Kim Wilcox's first day on campus was more publicity than policy.

The new provost, who officially took office Monday, started his day chatting with new deans and department heads, had an afternoon video shoot and in between, conversed with The State News over lunch.

To be fair, Wilcox has spent the last two weeks meeting with university officials and learning the ropes from former Acting Provost John Hudzik, who is now a senior adviser to the provost on an interim basis.

"This was not a job I wanted to stay in in the long run," Hudzik said. "He was my choice (for the position)."

When asked why he hasn't yet been in contact with student leadership, Wilcox said, "It's my first day on the job here, give me a break," punctuating his response with one of the frequent bursts of laughter he is known for.

But Wilcox, who had previously served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, doesn't plan on waiting long to begin pushing for change.

"Everything we do has a long-standing impact. There are things that we can start to do right now," he said, navigating north campus sidewalks with the familiarity of a man who spent four years at MSU as an undergraduate. "We have a special responsibility to think about how we attend to student needs and issues right now."

But Wilcox said he is looking to MSU's future as well and reiterated the challenge of Hudzik and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon for the university to integrate its programs on an international scale.

"We have to be a university that understands people and cultures in a richer way than we have in the past," he said. "To be successful, you're going to have to have a knowledge base that's 21st-century oriented ... and you also have to have the skills that are flexible enough to relearn the world."

Hudzik said he and Wilcox have been working to ensure the administration's funding is in line with the long-term goals of the university, and Wilcox came to MSU with an appreciation for plans administrators have developed over the past few years.

"In time, he's going to put his own stamp or direction on those plans," Hudzik said. "He sees the university heading in the right direction."

Wilcox said he is already beginning to plan next year's budget and has been involved in discussions about the possibility of a new residential college at MSU.

The college would be geared more to the humanities than the Lyman Briggs School or James Madison College, he said. Even though the plans are vague, Wilcox said the prospect of the college is likely.

Linguistics professor Grover Hudson said he hoped Wilcox would be open to involving faculty in his decision-making process.

"We look forward to his being ready to consult with faculty early and often," Hudson said.

In the spring of 2003, many faculty members expressed concern that then-Provost Simon had not adequately included them in discussions about her plan to reorganize liberal arts at the university.

Keeping the lines of communication open with students is a crucial part of his job, Wilcox said, and he plans to have regular meetings with student government.

"You know, I spent four years working in the Holmes Hall cafeteria, and I always kind of liked dorm food," he said, pausing to add another hearty laugh. "I hope to get out and have dinner in residence halls, literally be out and about, and get a sense of what people think.

"My goal is to be as connected with the students' needs as I can be, to help them understand my thinking as best can be."

Wilcox was skeptical of any lasting problems between students and the city of East Lansing after the April 2-3 disturbances.

He said it is primarily the students' responsibility to behave appropriately, but he is more than willing to help "mend any fences that need to be mended."

With rising tuition costs, he used his morning meeting with faculty to stress the importance of delivering a higher-quality academic experience to students and said money has been set aside to invest in academic quality.

"It's not about raising tuition; it's about planning for tuition," he said Monday afternoon. "We have money from all kinds of sources. How do we plan so all those dollars make the best university we can?"

Moments later, he dashed across Grand River Avenue, leaving the more timid reporter and photographer to wait out the traffic.

Wilcox has never been one to stay put long.

After graduating from MSU he headed to graduate school at Purdue University, then joined the faculty at the University of Missouri.

He later ended up at Kansas, where he climbed the departmental ladder, finally being named a dean after a four-year stint with the Kansas Board of Regents.

But he called MSU a "perfect fit."

"We're not a snob school by any stretch. In fact, we want to have a wide range of students here. I was one of those kids," he said. "We're serious about what we do.

"We're just comfortable when we're doing it."

Bob Darrow can be reached at darrowro@msu.edu.