does. I never had a clear sense of the position until I started down the tenure-track myself, frankly. There’s a link on the provost search web site that gives organizational chart of EMU, but basically, the provost is the “second in command” of the university, and generally the one who does the heavy-lifting. The president’s job is to be the face of the institution and to raise money; the provost’s job is the one who really makes stuff run.
So it’s an important gig.
Hopefully the committee will see fit to schedule the finalists interviews at an accessible time….
Makes sense if the hiring decision has already been made and now it’s time to put on a show to pretend there’s an honest effort being made.
I know several people on the search committee, and their belief, which I share, is that this is a truly open search. The president has no predetermined choice. It’s a real search.