The University of Missouri announced two of the five candidates for the office of Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs this week.
Latha Ramchand and David Brennen came to the University of Missouri to speak with students, faculty and other community members about their goals if selected for the position.
Ramchand is currently the Dean, C.T at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. Brennen is the dean of the University Of Kentucky College Of Law. More in depth biographies on the candidates and a place to submit feedback online can be found on the Office of the Chancellor website.
Marshall Stewart is a co-chair for the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor search committee.
“You want a person to serve the institution that’s going to have a record of teaching, research, and engagement with stakeholders.” Stewart said, “and, I think at the end of the day, has a great leadership ability and proven leadership ability in key areas like diversity and inclusion, working with student issues and working with financial aid and scholarship.”
The other co-chair of the committee is Joi Moore, a professor and director of the School of Information Science and Learning. They oversee the committee that carries out the open search process.
Tim McIntosh organizes the executive search efforts across the University of Missouri system. He facilitates the search committee for the position and handles communication between them and Isaacson Miller, the search firm the university hired to help with the process.
“It was imperative given all the challenges the University of Missouri has faced recently,” McIntosh said, “and has started to overcome as well as continue to face when it comes to budget, enrollment and academic program review efforts, that we really needed the best leaders.”
McIntosh and Stewart both said that community member participation is a vital part of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor selection process.
“I would encourage folks next week to, as more information is revealed about the candidates coming on campus.” Stewart said, “to take that opportunity if you’re a student, faculty member or stakeholder in the community, to provide input. We would welcome that.”
Chancellor Alexander Cartwright ultimately decides who fills the role, but will take the search committee and community member comments into consideration. The other candidates will be on campus Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week and their names announced online the day before they visit.