Herbert calls off provost search

IU President Adam Herbert has called off the University's search for a provost so officials can analyze how IU's administration is organized.\nIU-Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm had hoped to change the vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of the faculties position to provost and dean of the faculties. Brehm's plan was to take effect once current Dean of the Faculties Moya Andrews retired in 2004, but Herbert has decided to halt the search, Brehm said.\n"President Herbert is new, so he needs time to look at how the University is organized and his plan for IU," Brehm said. "We need to go along with the president's vision."\nFred Eichhorn, president of the board of trustees, said he has been working with Herbert restructuring possibilities, but no changes have been confirmed at this time.\n"There is no idea for how long this may take," Eichhorn said. "But it will take months, not years."\nDuring a meeting with Brehm Monday, Herbert asked her to delay searching for Andrews' replacement.\n"I will just have to wait until the president decides what to do," Brehm said. "I will have a vacancy in the position for a while."\nBrehm announced in October 2002 that she would search for a provost, which she described as a "beefed-up" version of the vice chancellor of academic affairs and dean of the faculties. The provost would work closely with the chancellor and academic deans, she said.\nIt would have been the first provost in IU's history. Currently, IU is the only Big Ten school without a provost. The title of "provost" is actually a British word meaning "jail keeper."\nIn November 2002, Brehm announced she would delay the search for a campus provost in order to "slow the process down and provide more opportunity for discussion with all parties."\nShe credited former IU President Myles Brand's departure and concerns among faculty with delaying the search.\nIn the meantime, Andrews will retire July 30, 2004, as she had planned. Andrews said she made the decision because she is finally eligible for retirement.\nAlthough she will not teach or work for the University, Andrews said academics would still be a part of her life as she continues research in speech and hearing sciences.\nAndrews has held her position as vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of the faculties for four years and previously served as associate dean since 1995. She has worked at IU for more than 30 years.\n"It's a wonderful institution to work for," Andrews said. "I will cherish my experiences here at IU."\n-- Contact campus editor Adam Aasen at aaasen@indiana.edu.