Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                            Matt Dulin    Barrett Goldsmith    Zach Lee 
                Jim Parsons            Christian Schmidt           Blake Whitaker

To pick a provost ...

Let the search begin.

Again.

In a move that makes UH President Jay Gogue look wise, picky or both, Gogue decided against selecting a provost from the six candidates offered by the Provost Search Committee earlier this month, reopening the process for a second round.

The committee yielded several qualified candidates who could have brought a lot to UH. For whatever reason, however, they didn't quite "fit," as Gogue said in a statement.

We're not sure what this means, and we urge Gogue to be very clear in expressing his expectations to the search committee. Of course, the committee should be sure to pick candidates they ultimately approve of so that the president can have the support of the community.

It's not a decision to be taken lightly; it's comforting to know Gogue is taking care to pick his would-be right-hand man. It shows that he has a clear idea of what he's looking for. As soon as he sees it, we'll have a provost.

In the meantime, the search process will continue but may not pick up in earnest until August. It looks like Interim Provost Jerald Strickland will get at least few more months as second in command, a position he has served well since his appointment in September, when he said he was "more or less drafted" into the job.

This transition period comes at a critical time for the University. With a permanent provost pick up in the air, Strickland's role in UH's strategic planning process and supporting Gogue's administrative changes becomes increasingly important. A guy who started out studying eyesight is being asked to help improve the University's vision. 

It's clear Gogue places a lot of trust in him, and from the active role he's playing in the University, we have little reason to do otherwise.

Who knows? Maybe Strickland will get too comfortable in his provost chair, and maybe UH will get comfortable with it, too.
Send comments to dccampus@mail.uh.edu