Michigan State Interim Provost Teresa A. Sullivan attended last night’s Associated Students of Michigan State University, or ASMSU, General Assembly meeting to introduce herself and address her role and duties as provost.
“The provost is in charge of faculty basically from the time they are hired until the time they retire and has considerable influence on the students from the time they’re admitted until the time they graduate,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan has served as provost and executive vice president of academic affairs since Oct. 1, after June Youatt resigned on Sept. 5. after a $4.5 million fine from the U.S. Department of Education.
She will be in this position until the end of the academic year as the search for MSU’s new provost continues.
The provost oversees curriculum and research projects and administers faculty-wide appointments, promotions, working conditions and tenure.
Additionally, Sullivan works closely with the deans of the colleges, they report and are periodically reviewed by the provost.
The university is currently in search of deans for the College of Law, College of Social Science and James Madison College. Sullivan and her department are putting together committees to find deans for these colleges and giving students opportunities to become involved in the search process.
As the searches continue late into the academic year, they will most likely be continued by Sullivan’s successor.
ASMSU President Mario Kakos reported that this past Monday there was a provost search meeting in which Sullivan entailed parts of her job as provost.
“At each university the provost does their thing,” Kakos said. “ ... It really varies, it’s not a one size fits all. But it all essentially boils down to the provost upholding the act.”
Kakos is serving as the only undergraduate student representative on the committee in search of the new provost. He said that the search is still in preliminary stages, reaching out to potential candidates and reviewing applications.
“The candidates will be able to speak with provost Sullivan to get more insight on how the provost is contextualized at MSU specifically,” Kakos said.
There will be a student listening session in the Lake Huron Room in the Union on Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Kakos is expecting the committee’s role in this search to kick in sometime in late February. In his role on the committee he has done research on what MSU needs from a provost and hopes students are able to become aware and care about the role they have at the university.
The average student doesn't know what a provost does,” Kakos said. “ ... I'm not looking for someone who is going to continue to do what the past provosts have done, but to truly maintain the best parts of that role and transform it in other ways as well.”
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