By Matthew Restrepo
TAMPA, Fla. — The University of Tampa has announced that Mike Stephenson is named the new provost and vice president of academic affairs on Feb. 14, and will follow the departure of David Stern, who has held the position for 12 years.
The search started after Stern announced he would step down after the academic year.
“The new provost will embrace and enhance a strong commitment to shared governance structures and principles, fostering an inclusive and responsive campus climate,” stated a leadership profile UTampa released last October.
UTampa President Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg said in a press release, “Mike brings 26 years of successful experience in higher education and has an outstanding track record for magnifying the impact of a university degree on students and their communities.”
Stephenson’s Goals
With Stephenson becoming the next provost, he shared in an email thread that he has plans for what he will do, including new academic programs. The main theme he talked about was how he wants to get a feel for the university and meet students and faculty.
“I made a commitment to President Dahlberg as well as to those who attended my open forum that before I make any changes or introduce any of my own new initiatives, I would want to ensure I have a deep understanding of the culture of the university,” said Stephenson in an email.
During an interview, Stephenson said he currently teaches a first-year seminar at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) and wants to eventually teach one at UTampa.
Paul Greenwood, chair of the search committee, discussed how Stephenson’s leadership will align with President Dahlberg’s vision for the university.
“With a new president, she’s still working on her vision, right?” Greenwood said. “And so a lot this is about how he works with her to complement the vision going forward.”
Achievements of the New Provost
Before accepting his role at UTampa, Stephenson served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at SHSU. A press release detailing his departure highlighted his contributions to the university.
“His many achievements include establishing the institution’s First-Generation Center; supporting research; creating the BRIDGE program (Building Research, Innovation, Discovery and Growing Engagement) to foster interdisciplinary collaborations; and establishing the Student Success Operations Committee, an interdivisional group of leaders from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Enrollment Success,” stated the press release.
The BRIDGE program, one of Stephenson’s most notable initiatives, provided funding for interdisciplinary research projects. It has been part of the Provost Innovation Fund, which allocated $500,000 in one-time funds to advance interdisciplinary research teams.
In addition to his administrative work, Stephenson has conducted research in health-related fields. His most cited work, “Reliability and validity of a brief measure of sensation seeking,” was published in 2002.
Student Perspective
Two of the people involved in the search committee were UTampa students. One of those students was Abigail King, the Student Government president.
“It was very eye-opening, and it was very nice to be welcomed in a space with individuals [who] have much higher levels of education than I do,” King said.
Future for the New Provost
As provost, Stephenson will oversee The University of Tampa’s four colleges, the honors program, undergraduate research and inquiry, and other areas relating to academics.
Stephenson will officially leave his role at SHSU on June 1 and begin his tenure at UTampa the same day.
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Photo courtesy of Eric Cardenas.