Provost candidate selection rides on diversity initiatives, faculty advocacy

A new provost at Chapman University, the second ranking officer on campus overseeing academics, will be selected by Christmas Day and take over the position in fall 2021. Panther Archives

In a time where many are casting their holiday wishes, the Chapman community is doing the same – casting their own wishes for the qualifications and leadership skills of the next provost. Faculty and students want someone who will go to bat for them and prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion, while President Daniele Struppa and other administrators search for someone with a reasonable budgetary view and who can be respected.

Struppa hopes to make a final decision on a candidate before Christmas Day. So soon enough, students, faculty and staff will soon be able to see if their wishes are fulfilled, or if the only thing in their stockings turns out to be a lump of coal.

“You want (them) to walk on water,” Struppa said of provost candidates. “It’s a tough job, and the requirements are many … You need to choose somebody who approximates the best possible figure you have in mind.”

The final interview and deliberation process for the provost position – which needs to be filled after Provost Glenn Pfeiffer retires at the end of this academic year – involves a whirlwind of prodding eyes and inquisitive ears. The search committee put together a list of 10 to 12 candidates – one of whom will be selected to take over Pfeiffer’s responsibilities as the chief advisor on all academic matters. 

Struppa said four finalists have emerged as Chapman’s next provost: Walter Jacobs, dean of the College of Social Sciences at San Jose State University; Rhonda Phillips, dean of the Honors College at Purdue University; Feniosky Pena-Mora, professor of civil engineering and engineering mechanics at Columbia University; and Rhonda Gonzales, chair of the Department of History at The University of Texas at San Antonio. 

Faculty had the opportunity to hear from each candidate in virtual town halls conducted over the past two weeks, and seem to be hoping for a provost that will support and listen to the concerns of staff while emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion. Keith Weber, director of Chapman’s Health and Strategic Communication program, strongly endorsed both Phillips and Gonzales, calling them “spectacular.” Jan Osborn, a professor in the Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, showed particular support for Gonzales – a Latinx woman who has performed research in Canada, Mexico and Spain. 

“Dr. Gonzales has been working across all of the areas that are extremely important in terms of our diversity, equity and inclusion roadmap,” Osborn said. “It’s time our candidates reflect where we need to go … Our top candidates need to be men or women of color, of diverse backgrounds, or we can’t change.” 

That has certainly been the case in this particular search: each candidate identifies as either a woman, a person of color or both. Philip Goodrich, president of the Student Government Association (SGA), has met each candidate over Zoom along with other student government members and emphasized the importance of diversity in both identity and life experience. 

“One of the complaints within the Chapman community is a lack of diversity within senior staff,” Goodrich said. “Having the provost – which is the number two position on campus after the president – be a person of an identity that’s underrepresented within our administration would be extremely telling of where the university’s moving.” 

Not all candidates, however, may be widely approved. Pena-Mora, former dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia, resigned in 2012 after widespread criticism. Senior faculty sent an October 2011 letter to Columbia’s interim provost at the time, John Coatsworth, supporting the removal of Pena-Mora from his dean position. The New York Times reported that the move was endorsed by more than 80% of tenured faculty. 

“The morale of the faculty and their trust in Dean Pena-Mora are reaching an all-time low,” the letter read. “The only way to avoid irreparable damage – including loss of key faculty and complete alienation of those who remain – is to effect a quick change in leadership.”

Each provost candidate at Chapman has undergone an intensive two-day process over the past two weeks, consisting of meetings with vice presidents and executive vice presidents, faculty members, student government and wrapping up with a dinner at Struppa’s home with Wiley Aitken, chair of Chapman’s Board of Trustees. Struppa told The Panther it was “a small dinner, so that we don’t violate (COVID-19 protocol),” but didn’t elaborate on the reasoning for an in-person gathering during the pandemic. 

There’s a reason for the pressure: this hire will be incredibly influential on Chapman’s future as an institution seeking to climb the ranks of the top private universities in California. 

Weber said the provost hire will be important to Chapman’s growth – not just in size, he said, but in mentality. The institution is no longer considered a “teaching” university, one focused solely on the education of its students; he explained it has grown into a “high research activity” university. Thus, Weber indicated he and other professors would like to see a provost who more frequently approaches conversations from the perspective of students and faculty. He believes, at times, Struppa and Pfeiffer tackle issues from “the same side of the table.”

“In my previous institution, I was told, ‘The best working relationship between a president and a provost is one that there is a healthy amount of friction between them,’” Weber said. “We haven’t had that as a president-provost (relationship). We’ve had a president and a provost that are always on the same page.” 

Struppa will make the final call on which provost candidate will be hired. He began compiling feedback Dec. 11 on a final decision from a wide group of constituents – including SGA, faculty and members of the Board of Trustees. He hopes to begin contractual negotiations with next academic year’s provost by Christmas, he told The Panther. However, prior to then, he has his own set of standards to consider, including selecting a candidate who understands the financial position of the university as a result of the pandemic. 

“One of the things I mentioned to every provost (candidate) during those meetings is that the next few years are going to be years where we won’t have as much fun as we had in the past,” Struppa said. “There may not be as much money to spend as (potential candidates) may imagine.”