Provost Candidate to Visit Campus Next Week
Dear faculty and staff members,
Last year, a search committee worked diligently to identify candidates for the position of provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
Dr. David Danahar has served ably in that post since being named interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs in August 2016. His appointment, however, was always intended to be temporary. The search committee, assisted by an executive staffing agency, has pursued candidates whose education, experience and personalities would make them a good fit for this vital role on a more permanent basis.
Committee members pored over applicants’ résumés and conducted interviews via Skype to narrow the field. A few finalists were invited to visit our campus. Faculty and staff had a chance to meet with them, ask questions and offer their evaluations.
In April 2017, I asked the search committee to consider more candidates. The same process was followed.
In July, for a variety of reasons, I suspended the consultant-aided search. Dr. Danahar graciously agreed to continue to serve as interim provost. His contributions have been especially valuable as we implement our strategic plan and prepare for our next SACS reaccreditation.
Although the formal search was suspended, we have been informally keeping an eye out for individuals who might serve the University well as a long-term provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
There is a new candidate who has such potential, so I called on the search committee to evaluate his qualifications. The Committee followed the same evaluation procedures it used previously and has invited him to visit campus next Monday and Tuesday, April 23-24. Faculty and staff will have an opportunity to meet him and offer their opinions about his suitability for the position. Background information and details about his visit will be emailed to you in the next few days.
I want to again thank the search committee for its continuing assistance.
The provost and vice president for Academic Affairs is a key position for the University.
With everyone’s help, I’m confident that we will ultimately hire the best person to fill this important position.
Sincerely,
Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu