On Feb. 13 to Feb. 14, Doane University brought the two finalists for the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) to the Crete and Lincoln campuses and gave them both a tour of the two campuses as well as hosted an open forum for faculty, staff and students to watch and provide input about the candidates.
The new VPAA will replace Doane University’s current Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Lorie Cook-Benjamin, who, after seven years as Chief Academic Officer and countless years in higher education, is set to retire in the summer.
During their stay at Doane, the candidates hosted an open forum for faculty, staff and students centered around “balancing innovation and tradition in shaping academic programs and institutional priorities while maintaining a liberal arts mission.” Both candidates shared their vision for the future at Doane and later opened the floor for questions.
The two finalists for the position are Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Virginia Wesleyan University and Professor of English Susan Larkin and Dean and Professor at California State University, Channel Islands Elizabeth C. Orozco Reilly. Both Larkin and Reiley have extensive histories in higher education management and teaching courses in higher education.
“On Thursday and Friday, each day, two different candidates came and visited – and met with the search committee, the academic affairs team, took tours on campus and an open forum was held in the Perry Board Room for any Doane community member to attend,” Senior and a student on the Vice President of Academic Affairs Search Committee Quincey Johnson said. “Both days the room was very full, and many questions were asked regarding the liberal arts, student experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels, faculty development and engagement, leadership styles, and program metrics that the candidate would bring as being Doane’s next VPAA.”
Johnson said that President Roger Hughes is looking at the notes, comments, and survey results that the Search Committee put together in order to make a final decision on who will secure the position. Who will be announced VPAA has not been concluded yet.
