Student: How would you describe the role of the provost? How important is it to the institution? What is their job like?
President Cooper: It’s very important, and their job is complex in the sense that they’re responsible for the academic offerings and students come here to get a degree, right? They sometimes come here to play a sport and to get a degree. Maybe they want a residential experience, but at the end of the day, they come here to get an educational experience and he’s responsible for making sure that’s relevant, and that what we’re offering is that we’ve got quality faculty, and that they are doing, and it’s an interesting time, especially with AI. So, part of my conversation with him is, “How does our AI impact the student experience? What does that mean for students in writing classes? What does that mean for students in health sciences?” For ATs, for our athletic trainers. So, I think this is an interesting time to be a provost. Because you’re grappling with that, you probably understand that as a student.
Student: If you were to do an elevator pitch or put the job on LinkedIn, what would you put as the job description, duties and day-to-day responsibilities?
President Cooper: I would say they’re responsible for the academic mission, for hiring, recruiting, and selecting competent faculty members, and for providing academic support to students throughout all four years, or longer, depending on their program. Part of it is making sure that what we offer is relevant. Some of the things we offer and some of the jobs students may have will change. So, we can’t continue to offer the same academic offerings we did for those students, so when they come, we’re probably gonna have some different courses. So his responsibilities on LinkedIn would be to be innovative and creative; be responsible for academic offerings, faculty, and faculty hiring; lead the institution’s academic mission; support the president; work with the board of trustees; and reach out to students to understand the student experience.
Student: As president of the institution, Dr. Cooper, what was the process like picking a new provost?
President Cooper: All of the faculty, all faculty hiring and evaluation, all the academic staff, the library, the registrar and all academic advising. We learned from a predecessor that she was going to be stepping down. She had been with us for two years in May. So, we did a search process over the summer. The people involved were academic deans, academic staff, and faculty members, because it’s an academic hire. The Chief of Staff and the Director of Human Resources were included. So, since it was the summer, we moved quickly to start the process and get someone in place as soon as we could. We had Interviews, Zoom interviews and in-person interviews. It was a very competitive process. We had over 70 applicants for the position we were considering. And Dr. O’Connor did very well.
Student: As president, what goes into major decisions like this?
President Cooper:Usually, a senior leadership position of that type, and we hired Mike Jarry, who was the CFO, last January. The hiring process is usually three to six months. And so it’s long because sometimes your people are out of state, and Ed is coming to us from out of state as well. Priorities given to somebody. Oftentimes, it has experience, and Ed has served as a provost. So he knows what the job is about. He’s had success as a provost. And so, the other piece of that is his discipline and, in terms of Dr. O’Connor’s experience, relevance to Springfield College. For example, his background in the health sciences aligns with what we offer. We likely would not hire someone with an engineering background or a major we don’t offer or don’t intend to offer, because one of the things he brings to the conversation is his background in teaching. Most, if not all, provosts have served as faculty members, and he has a rich teaching history. Because he’s responsible for the faculty, his background as a faculty member will help him be the best provost he can be. For me, one thing that stood out about him as a candidate was how strongly he resonated with our mission.
Student: How many provosts has Springfield College seen and how many have you had the opportunity to choose?
President Cooper: When I came, Gene Wilde was the provost, then she was replaced by Martha, and then she was replaced. Gene retired; Martha retired.I hired Mary Ann Coughlin, who’s serving in that role right now. And then I had somebody for two years, Lori Ciccomascolo; she moved on, and then Marianne came back and now it’s Ed. So, six.
Student: You said that Dr. O’Connor’s experience illustrates his understanding of how learning happens outside the classroom. What do you think he will do for us on Alden Street to enforce that?
President Cooper: One of the things that I found interesting was that he was a track coach in his career. And sport is a part of Springfield College, not a big part, but it is a community builder. People go out to see the game and support other students. So, having that alongside all of his experience as a faculty member and as a provost made him more attractive and I also thought it’d be a good fit for Springfield College. So, how he can help you as a student is by monitoring your academic experience and understanding the rest of your experience. Because at commencement, he’ll be shaking your hand before I do. And he is responsible for helping you get across the stage.
Student: How do relationships, mentorships, challenges and experiences help develop a person?
President Cooper: Boy, oh boy. If you’re open to all of them, it can make an incredible difference. In every relationship that you have, you should be learning something. Whether you’re mentoring somebody or you’re the person being mentored, I’ve learned more from students in many ways than I have from people that I’ve worked for. So it’s not always hierarchical. In every environment, you can learn. I think if you’re open to that, that will make you a better person. I think that we have to slow down and make sure we’re taking care of each other. Springfield College is a very caring community, so being a mentor is important, but also being open to learning from others is critical as well. Relationships are very important. People are really important. You know, it’s easy to get behind your computer and do emails all day, but if you don’t interact with people, you’re missing out on a big part of who Springfield College is.