Pitt holds forum to find new provost

The University will hold a forum for faculty, staff and students to give feedback about the… The University will hold a forum for faculty, staff and students to give feedback about the search for a new provost.

Students and faculty on the Oakland campus can gather in 2700 Posvar Hall Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Individuals at Pitt’sregional campuses can participate by meeting at designated locations on their campuses and video conferencing into the Oakland meeting.

Students and faculty who can’t attend the meetings can view webcasts at mediasite.cidde.pitt.edu. The webcast will allow them to comment and ask questions by clicking on a balloon icon in the lower-righthand corner of the screen, according to the Provost Search section of Pitt’s website. Their comments will be sent to other people participating in the video conference.

Students and staff can also submit written comments to the Provost Search Committee, a group of 21 administrators and student leaders from Pitt’s main and branch campuses.

The University is conducting a nationwide search for a provost to replace current-Provost James Maher, who announced in November that he will step down as provost and vice chancellor for the 2010-11 school year and return to teaching.

People who would like to apply to be provost or submit nominations for provost can send materials to the Texas-based higher education consulting firm R. William Funk & Associates at 100 Highland Park Village, Suite 200, Dallas, Texas, 75205. For “optimal consideration,” people should send their applications to R. William Funk & Associates by March 15, according to Pitt’s website.

The Provost Search Committee will narrow down a list of candidates and give them to Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, who makes the final decision. The University hopes to have a new provost selected by the end of the third fiscal quarter, July 1, according to its website.

Maher has served as provost for the past 15 years. He began teaching at Pitt in 1970, as a member of the physics and astronomy department.

Locations for the branch campus portions of the meeting are as follows:

-Bradford — 237 Swarts Hall

-Greensburg — 250 Millstein Library

-Johnstown — 201 Biddle Hall

-Titusville — G7 Haskell Library

For more information, contact Randy Juhl, vice chancellor and chair of the search committee, at (412) 624-9111 or rjuhl@pitt.edu.