At its meeting Monday, the search committee charged with selecting the next associate provost for diversity and multicultural affairs considered not only the position’s description but also its place within the hierarchy of University leadership.
Without articulating any definitive changes, committee members questioned whether the associate provost should serve in an advisory role or have more authority over efforts to improve diversity on campus.
“At some point we have to define how we expect this position to work with all the other folks on campus,” said Winston Crisp, vice chancellor for student affairs and a member of the search committee.
“If we don’t spend time thinking about that, we’re missing a tremendous opportunity to advance this work on the campus.”
Committee members debated whether the primary focus of the associate provost should be working with organizations that promote diversity or implementing changes in the hiring policies of departments where diversity is underrepresented.
“If we don’t do something to intervene with the culture of development at this University, I don’t think we are going to get much further than where we are now,” said Maria DeGuzman, director of Latina/o Studies.
She added that failing to target such departments has led to a lack of diversity in the faculty.
The committee met ahead of a campus visit from representatives of the William Spelman Executive Search firm, which was selected to help lead the search to replace Archie Ervin, who stepped down in October for the top diversity job at Georgia Institute of Technology. Terri Houston, formerly the senior director for diversity and multicultural programs, was tapped to serve in the role on an interim basis.
Representatives from the firm will meet with administrators and faculty next week to discuss how the provost will fit into administrative ranks.
