Among Golich’s first priorities if she is chosen provost are the budget, general studies, graduate programs, HSI status, community outreach and student retention.

The first of two remaining finalists for the provost/vice president of academic affairs position visited campus for a second time on Monday, making the rounds with College administrators, the trustees, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Academic Affairs staff before an open session was held.

Vicki Golich, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at California State University San Marcos, cited her experience with bringing master’s programs to fruition, reaching out to low-income and first-generation-to-college students, recruiting faculty of color, and working to increase student retention, among others, as directly relevant to the duties of the provost position at Metro State.

In the afternoon session open to all faculty, staff and students and attended by about 25 people, Golich said “I’m very collaborative and consultative – I don’t make immediate decisions… I’ve found that to be successful in moving initiatives through (in an academic setting), you have to have the dreamers and the reality checkers together in the same room.”

Golich said that were she to become provost, the first issues she would address would be the budget, general studies curriculum, graduate programs, Hispanic Serving Institution status, community outreach and student retention.

Asked what excited her most about coming to Metro State, Golich said she was passionate about the types of students Metro State serves, and that she enjoys Colorado, having lived here for seven years.

President Stephen Jordan, in attendance at the open meeting, asked Golich about the differences between working in the complex California State system versus at Metro State, which stands alone, yet operates in the tri-institutional shared campus. Golich described the heavy influence of unions in the California State system, and the system-wide broad mandates that are applied across very different institutions within the system. “One of the exciting things about Metro Sate is that there’s a lot more leeway – though I’m sure there are limitations and complexities with the shared campus, particularly with space issues.”

The second finalist, Peter Millet, will be on campus Monday, June 22. Go to http://www.mscd.edu/committees/provost_search/candidates.shtml to see Millet’s visit schedule or to read more about the candidates.

Members of the campus community are encouraged to provide their feedback on both candidates to President Jordan. The feedback forms are available at http://www.mscd.edu/committees/provost_search/assets/docs/feedback_form.pdf. Please print the form, complete it and return to the president’s office. Feedback on Golich is due this Friday, June 19.