Editor’s note: The following message was sent to all CSU faculty this week.

Dear Colleagues:

I write today to share two important updates with you on the national search for our next Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs: the naming of a new interim in the role and a decision to modify the position’s title and expand its minimum qualifications as we proceed with the search process.

First, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Michelle Stanley, Professor of Music and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Liberal Arts, as Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs, effective July 1. As Interim VPUA, she will work with me to move forward my top priorities for undergraduate education, and help shape the direction of key initiatives.

Dr. Stanley has been a faculty member at CSU for nearly 20 years, and has served in several leadership roles including currently as Associate Dean and recently as Interim Chair of the Music Department in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance. She also previously served as Director of Arts Management at the LEAP Institute. Dr. Stanley has served on several departmental and university committees including the committee for Student Success: Academic Matters and Curricular Coordination and the University Assessment Committee.

I am grateful to Dr. Stanley for her willingness to serve in this interim position. She will be replacing Dr. Tom Siller who has been serving as Interim Vice Provost since last spring. Tom will be retiring the end of June after more than 35 years at CSU. He has been dedicated to the success of our students throughout his career, and has approached his work with great passion. It has been a privilege to work alongside him these past few months, and I will miss him as a colleague and strategic partner.

The second piece of news I have to share is an update on changes to the position itself. We recently reposted the position as Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Affairs (VPDUA). Adding the title of Dean makes the VPDUA parallel to our Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School and, most importantly, signals CSU’s strong commitment to undergraduate education and student success.

The new VPDUA job posting and search timeline can be found at: https://provost.colostate.edu/search-for-vice-provost-for-undergraduate-affairs/. The deadline for full consideration is Wednesday, July 31. I am thankful to the search committee for their thoughtful, hard work, and their support as we took a pause to re-assess this role. Associate Provost and Executive Director of the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU) Steve Dandaneau will remain as search committee chair, and two new members will be joining the committee to relieve those who must step down. The full committee is posted online. If you would like to nominate a candidate for VPDUA, please email: Steve.Dandaneau@ColoState.edu.

I hope your semester has progressed well and you are enjoying this refreshing spring weather. Thank you for your dedication to our students as we finish these last couple weeks of the semester.

Sincerely,

Marion

Marion K. Underwood, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice President