Provost Search Committee Reports Progress

The national search for a new provost continues to proceed on schedule, and the Provost Search Committee has begun the process of reviewing applications that were submitted by the Jan. 2 deadline. Led by co-chairs Charles Weaver, chair of psychology and neuroscience in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Cindy Riemenschneider, professor of information systems and associate dean in the Hankamer School of Business, the committee identified a short list of candidates in early January, and will select a group of finalists from that list in February.

“We are looking for a highly respected scholar with experience in and an understanding of the demands of an R1 institution, a record of strong and effective leadership, a demonstrated commitment to diversity, and a mature Christian faith,” Riemenschneider said.

“Assembling the most dynamic, mission-focused group of senior administrators as we pursue our aspirations as a preeminent Christian research university is of vital importance. Our search for a provost remains a key element in bringing together the leadership team needed at this exciting time in our institution’s history,” said President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.

In an effort to engage the most
qualified candidates, the University deployed national advertising for the chief academic officer position and enlisted AGB Search to assist the committee in its work. Founded by
the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) in 2010,
AGB Search specializes in higher education leadership searches.

“We have been working closely with AGB search consultants Sally Mason and Oscar Page. As former University presidents, they have deep ties to the academic community, and they reached out to a wide variety of prospective candidates. For positions like this, almost all strong applicants are already in positions of academic leadership, and most are not actively seeking a new position. During their outreach efforts, Drs. Mason and Page identified key individuals, discussed the opportunity available at Baylor University, and worked with them throughout the application process. As a result, our pool contains a number of individuals we likely would not have identified without their assistance,” Weaver said.

To initiate the search process, AGB representatives travelled to Waco to meet with the search committee. Over a two-day period, the consultants met with President Livingstone, deans, vice provosts, members of the Faculty Senate, several full professors, representatives from the President’s Council and others.

“Our AGB consultants spent several months at the beginning of the fall meeting with a number of different constituent groups at the University, helping to modify and expand recruiting materials. They have met with the Search Committee on a number of occasions, and have had weekly calls with us as committee chairs. We are encouraged by the response from the academic community and expect a strong pool of qualified applicants,” Weaver said.

The next steps in the process are to identify a short list of six to eight candidates for in-person interviews, which should take place in early February. The committee will then recommend to the President up to three individuals to be brought to campus for final interviews sometime in the weeks to follow.

“The final selection will be made by the President following those visits. We anticipate our new Provost will be identified and named by the end of the spring semester,” Weaver said.