Provost candidate shares his vision for Grand Valley

A candidate in the provost search projected what would keep him up at night should he be selected for the position.

James E. Hinterlong, special assistant to the provost for Virginia Commonwealth University, gave a public presentation January 31 in the Kirkhof Center. He will be available at an open meeting from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 1, in the DeVos Center, Regency Room.

Hinterlong said stewardship and his responsibility to keep the university moving forward would be forefront in his mind, and also cited issues like student well-being and persistence gaps. "We may be fully committed to our mission, but I will always ask, 'How can we do it better?'" he said.

Hinterlong peppered his presentation with photos taken while he participated in a campus orientation tour. "I wanted to see Grand Valley from the eyes of prospective students, so I was able to hear from parents and prospective students," he said. "It was also a great way to see how Grand Valley created physical spaces for learning and connections."

All candidates were asked to give a presentation on their vision of Grand Valley five years from now. Hinterlong focused on priorities centered on student learning, diversity and inclusion, mutually beneficial partnerships, innovation and strategic resource alliances. 

Hinterlong earned a master's degree and doctorate in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri; and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Another candidate, Ian R. Davison, will give a public presentation on Monday, February 6, in the Kirkhof Center, room 2204. Simulcast locations will be the DeVos Center, room 111D, and Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, room 140.

Davison, dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Central Michigan University, will also be available on Tuesday, February 7, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. for an open meeting at the DeVos Center, Regency Room.

Two other candidates have interviewed for the position and are being considered; Denise Cobb interviewed January 12-13, and Stephen L. Esquith interviewed January 19-20. 

Evaluation forms will be available via Survey Monkey with links provided on the website. Questions regarding these meetings can be sent via email to [email protected].