The search is on to fill two major administrative positions at Miami University.
In early April, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Bobby Gempesaw announced his plans to leave Miami. He is taking a position as president of St John's University in New York City.
Along with Gempesaw, Carine M. Feyten, dean of Miami's College of Education, Health and Society will step down at the end of semester.
Feyten was named chancellor and president of Texas Woman's University, the nation's largest university primarily for women, last week. Both Gempseaw and Feyten will start their respective jobs July 1.
As Gempesaw was an integral player in Miami's 20/20 vision, President David Hodge said his ideal candidate for the provost position would be one who supports that plan.
"First and foremost, we would hope to attract somebody who gets excited about that and wants to make that happen," he said.
For the dean of education position, Hodge is looking for someone who is able to handle a transforming industry and see the school as unified.
"It's important that these candidates understand the inherent strengths of Miami and our goals at the same time as acting as a change agent for helping us to think differently and advance what our core mission is," Hodge said.
In order to find those candidates, University News and Communication Director Claire Wagner said the first step is to select a search firm. The university sent out requests for proposals last week.
The goal for the end of the semester is to assemble a search committee comprised of university officials that will work alongside the firm. Over the summer, the search firm will talk to the constituencies across the university and put together a prospectus about the positions, which includes the major attributes Miami is seeking.
This prospectus will be passed around the education network and posting in publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
"The advertisements will produce a few good candidates, but our experience is that the best candidates are those that have been referred to us and the search firm follows up on them and not just waiting for applications," Hodge said.
Wagner said candidates for the provost position will hopefully be selected in the fall. At that point, a first round of review and confidential interviews will take place with the overall goal of making a final decision by late November. The process for filling the Dean of Education spot will fall a few months behind and will most likely be made by next spring.
Along with conducting a national search, Hodge and Wagner agree current Miami faculty and staff members will be considered for both jobs as well.
"We're always hoping we're building up," Hodge said. "We always want to encourage internal candidates to be a part of the process."
All in all, he is confidant Miami will find great people to fill the shoes of both Gempesaw and Feyten.
"They are leaving really big holes," Hodge said. "Because of their success, both at Miami and now being able to go on, I would think we would be even more attractive than ever for people to come into these positions."
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.