MU interim provost expected to be named in next couple weeks

It’s been over a month since the announcement was made that University of Missouri Provost Garnett Stokes will be the next president of the University of New Mexico.

Shortly after, Mizzou Chancellor Alexander Cartwright announced an interim provost would be named soon.

During a press conference after the UM Board of Curators meeting Friday, UM System President Mun Choi said Cartwright would be naming an interim provost before the new year.

Choi said that after the new year, the search for a permanent provost will begin.

Choi said the interim provost will help make decisions regarding the future of some of academic programs. The changes are expected to be made within the spring semester, possibly before a permanent provost is chosen.

“(Cartwright)’s trying to identify a person who has (a) very strong and academic research record, an individual who can make the difficult decisions that can support the reallocation of resources that we need to grow the academic enterprise,” Choi said.

But, the decisions to add or eliminate academic programs will be a team effort, with Cartwright and the academic analysis task force leading the effort, Choi said.

Choi said the hope is to choose a permanent provost by the end of spring 2018.