Chancellor Thorp's successor to take part in search for new provost

Along with adjusting to an office with a view of the Old Well, one of the new chancellor’s first responsibilities this spring will be selecting his or her number two.

The committee charged with finding the new executive vice chancellor and provost held its first search committee meeting Tuesday.

And though the chancellor search committee aims to have a new chancellor selected by July 1, the tentative schedule for the provost search committee anticipates the new chancellor to be interviewing three to five potential provost candidates as early as April 18.

Bruce Carney, who holds the position now, announced at the end of August that he will leave his position June 30 and return to the faculty.

The September announcement that Chancellor Holden Thorp would resign at the end of June put Carney’s plans on hold. But Thorp announced in January that the search for a new provost would begin, and that a 21-member search committee had been formed.

Kristen Swanson, chairwoman of the committee, said the group hopes to have a new provost chosen by late May.

Thorp spoke to the committee, saying he expects the University’s good standing will attract highly qualified candidates.

Thorp said the first quality the committee should seek in a provost is faculty experience, such as publishing papers and teaching students, to demonstrate an understanding for how a university functions.

“A nontraditional provost candidate doesn’t strike me as something that would work at North Carolina — you’re looking for a great scholar,” he said.

Swanson said the committee is looking for someone who can advocate for the academic mission of a research university, understands its financial challenges and is able to work respectfully with administrators.

“We are hoping to bring in a diverse pool of people who can both meet the qualifications and represent the diversity of this state that we live in and the population of this University,” she said.

Thorp said three of the key tasks of a provost are retaining administrators, articulating the academic objectives of the University and building a strong team in the provost’s office.

Rachel Myrick, student body vice president, is the sole undergraduate student on the search committee.

“I’m grateful that there are opportunities for students to serve on these committees, because I know that’s not the case at every university,” she said.

“So I’m appreciative that (Student Body President Will Leimenstoll) and I — that students are represented, both graduate and undergraduate, on both the chancellor selection committee and the provost selection committee, which I think is extremely important.”

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