Provost Office Experiences Complete Turnover, Bowman Appointed Interim Vice President

The summer of 2015 has seen a massive shift in the administration of Frostburg State University. After the departure of President Jonathan Gibralter, both Dr. Bill Childs and Dr. Randall Rhodes have left their positions in the Office of the Provost, with the former returning to the College of Education and the latter pursuing a career in higher education in Armenia.

When asked about the many administrative changes on campus, Interim President Dr. Bowling stated that he “can’t remember a time with so many changes” on campus.

Frostburg State University officials recently announced the promotion of Dr. John Bowman to the position of interim Vice President for International and Government Affairs. Dr. Bowman will retain many of the responsibilities of his former position, Vice Provost, including the maintenance of partnerships with international universities, many of which he, himself, has brokered and arranged with great success.

Additionally, Dr. Bowman will, per Dr. Bowling, “play a major role in working with local legislators and business leaders on economic development initiatives” and “help to promote the university’s legislative agenda in Annapolis.” While he fulfills these duties, Dr. Bowman will report directly to Dr. Bowling.

With Dr. Bowman taking on these new responsibilities in his new position, the need for a temporary replacement has arisen. Full-time, tenured faculty members were eligible to apply for a newly-created interim position in the provost office, titled the “Assistant Provost for Academic Reports and Policies.” The deadline for applications was Tuesday, August 18, 2015. The position, which has yet to be assigned, will entail working alongside Dr. Ahmad Tootoonchi, Interim Provost, and Dr. Sydney Duncan, Associate Provost.

There is no administrator in the Office of the Provost that has served before. When asked if he believes that the promotion of Bowman will leave the Provost office depleted, Dr. Bowling stated that “Bowman is just down the hall” and recalls that Dr. Stephen Simpson, longtime former Provost, remains in the department of Political Science and is available to fulfill a “senior statesman kind of role” if the need arises.

“It’s important to note that the administrative assistants remain unchanged,” said Bowling, who added that they will retain their knowledge of administrative roles and as they help guide new administrators.

Keep updated on administrative changes and the ongoing presidential search via www.thebottomlinenews.com.