The only candidate for provost that currently holds that position visits campus today.
Brian Foster, the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Mexico, will host the second candidate-led public forum at 2:30 p.m. today in the Auditorium. Foster will meet with university officials and students and answer questions from the MSU community.
Foster, whose background is in anthropology, said his ideal vision of a university is a place where people come together through an excitement about learning.
"What makes a great university is a really excited community where people are really passionate about ideas," Foster said. "In the course of that, learning is enhanced and quality of research is improved."
The provost is second in command to the president and oversees areas such as appointments, terminations, salaries and the academic budget.
When making decisions about budget cuts, it is important to have a plan for the direction of the university, Foster said.
"You can't separate budget decisions without a strategic plan of how you want the university to go," Foster said. "You have to have a plan. It's like having a Maserati without a road map. It doesn't matter how good the car is, you need to know where to go. Everything follows from that."
Foster said he is stepping down from his post as provost at the University of New Mexico because of the new environment there.
"As a new president, a new Board of Regents, a new direction and new policies came in, it seemed to be good to have someone else more attuned to that structure and management style," Foster said. "It's not a bad environment I want to escape from, just a little bit of a different vision."
His previous experience as a provost sets him apart from other candidates, said Patricia Smith, a history and history of art senior and member of the search committee.
"That's an important thing to look at - how he handled the provost position previously," said Smith, former vice chairperson of internal affairs for ASMSU's Student Assembly. "He's the only one who's been provost and it's interesting to see how he compares with the other candidates."
The provost sets the tone for the university and makes people feel included, Foster said.
In addition to hosting the public forum that includes an audience question-and-answer session, Foster also will meet with administrators, faculty and students today.
Kimberly Yake, a member of the provost search and rating committee and mathematics graduate student, said provost candidates must show they understand the importance of student involvement.
"I am looking for a commitment that student involvement and participation is important," said Yake, who also is the parliamentarian of the Council of Graduate Students. "Graduate students play an important role with their learning and research, but also with helping undergraduate students in their education."
The 22-member provost search and rating committee selected five candidates earlier this month after conducting a national search that produced 50 applicants.
The committee is composed of faculty members, deans, specialists and graduate and undergraduate students and will make its recommendations to the MSU Board of Trustees, which will choose the provost at its June meeting.
