Provost finalists visit campus

    Following scheduling conflicts in the Nashville, Tenn., semi-finalist interviews, three candidates have been named finalists for the position of provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
     University President Randy Dunn said although two of the 12 Provost Search Committee members were unable to attend the 10 semi-finalist interviews, Human Resources has worked with committee leaders to ensure proper procedure is being followed hence forth.
    “As is always the case when you’re working with a large number of search committee members, as we are in this case due to the importance of the hire, it can be the situation that not every member can be involved in every step of the process,” Dunn said. “Human Resources determined that since those members were not a part of that process, they should not be part of the deliberations on choosing the three finalists. Anyone who might suggest that all of the committee members aren’t taking this seriously and fulfilling their role, are just throwing out a red herring. ”
   Diane Boothe, David Glassman and Guiyou Huang visited the campus this week and attended forums for both the faculty and the entire community.      
  Diane Boothe, dean of and professor in the College of Education at Boise State University since 2005, received a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Science in school administration at California State University-Fullerton. She received her doctorate in public administration from the University of Southern California.                  Boothe previously held the positions of chair and professor in the department of curriculum and instruction, director of the Collaborative Schools Initiative and director of the Advanced Academy at the University of West Georgia.
      Boothe was introduced to the campus  at forums Monday and Tuesday.
    Boothe outlined her leadership style and experience. She said she believes coworkers would say she is creative, innovative, motivated, organized and high-energy.  She also said technology is a vital instrument that must be embraced and infused into the learning process.
    Boothe stressed the importance of communication across programs and shared leadership.
    “A provost needs to commit to openness, to risk-taking and to collaboration,” Boothe said. “My leadership style visibly and actively models the institutional decision-making process.”
  David Glassman has served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of anthropology at the University of Southern Indiana since 2004. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis.
    From there, Glassman obtained a Master of Arts and a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Before his current position, Glassman served as the associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and chair of the department of anthropology at Texas State University-San Marcos.
    Glassman attended forums Thursday and Friday.
    In his open community forum, Glassman outlined his goals as potential provost. He emphasized the importance of utilizing technology and promoting sustainability.
     Glassman also touted efforts at increasing partnerships with area elementary and high schools for recruitment and community colleges for transfer students.
     “We have to find ways to cultivate them (transfer students), to make them interested and join Murray State,” Glassman said. “I believe in public education, and public education has a reciprocation and a commitment.”   
    Guiyou Huang has served as dean of the Biscayne College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at St. Thomas University-Miami Gardens since 2007.  After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English at Qufu Teachers University in China, Huang finished graduate studies in English at Peking University and then received a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University-College.
    Prior to his current position, Huang was director of the Institute for World Languages and dean of undergraduate studies and programs at St. Thomas University. He was also director of the Honors College at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., chair of the department of English and director of the Honors Program at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and the director of Student Affairs at Qufu Teachers University in China.
     Contact Akers at crystal.akers@murraystate.edu.