President Charles M. Vest has written to members of the faculty asking for their suggestions regarding issues, candidates or criteria for selection that should be considered as he goes about appointing a new provost to succeed Professor Joel Moses, who has announced his intention to leave that post on August 1.
Regarding the selection process, he said, "I have consulted with Professor Lotte Bailyn, chair of the faculty, and a number of other faculty colleagues. They and Joel himself have urged me to move thoughtfully yet expeditiously to consult with the faculty and select our next provost. I believe there are a number of individuals at the Institute who are well qualified for the challenges of the office, and I expect to make this appointment from within the ranks of the MIT faculty."
Dr. Vest said he hopes to present his recommendation to the Executive Committee of the Corporation for approval in early June, and asked for suggestions and comments by Monday, May 18. Confidential communications may be sent to him in Rm 3-208 or cmvest@mit.edu. Envelopes or message headings should be marked "Provost Selection."
As the Institute's chief academic officer, the provost reports directly to the president and has overall responsibility for MIT's educational and research programs, working with the academic deans, associate provosts, the director of the MIT Libraries and the head of Lincoln Laboratory, as well as a number of interdisciplinary centers and programs.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 6, 1998.
