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Campus colleagues:
As we near the midpoint of summer, our attention turns more fully to the fall semester and what we wish to accomplish in that upcoming term. To that end, I write today of the search for a permanent Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Over the previous academic year, I met with each academic department on campus and also with the academic deans to hear about their expectations for this important leadership position. From those conversations, I believe I have gleaned information that will assist me in selecting the University's next chief academic officer.
Consistent with Chapter 1 of the Faculty Handbook, which relates to the selection process for a Provost/VPAA, please allow this letter to serve as my intent to initiate a search for a permanent appointment to that position and call for the organization of a search committee. Our goal is to identify a permanent Provost by December 2026, the end of the fall semester, and ideally have them join us prior to the start of the spring 2027 semester.
Again, following the guidelines established in the Faculty Handbook, the Provost/VPAA search committee will be comprised of nine (9) representatives, made up of the following:
- Two (2) members selected by the University President. Dr. Steve Schultheis and Dr. Melissa Odegard have agreed to serve as my representatives on the search;
- One (1) member selected by Student Government; and
- One (1) faculty member selected from each of the five academic colleges and Kent Library (total of six individuals).
I will ask the Search Committee to begin their work before September 15, 2026. In speaking with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, we have agreed to the following timeline for the selection of faculty for this search committee. All full-time faculty are eligible to vote in this process.
Faculty Election Timeline
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August 12, 2026: Faculty members who wish to remove their name from the ballot may contact Dr. Kyle Schneider, Faculty Senate Membership Chair, no later than this date to opt out of consideration. Dr. Schneider can be contacted via email at kschneider@semo.edu.
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August 17, 2026: Primary election for college representatives in which each full-time faculty member is eligible to vote for one of the candidates on the college's primary ballot. The primary election will be conducted by Faculty Senate, which will, at a later date, communicate the process, methods, and any other pertinent information to faculty prior to the election.
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August 21, 2026: Faculty Senate Executives will communicate the election results to the Office of the President.
Upon receipt of the results of the college elections, I will constitute the search committee and share the membership with the broader University community.
In the interest of efficiency and cost, we will not be using a search firm for this search. As this process moves forward, I will request the search committee keep the University updated on their work to ensure an open and transparent process. I would encourage you to participate in this process as appropriate in the months ahead.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Go Redhawks !
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