UNCW welcomes first Provost candidate | News

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT)- A candidate to be the next Provost at UNCW says he expects a more open environment from the coastal campus than the last time he applied for a similar position.

Doctor Timothy Chandler is one of three candidates for Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at UNCW. He fielded questions from faculty and staff during a presentation Monday. Chandler said he appreciated the lively process.

"They value difficult questions and, for me, that makes this a very attractive place," said Chandler.

This marks the second time in little more than a year that Chandler has applied for a Provost position. He's currently the Senior Associate Provost for Kent State University in Ohio. He almost left the job in March 2011 to become the Provost at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Chandler said he withdrew his name from the opportunity because the university did not share his belief of a freedom to ask difficult questions.

"There seemed to be a lack of support for that at certain levels in the Kennesaw situation," said Chandler.

Chandler published a paper that critiqued higher education through a Marxist lens in 1998. He said he chose the particular point-of-view because issues like social class and socio-economic status were being discussed at the time. Fifteen years later, Chandler said the paper still holds some truth, but his views have changed. A change is necessary when learning, according to Chandler.

"The idea of an academic journey is something that we should all be encouraging," said Chandler.

He hopes his journey will continue to UNCW, but Chandler is not alone. Two other candidates will have their own time to present and meet with faculty and staff.

Dr. Cameron Hackney, currently the Special Assistant to Provost at West Virginia University, will present May 3. Dr. Denise Battles, current Dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences at University of Northern Colorado, will follow on May 7.

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