The Provost Search Committee tasked with appointing Northeastern’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David Madigan’s successor held a sparsely attended open forum Feb. 25 for undergraduate students to offer their input on what they want to see in Northeastern’s next provost.
During the forum, Alessandro Vespignani, chair of the Provost Search Committee, emphasized that the committee is looking for a candidate who is ready to take on the challenge of running a university with locations across the world within the ever-changing political landscape of America and beyond.
“We are actively seeking input from the university community,” Vespignani wrote in an email to the Northeastern community Feb. 18. “We want to know what qualities and characteristics you think are important for us to consider as we are identifying qualified candidates.”
In an email to the Northeastern community Feb. 5, President Joseph E. Aoun announced the committee responsible for appointing Madigan’s replacement as Northeastern’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs departs from his position in June. This email came a few weeks after it was announced that Madigan will be stepping down after five years in the role.
The Feb. 25 forum, held in EXP, is the first of what will be a series of public forums hosted by the Provost Search Committee, according to the Feb. 18 email. At the forum, Vespignani said they are searching for a “charismatic” and “empathetic” candidate who is interested in making connections with students.
“We want excellence across the board,” Vespignani said during the forum.
A main topic of conversation during the event was Northeastern’s global network of programs and their efficacy.
“The global network is such a huge asset to this university,” said Cassidy Donoghue, executive vice president of the undergraduate Northeastern Student Government Association and a student representative on the Provost Search Committee. “We need to make sure it has the support and the resources coming from the provost office to make sure that it’s successful and that students are ready to be back in Boston when they return.”
Dylan Fetterman, a first-year political science major and one of only two undergraduate students who attended the forum in person, said he appreciated the opportunity to speak with leadership about who will be shaping his time at Northeastern.
“I just think it’s really important that students come to these things where they have more of a voice,” Fetterman said in an interview with The Huntington News. “They’re able to get to meet with some of the leaders that are going to be controlling the next steps of the university, who are going to have a role in the future in shaping … new curriculum offerings and new opportunities for students.”
Sylke Meyer, a professor in the College of Arts, Media and Design, attended the forum. She said it is a “privilege” to represent her college on the Provost Search Committee.
“The arts have a peculiar and, I believe, important role to play in the future,” Meyer said. “It is my job to make sure the incoming provost has some understanding and appreciation for the arts, … especially in the light of these incoming changes to artificial intelligence.”
Donoghue, a third-year political science major, said her goal as a committee member is to draw a connection between the student body who she works with directly and the administration whose decisions impact the student body.
“It’s so, so important that the administration is getting an accurate view of students’ perspectives,” Donoghue said. “Because at the end of the day, the provost’s job, although it does impact administration, it’s impacting every single student, every single day.”
The role of the provost is to direct all of Northeastern’s colleges and schools as the chief academic officer and oversee research expansion. They also work alongside Senior Vice President for Finance Thomas Nedell to establish the university’s financial goals. It is one of the highest-ranking positions at Northeastern.
“It’s important that we can advise, important that we not only involve ourselves and understand [the policies], but we get a seat at the table, and we might as well show up and take advantage,” Fetterman said.
