SOUTHEAST BEGINS SEARCH FOR PROVOST

Should Southeast Missouri State University athletics remain under the control of a provost?

That's a question being asked by university officials and faculty as Southeast prepares to commence a search for a new provost to replace Leslie Cochran.

Cochran was recently hired as the new president of Youngstown State University in Ohio. He will officially begin his new job July 1.

Southeast's president, Kala Stroup, said she wants to begin the search for Cochran's replacement as soon as possible.

The position of provost is one of three administrative slots that the university is now looking to fill.

A search is already under way for a new vice president of student affairs and Southeast will begin advertising later this month for a new assistant to the president, a position that has been left vacant since the death of Edward Spicer last October.

As to hiring a new provost, university policy calls for a search committee to be formed, consisting of a representative from each of the five colleges and two members appointed by the president.

Stroup said she doubts the position can be filled by July 1, the start of the 1993 fiscal year. As a result, she said, it's likely an interim provost will be named.

Stroup told the Faculty Senate Wednesday that the duties of a provost and the whole organizational structure surrounding the position are up for review. Included in the discussion is whether the position should be that of a provost or an academic vice president.

"All that's up for review and the whole works," said Stroup. She said that Cochran's departure will allow the university "to rethink" how it operates.

Traditionally, a provost has been the chief internal officer at a university. But at some university campuses, the position has come to refer to the chief academic officer, according to Southeast officials.

Cochran, in his capacity as provost at Southeast, has served as the university's chief academic officer, with athletics also coming under his domain. The university has an athletic director, who reports to Cochran.

But Stroup said it's uncommon for athletics to be under the control of a provost. In many cases, athletics comes under the supervision of university presidents or vice presidents, she said.

If athletics remains a part of the job description, some potential candidates for provost may not want to apply, Stroup said.

Some faculty members suggested athletics could be placed under the supervision of a new vice president of student affairs, since that whole area is currently being restructured and the university is now seeking to fill that position.

But still others have suggested athletics should remain under the control of a provost because it emphasizes the importance of academics and the student athlete.

Faculty Senate Chairman Allen Gathman said the issue was raised at a meeting of the university's Administrative Council earlier this week.

While athletics is an issue, the overriding interest concerns academics, he said. "I think everybody agreed who we primarily want is somebody whose main interest is academics."

Faculty senator Pamela Brakhage told Stroup, "I personally would like to see athletics taken out of this domain and put under student affairs."

Gathman said, however, that some people have argued that by keeping athletics under the control of the provost, the university's academic community can "keep an eye on them."

Faculty senator Charles Wiles said athletics could come under the supervision of either a provost or a vice president of student affairs. "As far as where athletics goes, you could make a case either way."

Faculty senator Terry Sutton said that over the past 12 years under Cochran's leadership, university programs and operations have been expanded.

He maintained there should be less emphasis placed on expanding programs, and a greater focus put on operating more efficiently.

Faculty senator Alberta Dougan joked that the university wants "someone who can walk on water and bring in a million dollars."

On a serious note, Dougan said the new provost should be a person who can lead the academic division without being heavy-handed. "We have all worked with people who have sort of the Attila the Hun style of management."

Faculty senator Marlin McCutchan said the university should continue to emphasize teaching. "We are a teaching institution and that has always been our main focus."

As to filling Spicer's position, Stroup said the university needs an administrator to handle affirmative action and equal opportunity issues.

Those tasks had been handled by Spicer, whose official title was that of associate to the president.

The position has now been renamed as assistant to the president.

The university already has one assistant to the president, Art Wallhausen, who handles a number of administrative duties and serves as a university spokesman.

Stroup said she would like to hire someone with a legal background who could deal not only with affirmative action and equal opportunity issues, but also prepare and/or review contracts, and examine liability matters.

Spicer's position had been left vacant because of a hiring freeze prompted by budget problems.

But Wallhausen said Thursday that the university cannot continue to operate without such an administrator. He said an affirmative action officer is needed to deal with federal regulations.

More importantly, he said, such an administrator can help resolve complaints and avoid costly litigation. "It saves money in terms of legal fees and administrative time in the long run," said Wallhausen.

University officials hope to have the position filled by the start of the fall semester.