The search is on for a new Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs here at Ferris. Faculty, staff and students have been able to get a close look at the candidates.
Among the five candidates is Dr. Michael Licari, who visited campus on Thursday and Friday last week.
Licari has held numerous positions at the University of Northern Iowa for the past 14 years, among those as Acting President, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate College.
Each candidate is given an open forum for anyone at Ferris to attend, in order to answer any questions that might be had.
“I want to come to Ferris to be the Provost because I like what this university is doing,” Licari said. “I also think that universities have a thorough disposition to serving the community and the state, in terms of academic development, workforce development, community engagement and community service… We need to be plugged into the state of Michigan’s economy, and plugged into the fact that students expect to be educated in a way that will be directly useful to them as they enter the workforce. We’ve got this obligation that I think a lot of comprehensive universities often times miss, that this place doesn’t miss.”
“I think Ferris frankly is a model for what universities of this size should be doing, in terms of how in tune the university is with the region and the state. The outreach that is does is fantastic,” Licari said.
Licari let the audience know in his open forum that he’s just as comfortable and willing to talk to a student over a low-key burger as he is talking to faculty and staff at a business luncheon.
Licari also stated that he is inclined to getting things done. “I’m interested in seeing projects through,” Licari said. “That to me is very gratifying.”
In order for faculty, staff and students to express an opinion for any of the candidates, evaluation sheets are provided during the open forums and can be handed back to the moderator at the end of the session.