President Richard V. Hurley sent out the following message on Thursday, March 1:
I have been notified by Dr. Jay A. Harper that he has chosen to step down as provost at UMW, effective June 24, 2012. Given this decision, I feel it is in the best interests of the University to move quickly to effect a transfer of leadership responsibility within the Academic Affairs Division of the institution. Accordingly, we will begin the formal transition of provost duties on April 2, 2012 as detailed in this message.
In his notification to me, Dr. Harper stated the following:
“For the last three years I have had the honor of leading an outstanding faculty through significant reorganization. The creation of two new professional colleges linked with the core College of Arts and Sciences is consonant with my initial mission. I believe the division of Academic Affairs is well positioned to lead the university through our decennial reaffirmation process. I am confident that we are well on our way to becoming the best public liberal arts university in the nation.”
As president, and on behalf of the Board of Visitors, I want to thank Dr. Harper for his service as provost at the University of Mary Washington. He is to be commended for his efforts in leading the academic administration of UMW at a time of great transition and for laying the foundation for the upcoming SACS reaffirmation. Please join me in offering Provost Harper our sincere thanks for his contributions to the University.
As noted above, I am moving forward now to appoint an interim provost to serve through the 2012-2013 academic year. I will engage the services of a nationally recognized interim placement firm to assist in the hiring of an experienced and highly skilled administrator for this key position.
In early April, candidates for the interim provost position will be visiting UMW. During their visits, an opportunity will be provided for interested faculty and staff to meet each candidate. I soon will provide additional information about the candidates and their visits to campus.
The final executive decision to select the interim provost will fall to me as president. It is my intention to complete this process and have the interim provost in place not later than the end of April. Associate Provost John Morello temporarily will lead the Academic Affairs Division until the interim provost arrives.
Early in the fall 2012 semester, I will appoint and charge a provost search committee, comprised primarily of faculty members, to conduct a vigorous national search for highly qualified candidates. I will consult with the University Faculty Organization Committee and the University Faculty Council (UFC) regarding the composition of the committee. A national search firm will assist the provost search committee and the search process will provide ample opportunities for input from the University community. I anticipate that the new provost will be named by the spring of 2013 and will take office not later than July 1, 2013.
I want to assure all members of the University of Mary Washington community that our forward momentum will continue through the coming months. We are fortunate to have outstanding faculty and staff who are committed to academic excellence and dedicated to the goal of providing a high quality experience for our students. I look forward to working with you as we strive to achieve even greater success in the future.
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