Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The University Administration faces major changes as the University bids farewell to Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Provost Richard Lariviere. In these economically uncertain times, both top-ranking positions will need to be filled quickly by a search committee selected by the Kansas Board of Regents.
In December, Hemenway, after 14 years of leadership, announced that he would retire at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year.
As the University’s chief executive, Hemenway directed all the University’s campuses, research facilities and educational centers.
On March 2, Hemenway announced that Lariviere, provost and executive vice chancellor, had been selected to become the president of the University of Oregon, a position he would take on July 1.
As the chief operations and academic officer on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses, Lariviere is tasked with fulfilling the mission of the University alongside the chancellor, administrators, faculty, staff and students. Lariviere has been at the University for three years.
Hemenway has chosen Joseph Steinmetz, dean of liberal arts and sciences, as the interim provost and he will work alongside Lariviere until his departure.
In January, the Kansas Board of Regents announced that it had selected a committee to search for and enlist three to five contenders to replace Hemenway.
The committee consists of 18 members, including students, faculty, administration, staff and members of the Board of Regents. Drue Jennings of Prairie Village chairs the committee.
Todd Cohen, director of University Relations, said that the process of finding a new chancellor for the University was ongoing and that the search committee’s goal was to have the position filled by July 1. The new chancellor will choose the permanent provost.
“The chancellor created a very strong institution,” Cohen said. “This should be a very exciting time. It’s the end of an era with the two stepping down; change is definitely coming.”
At a press conference Hemenway gave on Dec. 8 to announce his retirement, he discussed what he would do to ensure that the next chancellor would be the right one.
“I think that the things that should be looked for in the next chancellor are an ability to understand and handle difficult economic times. We all know we’re going to be facing those kinds of times,” Hemenway said. “My goal is going to be to do everything I can to prepare the way for the next chancellor and make sure that we’ve got a good method of succeeding in this very difficult time.”
But Sam Littman, Chicago senior, said hearing that both the chancellor and provost were leaving made him nervous.
“It seems like the University is already in trouble with the state budget cuts,” Littman said. “And with the chancellor and provost leaving, it’s a little scary because we’re going to get people that might not have the experience that they do in these situations.”
Although both Hemenway and Lariviere have worked hard to look out for the University’s interests, especially as the state Legislature pushed to cut funding for higher education, their departure leaves the University without crucial leadership during a moment of unprecedented uncertainty.
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