Forrest Maltzman will permanently serve as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, University President Steven Knapp announced Monday.
Maltzman has served as interim provost since former Provost Steven Lerman stepped down in January. He was previously the senior vice provost for academic affairs and planning for four years.
“After consulting with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and the deans and after working closely with him over the past six months, I am confident that Dr. Maltzman is ideally suited and well-positioned to lead the university’s academic programs through the presidential transition,” Knapp said in a release. Knapp announced earlier this month that he will leave the University next year.
This announcement contradicts previous statements from the University that there would be a national search for a new provost this fall. Officials are currently conducting four searches to fill positions after seven high-level administrators left GW over the past year.
“I am honored to serve as Provost, and I continue to look forward to working with President Knapp, the Deans, faculty and staff to help secure GW’s future in a changing higher education environment and to advance our teaching and research missions,” Maltzman said in the release.
Since taking over as interim provost, Maltzman has overseen a restructuring of the provost’s office, shifting GW’s online programs under the libraries, moving veterans services into the student affairs division and expanding the role of the University’s diversity chief to include community involvement.
And as the chief academic officer and No. 2 in the University, he will play an instrumental role in consulting and implementing the 3 to 5 percent budget cuts that are set to take place each year in the central administration until 2022, starting this year. The first round of cuts, which were announced last month, saw about 40 staff positions cut and shifted offices’ responsibilities, with at least two offices merged.
He also has started preparing for GW’s accreditation, which takes place every 10 years. He helped to lead accreditation in 2008.
As senior vice president for academic affairs and planning, Maltzman also played a leading role in major projects like the Science and Engineering Hall, crafting and implementing the strategic plan, and weathering GW through an admissions scandal.
Before starting his senior vice provost role, Maltzman was chair of the political science department for three years. He joined GW’s political science department in 1993. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and his doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
