Provost Search

About the Search

The search for Salisbury University’s next Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs was launched by SU on November 16 following the announcement of Dr. Karen Olmstead’s planned retirement as Provost at the conclusion of the spring 2023 semester. The selection and appointment of Salisbury University’s next Provost is critical and will be made with every consideration, including input from faculty, staff, and students. A Search Committee, made up of diverse representation from across campus, with the help of Academic Search – an executive search firm – will lead the search for SU’s next Provost.

The Search Committee will put forth its recommendations to the President of the University for her decision.

Search Committee & Stakeholder Engagement

Co-Chairs

• Mr. Jason Curtin, Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs
• Ms. Jennifer Martin, President of Faculty Senate, Head of Cataloging

Search Committee Members

• Ms. Vanice Antrum, Director of Multicultural Affairs
• Dr. Leonard Arvi, Professor of Finance
• Dr. Anita Brown, Associate Professor of Chemistry 
• Dr. Christina Camillo, Program Director and Assistant Professor of Medical Laboratory Science
• Dr. Jennifer Cox, Associate Professor of Communication
• Dr. Douglas DeWitt, Associate Professor and Chair of Education Leadership
• Dr. Judith Franzak, Professor and Chair of Literacy Studies
• Ms. Alexandra Grimm, Graduate Student
• Ms. Candace Henry, Director of the Disability Resource Center
• Mr. Allen Koehler, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management
• Dr. Maarten Pereboom, Dean of the Fulton School of Liberal Arts
• Mr. Timothy Robinson, President of the Adjunct Faculty Caucus, Adjunct Faculty of History
• Ms. Kennedy Spriggs, Undergraduate Student
• Dr. Kristen Walton, Professor of History, Director of Nationally Competitive Fellowships Office

The SU Provost Search Committee is reflective of the SU community, with representation among students, faculty, staff, and other University stakeholders. Academic Search will help facilitate the work of the committee, whose members will screen and interview candidates and submit a shortlist of those best suited for the job for consideration.

The search for Salisbury University’s next Provost will be inclusive and reflect input from the campus and community to ensure selection is the product of stakeholder engagement.

Communications

How to Apply

Academic Search is partnering with Salisbury University in this search. A confidential discussion regarding this position can be arranged by contacting consultants Sharon Herzberger or Jennifer Kooken.

Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest can be submitted in confidence to SalisburyProvost@academicsearch.org.  Applications should consist of a substantive cover letter, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information for five professional references, none of whom will be contacted without the permission of the applicant. The position will remain open until filled, but only applications received by February 12, 2023, can be assured full consideration.

About Salisbury and SU

Known as “Maryland’s Coastal College Town,” the City of Salisbury long has been the crossroads of the historic Delmarva Peninsula. Located in Wicomico County (population over 102,000), the city is less than an hour away from the Atlantic Ocean, which is dotted with popular vacation destinations such as Ocean City, MD; Assateague Island; and Rehoboth Beach, DE. Situated on the Wicomico River, Salisbury is approximately half an hour away from the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary and a hub for environmental research.

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is steeped in history. SU’s Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture houses some of the nation’s oldest genealogical records.

Home to some 7,500 students, SU has been a partner in reinvigorating downtown Salisbury, just two miles from campus, with facilities including the Dave and Patsy Rommel Center for Entrepreneurship, SU Art Galleries Downtown, and the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative. All are part of SU Downtown, a satellite campus in the heart of the City of Salisbury. University students, and performing artists also, are engaged with the city’s Arts & Entertainment District’s popular monthly 3rd Friday celebrations and the brand-new Maryland Folk Festival.

The campus is a cultural center for the region, with exhibits, the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, a National Public Radio group (three stations divided between SU and the nearby University of Maryland Eastern Shore), space for Wicomico County’s public access television station (PAC 14), and a robust roster of performing arts and other events.

The University includes four academic schools, an Honors College, and a College of Health and Human Services endowed by Eastern Shore entrepreneurs and supporters, as well as a health-based college containing three additional schools and the Center for Healthy Communities. Area businesses, many alumni owned, welcome student interns.

In additional to finding careers across the country, SU graduates have found careers with local businesses such as Perdue Farms, one of the nation’s largest agribusiness companies with corporate headquarters in Salisbury, and TidalHealth, an award-winning hospital system locally serving four counties in two states. With SU, these businesses constitute a significant employer base for the Eastern Shore. A study showed the University contributing nearly a half billion dollars annually to the region’s economy.

Learn more about SU, its success stories and its connections with the local community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the role of the Search Committee Chairs?
The search chairs are the official spokespeople for the search committee and are, thus, the only individuals authorized to speak on behalf of the search committee and the search process. The chairs will provide regular updates to the campus community and can address any questions or concerns from members of the community through the duration of the search.

Q: What is the role of the Search Committee?
The search committee is charged with developing a comprehensive leadership profile that will be used in the recruitment of candidates, conducting an intensive and extensive proactive search for qualified candidates, and selecting a shortlist of finalists for consideration by the President of the University.

Q: What information can Search Committee members share with me?
The information search committee members are able to share with the campus community is limited in the early stages of the search process. The committee members are bound by a code of ethics and confidentiality agreement. All initial inquiries, nominations, referrals and applications are made in strict confidence. Candidates invited to the final interviews of the search process will be made known to the campus prior to these interviews.

Q: Will the campus community have a chance to meet and provide feedback on the candidates?
Yes; the final interviews will be open, with opportunity for the campus community to hear from the candidates and provide feedback to the search committee.

Q: Will there be regular updates on the search?
Yes; the search chairs will provide regular updates to the campus community via campus email at critical points in the search. These updates also will be posted under “Communications,” above.

Q: Are internal candidates treated any differently than external candidates?
Internal candidates are vetted in the same way as external candidates. All candidates are assessed based on the criteria laid out in the search profile (PDF). The committee very carefully selects the strongest candidates, either internal or external, for further consideration based on the required and desired qualifications.

Q: How can I ask additional questions or provide feedback about the search?
Any questions or feedback you may have can be sent to our search partner, Academic Search, at SalisburyProvost@academicsearch.org. This email address is monitored independently by Academic Search.

Q: When will the appointee take office?
SU’s next Provost is expected to assume office summer 2023.