Internal Searches Set for Three Vice Provost Positions

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Campus-wide searches to fill three vice provost positions in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will commence at the start of the fall semester, Satish K. Tripathi said in a letter to the university community distributed on Aug. 18.

Tripathi said he looks forward to receiving faculty nominations and applications for the positions of vice provost and dean of undergraduate affairs, vice provost and dean of graduate studies, and vice provost for faculty affairs.

The postings for the positions will be available on the provost's Web site at http://www.provost.buffalo.edu/ and the position announcements will be sent to all faculty members by email.

Tripathi said the vice provost and dean of undergraduate affairs will lead university-wide efforts "to ensure that our undergraduate students are provided an excellent educational experience and have appropriate opportunities to engage in truly distinctive research, scholarly, creative, and public service activities."

Units reporting to vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies will include: Articulation and Advisement Services; Undergraduate Admissions; Center for Academic Development Services; Millard Fillmore College; Student Academic Records and Financial Services, and Athletic Advising.

The vice provost and dean of graduate studies, Tripathi said, will lead the development of new and innovative graduate programs, coordinate the systematic review of existing graduate program and be responsible for the continual improvement of graduate student central support service

The Graduate School and Graduate Student Recruitment Services will report to the vice provost and dean of graduate studies.

The vice provost for faculty affairs, he noted, will be responsible for coordinating the faculty promotion/tenure review process, and creating and delivering services that assist in faculty retention, faculty development, special faculty-hiring initiatives and faculty recognition programs. The Center for Teaching and Learning Resources will report to the vice provost for faculty affairs.

Tripathi said that Kerry S. Grant has agreed to serve as interim vice provost and dean of udergraduate affairs, while Kenneth Levy has agreed to serve as interim vice provost for faculty affairs. Tripathi will serve as interim vice provost and dean of graduate studies.

Tripathi announced in July that Stephen Dunnett will continue as vice provost for international education and that he had appointed Sean Sullivan to the new position of associate vice president for academic planning and budget.

Sullivan, Tripathi said in this week's letter, "will lead academic planning, resource allocation and capital facilities planning processes; monitor academic unit performance consistent with unit objectives and expectations; complete comprehensive survey research; plan data warehouse development; and coordinate university participation in external reputational assays." Units reporting to Sullivan are: Office of Institutional Analysis; Office of the Provost Web Services; Systems and Programming Services, and the Office of the Provost Communications and IT Services.

Emphasizing that the realignment of the provostal structure is designed "to support President Simpson's overall institutional vision and campus academic plan," Tripathi said he was guided by six principles "as I endeavored to create a leadership and academic service structure to support our campus academic objectives.

"The provostal structure must: provide extraordinary support for our faculty and students, facilitate our institutional planning processes and performance culture, emphasize the role and importance of faculty leadership, emphasize the building of academic quality, emphasize efficiency and quality of our academic support structure, and foster collaboration among and within our academic units and our academic support units."