The Provost
Search Committee hopes to present a name to Chancellor Francis T.
Borkowski near the end of March, Committee Chair and Director of
Institutional Research and Planning Bobby H. Sharp said Friday.
Borkowski formed the search committee, made of 18 members, last
September due to the retirement this June of Provost and Executive
Vice Chancellor of Appalachian State University Harvey R. Durham
after 38 years of service to the university.
The committee’s mission is to provide a chief academic officer
of integrity and vision to lead the university’s undergraduate
and graduate programs, the library, academic support services and
extended campus programs, according to the position announcement
released by Appalachian State.
In addition to Appalachian’s Web site, the committee placed
the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor position announcement
in international sources, such as the Chronicle of Higher Education
and higheredjobs.com last fall, Sharp said.
Five open forums were set up last semester to provide the university
community opportunities to advise the Provost Search Committee on
issues, concerns and challenges to consider while completing its
charge, according to a press release.
“The open forums were part of the committee’s effort to
listen to the campus,” Sharp said. “We had a lot of input.”
Sixty-nine applicants are currently being screened, Sharp said.
“The incredibly dedicated faculty, staff and students working
on this committee have spent a lot of time reviewing applications,”
committee member and Director of Student Programs David L. Robertson
said Friday. “[The committee] takes very seriously the impact
this will have on this campus.”
Sharp said the committee hopes to narrow the field to just over
a dozen applicants at the Thursday meeting.
By the end of March, hopeful applicants will spend a few days on
the Appalachian State campus meeting students, faculty and staff.
Borkowski will make the final cut and choose the new provost.
Provost Harvey R. Durham has offered advice to the committee. Durham’s
tenure ends June 30 when he will pass the torch to a new face.
It is hard to summarize just how much Durham will be missed, Sharp
said.
“He’s not only my supervisor; I consider him my mentor,”
Sharp said. “He’s got absolute integrity, and that is
one of the first words in the application.”
Sharp adds this committee is set upon the “principle of not
settling for somebody,” which means that if a well-suited applicant
is not found then a new search will begin.
