After three and a half years at Southeast Missouri State University former Provost Ronald Rosati left his position in March of 2013. President Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins appointed the dean of the Harrison College of Business Dr. Gerald McDougall to fill the position for the upcoming fall semester. Last week a Southeast press release announced that the search officically has begun for a new provost.

The application for the position was released last week on many national websites. Chairperson of the search committee Dr. Hamner Hill said applications for the position will continue to be accepted until the position is filled, but the search committee is going to start actively considering applications on Sept. 18. An external search firm called Parker Executive Search is coordinating the search process for Southeast.

Parker Executive Search uses a candidate pool compiled to identify deans who want to be provosts. Hill said there are many different qualifications Southeast is looking for when hiring a new provost and that is what makes the process so difficult.

"As chief academic officer the provost has a lot of different functions," Hill said. "We're looking for management skills, leadership skills, an academic vision of where the university can and should go over the next couple years."

Applicants with different diverse backgrounds is also a factor in the types of applicants Southeast hopes to attract.

"We want a number of different academic backgrounds represented because we're a very diverse university," Hill said. "We've got polytechnic and industrial engineering technology on the one hand and the River Campus and the fine and performing arts on the other. Getting someone who has a broad vision of understanding where everything in the university fits together, why we're all important and what we do is very important."

After reviewing applications in September the search committee members will decide which of the applicants to meet and will conduct interviews at the St. Louis airport on Oct. 15-16. After interviewing eight to 10 candidates, the final three or four candidates will be invited to visit campus.

"It's really a feeling out process for both sides," Hill said. "It's as much a candidate deciding that we're right for them as us deciding that we really would like that candidate."

Students will have the opportunity to attend a forum with the prospective candidates to hear their ideas for Southeast and ask any questions they may have. Hill hopes to host the forums before Thanksgiving break.

After the campus visit a provost will be chosen, and begin work in the spring. According to Hill there is not currently a "Plan B" in place if a candidate is not chosen. Hill said that the assumption is that the search committee will find the right person for the position.

After this semester McDougall plans to return as dean of the Harrison College of Business and have interim dean Dr. Charles McAllister return to his faculty position.

McDougall has worked at Southeast for 21 years and has served in a variety of positions. He is currently a tenure professor of economics as well as a dean and interim provost.

"Over my years here I've served in multiple roles, and I've enjoyed all of those," McDougall said. "I've enjoyed my time as interim and look forward to returning to the college of business and continuing my efforts there."

McDougall said while transitioning he has gotten to know the staff and their roles and responsibilities better, and is making sure that the academic units under the provost's office feel comfortable communicating with him and looking ahead to see the series of university initiatives that deserve his support.

An example of these initiatives is continuing development of online programming as well as the work of the presidential visionary committee that identifies additional areas for academic programming and supports the university's efforts to increase dual enrollment programs with high schools students.

McDougall said he is not interested in becoming the permanent provost because he is so invested in other activities happening in the Harrison College of Business.

"When the president asked me to serve in the interim role I informed him that I really wouldn't be interested in the permanent position because of some important things that need to be completed in the Harrison College of Business relative to reaccreditation," McDougall said.

"I want to help the faculty go through that process," McDougall said. "He [Dobbins] not only concurred, but he indicated that he did not want the interim to be a candidate for the permanent position. He wanted the individual in the interim to be sort of independent of that process. So we were in agreement that this would be an interim appointment, and I would not be a candidate for the permanent position."

Hill said no further information can be released about the candidates applying for the permanent provost position until after their initial interviews in October.