Last provost finalist addresses students
Efficient use and prioritization of resources to best serve the goals of the university and its students are key, Brenda McCarthy, candidate for provost at Utah State University, said.
McCarthy, current dean of the College of Health and Public Affairs at the University of Central Florida, visited the campus Wednesday and interviewed for the position of provost, the chief academic officer at USU. She spoke to a group of faculty, staff, students and administrators about how she views the role of the provost in a 21st century land-grant university.
“We have to set priorities as to the ways we use our dollars,” McCarthy said. “It’s important to use gifts wisely.”
Included in fundraising, McCarthy said, is “friend raising.” Building good relationships and partnerships with the community is crucial, she said.
In order to raise funds and friends, having a vision that can be effectively communicated to the community is important, McCarthy said. The impact of words in a theme has to be analyzed, she said, and the theme must be something that everyone can agree with.
“The message has to resonate on campus and off campus,” McCarthy said.
This message needs to resonate with prospective students and faculty as well, McCarthy said. There is a huge amount of competition among universities, she said, for students and faculty, reputation and resources.
McCarthy said part of competing for students is to make the university accessible and efficient.
“We need to work to do as much as we can to make higher education affordable to students,” she said.
Affordability isn’t the only factor in attracting students, McCarthy said.
The university also needs to provide opportunities in research, leadership and international studies, as well as helping students gain internships and service learning opportunities, she said.
These opportunities, McCarthy said, besides helping students feel connected to the university, also better prepares students for a career.
The goal is to send students out of the university with all the resources necessary to gain employment, McCarthy said.
Faculty and staff also need a chance to feel involved in the university, McCarthy said. This can be accomplished through meaningful recognition and rewards, she said, as well as a diversity of roles faculty can fill throughout their careers.
Having administrative roles faculty can advance into helps “keep people from burning out,” McCarthy said.
Staff, too, need to be able to make a career out of the positions they fill, McCarthy said.
“Once people commit to making a career at an institution, you have a whole different animal than just a faculty member,” she said.
The role of a provost today, McCarthy said, is to serve as the chief operating officer in a mission-centered, market-smart university. Developing and utilizing resources toward meeting goals is important, she said.
Dr. Belinda McCarthy speaks to USU students Wednesday afternoon as part of her interview for the new provost position.
-dmaxfield@cc.usu.edu