IHE Provosts’ Discussion
Virtual Event: Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 11 a.m. CST
Higher education has faced enormous challenges in the wake of COVID-19. Inside Higher Ed’s 2021 Chief Academic Officer Survey revealed most provosts indicated that their volume of responsibilities increased during the pandemic (92%). More than half of provosts report that there is a gap in perspective between faculty and administrators.
Join Inside Higher Ed editor Scott Jaschik for a conversation with a panel of provosts from Cal State, University System of Georgia, community colleges and online schools as they reflect on three main findings from the IHE 2021 CAO Survey.
You’ll learn ways to:
- Manage More with Less
- Build Connections Between Administration and Faculty to Build Trust and Collaboration
- Plan, Fund and Hire for New Academic Programs
Guest Speakers
Kathleen Gibson, CEO and Founder, APL nextED, a comprehensive academic operations platform that provides workflow support and links faculty and student data to optimize teaching, advising and mentoring to increase student success. Gibson has worked as a lawyer, college dean, program developer, professor, and writer. Kathleen has studied and written about trends in higher education for the last 20 years.
Tracy L. Heller, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Alliant University, has served in her current position for the last six years. Over her 25-year career at Alliant/California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) she has served in a variety of academic and administrative roles, including Vice Provost for Administration, Associate Dean of CSPP, Associate Professor, Clinical Doctoral PhD Program, and Chair of the Faculty Senate.
Scott Jaschik, Editor, Inside Higher Ed, has been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and Salon. He is a member of the board of the Education Writers Association. From 1999-2003, Scott was editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Iris Lafferty, Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer, University of Arizona Global Campus, was appointed as interim Provost in February 2021. Dr. Lafferty also serves as Dean and Full Professor of Cognitive Development at the College of Arts and Sciences. She has been a member of the University of Arizona Global Campus academic team since 2012, where she has served as Program Chair, Associate Dean, Associate Vice President of Academic Services, and Executive Dean of the College of Doctoral Studies.
Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Georgia State University, is responsible for creating, implementing, and championing faculty development programs to support and strengthen faculty in teaching and research, as well as leadership programming for department chairs and other administrators. Previously she served as Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs at Monmouth University.
Robert T. Smith, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Valdosta State University, has served as Provost since July 2017. Prior to his current position he served as Provost of Academic Affairs for Armstrong State University. Smith has served as a dean and professor at Millersville University of PA.
Laura J. Treanor, Provost, Vincennes University, has held the positions of faculty, Dean, Vice President for Academics, Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, and most recently, Provost. Over the course of her 30-year career in higher education, Dr. Treanor has served as an exemplary innovator and transformative leader who has developed high-impact teams, heralded new programs and services and championed academic quality.
Mary Beth Walker, Provost, California State University Northridge, was appointed Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in July 2017. Until her appointment, Dr. Walker had been serving since January 2019 as Interim President of Georgia Gwinnett College, which is part of the Georgia State System. Before her appointment as interim president, since 2017 she served as Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Innovations at Georgia State University.
