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SOU hires Michigan educator Potter as new provost By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings The nationwide search for a new Southern Oregon University provost has officially ended. After reviewing 116 applicants vying for the position, SOU officials announced Wednesday that Earl Potter, professor and dean of the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University, will serve as SOU provost and vice president for academic affairs effective July 1. Charles Lane will remain the interim provost until June 30 before returning to his faculty position in SOU's School of Science. The Provost Search Committee reviewed applications before narrowing the field to 46 candidates for close consideration. That number was later pared down to 11 for telephone interviews, after which four finalists were selected for campus interviews. In a prepared statement, President Elisabeth Zinser said the four finalists presented a strong commitment to contemporary liberal arts universities. However, Potter stood out from the rest. "What separated Dr. Earl Potter were his combination of a strong liberal arts background, his successful experiences managing organizational change in challenging circumstances including budgetary, his expertise in strategic planning and turnaround problem-solving, his knowledge of leadership development and his national and local roles in community and business organizations," Zinser stated. "Dr. Potter will bring the right combination of values, passions and talents to SOU at the right time." Potter, still in Michigan, was unavailable for comment today. Potter has more than 25 years of experience as a faculty member and administrator at a number of institutions, including Lesley University in Massachusetts, Cornell University, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the University of Colorado. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with honors from Williams College before earning his master's in psychology and a Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Washington. As provost, Potter will be responsible for academic planning and budgeting, academic policies, management, resource development and stewardship for achievement of the university's comprehensive mission and its vision as a premier public liberal arts institution. According to Zinser, Potter is "ideal for helping us move forward in our mission as a regionally responsive, nationally recognized and internationally engaged university." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -