By Madison Lira

Throughout the 2022-2023 school year at CSU Pueblo, the Office of the Provost has been seeking an experienced champion of academic quality to join the executive team of President Timothy Mottet. The office has been hosting the four candidates up for the position, providing them with a tour of the campus and an opportunity to present in the morning. It concluded with a reception with CSU Pueblo faculty later in the evening.

The Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs have a few critical duties at CSU Pueblo. As previously discussed, the candidates for the position would develop and execute a bold vision that not only differentiates the college from other institutions but also meets the needs of those in the region. This job title also means revitalizing the curriculum on campus through updates or creating new programs on campus to remain current and responsive to the region’s needs. The candidate chosen for the position will also ensure that students get a tailored and unique learning experience to develop them to reach their full potential within their program. 

The Office of the Provost requires specific qualifications from the candidates they all show for and more. Candidates have a doctorate or an appropriate terminal degree alongside a strong record of teaching that would merit the tenure and pay of $190,000 up to $230,000 a year. Alongside a strong background in education, the candidates must also have a record of accomplished leadership in academia with increased responsibility and complexity of the work. CSU Pueblo also requires a solid commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion from the candidates.

CSU Pueblo hosted three out of the four candidates on March 15, 28, and March 30. The third candidate looking to fill the Provost position, Dr. Andrew D. Ketsdever, provided more input to The Today on how he would hope to fill the big shoes the campus is looking to fill. DEI efforts being openly embraced and strived for by the campus, Dr. Ketsdever gave background into his previous efforts with DEI commitment in previous positions he held. 

“Previously, I’ve done quite a lot of work in DEI efforts in the community that I’ve come from, and that was a stress point for our students in Bend, OR. It doesn’t seem as though the community and students of color are at odds in Pueblo. Sometimes we feel that way in central Oregon, and so what worked there isn’t necessarily the same approach that would work here. So talking with students, understanding what they need, what they want to see is critical,” said Dr. Ketsdever.

Dr. Ketsdever discussed putting students and their opinions, wants, and needs of what the campus should be like first and foremost. With previous work within student efforts and addressing their wants and needs, he commented on how he would approach the situation of CSU Pueblo outsourcing opportunities to outside companies/people instead of utilizing students and their specialties, an example being in advertising. 

“I’ve done quite a lot of work in my current institution in getting students involved in exactly those types of things. Those real-world experiences, outside of the classroom experiences, are critical. It’s exactly what students should be doing; those are the experiences the university should provide them outside the classroom. There’s certainly a role for students to play, particularly in the degree programs that these types of activities make sense in,” Dr. Ketsdever explained.

Many students on campus are also discussing trouble when it comes to finding jobs and paid internships during and after graduation, with many needing assistance finding help. Dr. Ketsdever discussed some similar sentiments that students at the institutions he currently and previously has worked for shared towards this as well.

“One issue that we saw at my current institution is that we have a career development office like most other universities, and it was left to the students to find it in most cases. In other cases, the degree major that they’re in would direct them to the career development office, and other majors, not so much.”

Dr. Ketsdever also discussed why he applied for the provost position at CSU Pueblo, saying, “Throughout my whole academic career, I’ve always been at places that are small and mighty. UCCS instead of CU Boulder, for example, OSU Cascades instead of OSU in Corvallis. The appeal to CSU Pueblo is that it’s a small and mighty place with really exciting things going on that’s ready to be innovative and break out.”