UCA’s Provost Search Committee has selected College of Business Dean Michael Hargis as the next UCA provost.
The role of provost includes managing UCA’s five academic colleges. This position includes the title of executive vice president of academic affairs.
UCA’s current provost, Patricia Poulter, worked with Hargis previously.
“After working with Dr. Hargis for the past six years, and observing him lead through a variety of situations with integrity, vision, calm, collaboration and wisdom, I am confident in his ability to lead and develop others. He has a long and successful history at UCA and is highly respected both on and off campus.” Poulter said. “I believe Dr. Hargis is a seasoned leader who understands the rigors of the role, and he is poised to flourish.”
Poulter said she appreciates all who helped choose the next provost.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of the members of the search committee for their time and energy in this process,” she said. “In addition, I express my thanks to the members of campus who participated in all of the campus candidate sessions. UCA has a bright future, and I look forward to following the institution’s successes.”
The process for hiring a new provost started with a search committee made up of faculty and staff from across campus.
They narrowed down almost 90 applicants to the final four.
The students and faculty looked at each of the final four candidates’ resumes. Each of the four had their own day on campus to interact with students, faculty and staff at a variety of events.
Feedback could be given on an online form about each candidate, which was then reviewed by President Houston Davis.
“[Hargis] did have the greatest support across campus from faculty, staff, administrators and students, so that made me feel good that the campus had support for him,” Davis said. “I feel very good about Dr. Hargis being my provost and I feel like the campus feels good about that too.”
Davis said he does not doubt Hargis’ ability as provost.
“I’m excited about Dr. Hargis. He’s a very good person. He’s a well-respected individual on our campus, in the Conway community and statewide,” he said. “We know that he is going to give his best every single day. We know that he cares about this campus and the students finding success. People love working with him because he is a really good person.”
Davis spoke to Hargis’ humanity and personality.
“I have seen him go the extra mile for a student, a faculty member and a staff member. I know that he has a servant’s heart because I’ve observed that,” Davis said. “Knowing that I’ve got a provost that I’ve observed going the extra mile and not taking the easy way out makes a big difference.”
“I cannot overstate how important it is that I know that I’ve got a good quality person of character in the provost role. I have a tremendous amount of respect for his character,” he said. “He’s a quality person that I want to be like, that I strive to be like. If I could be half of Provost Hargis I’ll be doing OK.”
Hargis said one reason he applied for the provost position was his strong and long-standing ambition to give back to an institution that helped create stability and opportunity for his family.
“In 1954, my paternal grandmother found herself widowed, essentially without employable skills with three young children, one of them being my father. A new program was being developed at UCA — known as Arkansas State Teachers College at the time — and my grandmother was able to earn her degree. When she did earn her degree, her three children also received their specially printed ‘baby of arts’ diplomas. I proudly display my father’s in my office today,” Hargis said.
Hargis knows what he wants to do in his first year as provost.
“My plan in that first year as provost is really to listen,” he said. “I want to visit with each of the departments, each of the units, understand their goals and aspirations, understand their strategic priorities, develop an understanding of how their strategic priorities align with the university’s goals and mission and then think about what we are going to do to level up and move forward collectively as a group.”
Hargis will serve as provost starting July 1.
