Officials announced the search for a new provost Monday after former Provost Chris Bracey resigned in June.
University President Ellen Granberg said officials have launched a search committee for GW’s next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs in an email sent to students, faculty and staff Monday. The search follows former Provost Chris Bracey’s announcement in early June that he would step down on June 30 after four years in the role.
“As the university’s chief academic officer, the provost has broad responsibility for guiding GW’s overall academic enterprise,” Granberg said in the email.
Granberg said she appointed a committee co-chaired by former Trustee Madeleine Jacobs and Associate Professor of History and Chair of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee Katrin Schultheiss. The search advisory committee includes representatives from all colleges, key governance partners and Granberg’s leadership team, per the email.
The committee includes 21 members and the two co-chairs, totaling a committee of 23 GW community members. Among the committee are three administrators, two deans, two members of the board of trustees, one staff council member, two faculty members from the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, the associate dean of libraries and academic innovation, two students, including a Student Government Association senator and one faculty member from the other eight schools and colleges.
She said the search advisory committee will host a series of listening sessions in early September to hear about the community’s “aspirations” for the provost role, and she encourages community members to participate.
The University hired John Simon, a former president of Lehigh University and former provost of the University of Virginia, who is now a consultant for Education Executives to conduct the search. Granberg said Simon has a “proven track record” of successful placements for positions like the provost role and encourages community members to send Simon their nominations or thoughts about what they’d like to see in GW’s new provost.
Education Executives is a consulting group that specializes in identifying, recruiting and mentoring senior leaders for research universities, academic medical centers and scientific entities, according to their website.
The provost is responsible for guiding GW’s overall academic enterprise and directly supervises the University’s 10 schools and colleges, institutes, museums and administration divisions, per Granberg’s email. The provost also oversees the recruiting, hiring and advancement of over 2,800 faculty members.
Granberg said in the email that the provost will play a key role in achieving the goals outlined in the University’s new strategic framework that is set to launch this fall. She said the provost plays a “critical” role in long-term institutional and academic planning and implementation that ensures the quality of the student body and maintains the University’s academic excellence.
The Board of Trustees in June approved the strategic framework officials unveiled in April, outlining three institutional priorities, including generating scholarship with impact, preparing students to be strong and resilient leaders and strengthening the University’s foundation for excellence.
School of Engineering & Applied Science Dean John Lach is serving as interim provost as officials conduct a national search for a permanent provost. Bracey is taking a yearlong sabbatical and will return as a GW Law faculty member.
“The next provost will join GW at a very exciting time,” Granberg said in the email. “As we move confidently through our third century, we do so with an incredibly talented community of faculty, students, staff, alumni, families, and friends who are committed to this university’s success.”
