Final provost candidate discusses future challenges, successes

The final candidate in the search for the next Grand Valley provost discussed how the university would meet future academic challenges and celebrate achievements. 

Stephen L. Esquith gave a public presentation January 19 in the Cook-DeWitt Center on the Allendale Campus. He will be available on Friday, January 20, for an open meeting and Q&A session from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the DeVos Center, Regency Room, on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Each of the three finalists were asked to provide a vision of what Grand Valley would look like in five years under his or her leadership as provost. Esquith laughed and said that assignment caused some time travel and "fancy footwork" to complete.

He projected community partnerships and pipeline programs would play a role in increasing enrollment and diversifying the campus community. Esquith called innovation a critical component of learning, and stressed interdisciplinary work among faculty members and students. He also discussed the infusion of liberal education into professional programs.

"We do this by balancing the demands of a robust general education curriculum with the accreditation demands of the professional programs," he said, citing a four-year plan termed, "Revisioning the Commons," or looking at programs through a different lens.

Esquith has served as dean of MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities since 2006. He earned a doctorate in politics and philosophy from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College.

He joined MSU’s faculty in 1980 and now serves as professor of philosophy. Esquith’s major publications include "Intimacy and Spectacle: Liberal Theory as Political Education" (Cornell, 1994) and "The Political Responsibilities of Everyday Bystanders" (Penn State, 2010).

Evaluation forms

Members of the campus community are encouraged to provide feedback on all candidates. Survey links for each candidate are posted online and are available until January 22.