Selmon chosen as Provost by Tracy and search committee

AMY WILLEY

Staff Writer

Starting March 1, 2004 Dr. Michael Selmon begins his new job as Provost and Vice President for Academic affairs at Alma College. Selmon began working at Alma in 1991 and has served as a professor of English and drama and Dean of Faculty as well as interim provost since June of 2003.

The job of a provost involves a wide variety of tasks including work with faculty, the library, the heritage center, the registrar’s office, Discovering Vocation, the international studies office, and information and technology office. The major responsibility of the provost’s office is academic affairs including faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and questions of credit, curriculum, schedule, grades, grade appeals, academic dishonesty, and things that fall outside of the routine.

Selmon explains the job of the provost as “Helping coordinate, set the agenda, and lead discussions on how the academic affairs sector is working to advance the college.”

According to Mel Nyman, professor of math and computer science, who was the chair of the eleven-member Provost Search Committee, the search for provost began in the fall. The search began by employment of a national search firm which placed ads and contacted potential applicants.

Nyman says, “We tried to find the really good candidates who didn’t know they were looking for a job.” The committee then narrowed the list to seven off-campus interviews, and then three candidates for an intensive two-day on-campus interview process. Finally, the committee recommended one or more candidates, and then President Sandra Tracy made the final choice.

President Tracy has said that she is pleased with the selection, and that she believes Selmon will bring clear direction and strategies for change to the position. Nyman also expresses satisfaction with the choice. He says, “It is a very important appointment… the President made a good choice and has him in the office and working.”

Selmon is also excited with his new job. “I am very pleased,” he says, “I am very excited about the opportunities I think we have. I think the college has a lot of projects that it has been working with. I am very excited about possible ways of working together and moving forward.”

For the future of Alma College, Selmon envisions many projects “moving forward” especially the work of the first year experience task force and the Discovering Vocation Project. Of the college he says, “Alma College is a college that does many things very well. What it does best is having a focus on the students, on engaging students in a time of life when there is a lot of discovery and ideas about what they can do,” he says, “Alma has always done an excellent job in remembering that this is what we are about, but we always have to ask questions about how we can improve this. We have a very talented and dedicated faculty administration and students. It’s a privilege to be here.”

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