Hopes for a new provost

By next Spring, the Provost Search Committee hopes to have selected three finalists for the provost position. When the President chooses one of these finalists to succeed Provost Peter Lange, his decision will inevitably send a signal about the direction the University will take in the following years. The precise influence that the new provost will have over Duke’s future is yet to be seen. There are, however, several areas of the University that the new provost should come in well-equipped to address.

The new provost will inherit a Duke brand increasingly defined by interdisciplinarity and global education. During his fifteen-year tenure as the Provost, Lange has overseen Duke’s expansion into several different interdisciplinary and global programs, each of which reflects his ambitious administrative goals. While these programs differ in their successes and shortfalls, it is clear that Duke’s transformation into a globalized, modernized university is underway.

A change in leadership presents an opportunity to think broadly about this transformation. Although Duke has sought to develop hallmark interdisciplinary programs that help it stand out from its peer schools, the new provost will have to conduct an honest cost-benefit analysis of these programs to determine which are worth preserving as we move forward with limited funds and changing priorities. The new provost must be aware of changes at Duke and bring new ideas to the table. But he or she must also understand that, with each addition to the University’s ever-expanding empire of interdisciplinary institutes and programs, there must also be a concerted effort to link these projects with the core academic experience at Duke.

In a meeting with the Editorial Board, George Truskey noted that the Provost Search Committee is placing particular importance on the communicative aspect of the provost’s duties, emphasizing the need for candidates to approach issues in a collaborative way. These sentiments may reflect discontent with the approach taken by Lange, whose advocacy of Duke Kunshan University and online course provider 2U has proven contentious among faculty. By stressing communication skills in its search, the committee suggests that the new provost will have to be committed to weighing the concerns of the faculty and staff when making decisions.

This is crucial. While administrative planning can provide valuable foresight for future investment, faculty, staff and students remain the beating heart of the University. Their insight into administrative matters is valuable if the administration hopes to enrich existing programs.

Finally, it will be important for the next provost to adeptly navigate Duke’s politics and to honestly evaluate the University’s strengths and weaknesses. For that reason, an external hire might be a wise decision, as he or she may feel less constrained by established interpersonal and professional ties and more willing to judge the value added by academic assets. Someone from within Duke, however, would be more aware of the recent changes to the University and more familiar with the politics that govern Duke’s administrative processes.

Regardless of where the next provost comes from, he or she should be ready and willing to evaluate the progress that the University has made under Provost Lange and adopt a strategy that involves reflecting on past successes, strengthening existing programs before launching new ones and communicating clearly and openly with the Duke community.