Campus community members named to search committee for next provost

Grand Valley's next provost will arrive during a transitional period that divides student affairs and academic affairs, enabling that person to focus on the work of faculty, colleges, libraries and other academic units.

A campus committee has been established to guide the search, supported by consultants from Storbeck Search. 

The 18-member campus committee is composed of student leaders, staff and faculty members; it is co-chaired by Felix Ngassa, professor of chemistry and chair of University Academic Senate, and Paul Stansbie, associate dean of the College of Education and Community Innovation. See the committee list online at gvsu.edu/provostsearch. 

Ngassa said the search will be open, meaning the final candidates will publicly give presentations on campus. 

Ngassa and Stansbie agreed the next provost should embrace liberal education and the shared governance model of collaborative work between Grand Valley's administration and faculty toward common goals.

"We will also seek someone to navigate us through the changing dynamics of the higher education landscape and position Grand Valley as a fiscally sustainable leader of innovative, high-quality education for all," Stansbie said.

At the June 25 Board of Trustees meeting, Maria Cimitile, provost and executive vice president, announced she was stepping down after four years in that role.

Updates on the search will be posted on the website and announced to the campus community. Questions and comments can be sent via email to [email protected].