The Next Provost

Last week, University President Lee Bollinger sent an e-mail to the Columbia community announcing the search committee to find University Provost Alan Brinkley's replacement. Faced with the Manhattanville expansion, the economic crisis, and contentious tenure cases, it is essential that the post be filled by an individual from within the University.

Given the unique challenges facing Columbia, the new provost must be able to work from experience to improve the University. Brinkley, who plans to rejoin the faculty as a full-time professor after a year's leave of absence, was vital in maintaining the University's high caliber of education and in shaping its academic character. As chief academic adviser, the provost is responsible for implementing new policies and approving tenure. He or she also oversees the School at Columbia, the Columbia University Press, the Vice Provost for Diversity Initiatives, and has a significant hand in budget allocations. In the coming years, the provost's job will be instrumental in distributing space in the Manhattanville campus, and in weathering the challenges of a slumping economy.

While it is clear that the University's next provost will be a respected academic, the Provost Search Committee should prize energy in decision-making and policy implementation over scholarliness alone. The provost must bridge the perspectives of the faculty and the central administration, while being perceived as a fair negotiator. As a unique institution in a crucial stage of development, the University would benefit most from someone who knows its idiosyncrasies and is prepared to handle the challenges of the expansion and the subsequent distribution of space. Though not crucial, the search committee should pay special attention to candidates with backgrounds in the social sciences. Appointing a faculty member from this field would help keep a University with strong ties to classical humanities firmly grounded in the present. In addition, a social scientist would be better suited to handle the fallout of the economic crisis and the politics of Manhattanville. The new provost should follow in Brinkley's footsteps by working well with Bollinger. It should go without saying that the Provost Search Committee should use this opportunity to vet a substantial number of candidates that would diversify a predominantly white and male administration.

There are undoubtedly multiple considerations in choosing a new provost, but those mentioned above should play a significant role in the administration's decision. Ultimately, the provost must be able to work with and around everything that makes Columbia unique, playing up the University's strengths and improving its weaknesses. An energetic provost, one who is ready to handle the challenges of University expansion and the economy, will best fulfill this duty.