After weeks of debate, President Jo Ann Gora will have to choose one man.
He will provide "overall leadership and direction" to Ball State University. According to the job description online, he will also be "responsible for all aspects of the academic mission." In short, this individual will be in charge of Ball State's development.
One of the candidates for the position of provost and vice president for academic affairs - either William Swart, Elliott Pood or Andrew Bodman - will hold the future of Ball State, at least in part, in his hands.
Students, faculty and staff members have very little time to weigh in with their opinions, as the final forum, Bodman's, is today at 9:30 a.m. in Bracken Library Room 225. The final recommendation of the board members will be turned in on Thursday for Gora's consideration.
The opportunity is still there, though, if you have any interest in the person who will oversee the "direction" and "academic mission" your university will take in years to come.
Webcasts of the previous forums are available online, along with the background of each candidate, at the provost search Web site: www.bsu.edu/provostforum. Also, the university community has open access to the evaluation forms turned in by faculty, staff, administrators and students following the public forums and other interaction with the candidates.
You can simply stop in to the Office of the President during regular business hours to see the documents, to see what those who attended the forums thought about these candidates. Then you can send an e-mail to make your own recommendations, rather than allowing the voice of the administration to stand unopposed or unsupported by the students, faculty and staff of this university.
Thursday, the board will make its recommendation to Gora, but until the president's office closes today, you can walk in and ask to review the feedback forms.
You have the right to see those documents.
You have the right and the responsibility to e-mail the chair of the provost search committee, O'Neal Smitherman, at osmitherman@bsu.edu to share your opinions.
You have the right to help determine who will be in charge of the "direction" your university takes. But due to the board's deadline tomorrow, you have to take action right now.
Visit Administration Building Room 101 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to view evaluations of the provost candidates.
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