The Provost Search Committee interviewed their second candidate for the office Friday, welcoming Pam Whitten, who is currently an administrator at Michigan State, to the campus of the Capstone for their questions.

Sara Barger, dean and professor at the College of Nursing and the chair of the committee, welcomed those in attendance and gave some information about Whitten’s past as a professor and administrator in higher education.

“She moved up through the teaching and administrative ranks to be the dean and professor of the College of Communications Arts and Sciences,” Barger said.

In her presentation, Whitten praised the faculty for their dedication to higher education despite the hardships which are frequently involved with teaching and administrating at public universities.

“We have all faced issues with the financial situation,” she said. “We have felt stress with keeping tuition low but still meeting certain goals. We feel the increasing expectation for students to graduate in four years and meet continuity of education goals. Issues continue but we have embraced the unstable environment of higher education. The commitment and product coming out of Alabama is really encouraging. What this means is that we have to play offense. We have to drive.”

Whitten also praised The University of Alabama for its expectation and reputation for service to its undergraduate student body. She said the University is well known outside of the South, and this reputation should remain.

“Everything we do, we have to ask: Is this helping our students? Alabama has a great reputation for undergraduates and this should remain,” she said. “Expectations should not just be met, exposure must be larger than just the U.S. and the six year graduation rates are unacceptable.”

Whitten said that as a student, professor and a dean she has been well prepared to be a provost, in part, by her research and work which has required her to be interdisciplinary.

“The type of research I did was interdisciplinary. From day one I had to work with economists, engineers, nurses, and many others to do my research,” Whitten said. “As a dean I never expected that I would get to know all of the other facets of campus, I mean other colleges, government relations, human resources, and even planning and development. Who would have guessed I would have been this close with the construction guys?”

As a dean, Whitten also increased research dollars in her college and revised both graduate and undergraduate course work and academics, providing an interesting look into her duty as an academic officer and administrator.

“The experience you have as a dean is excellent preparatory work for the duty of provost,” she said.

Whitten said while she was dean of College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University she revised 75 percent of undergraduate and 100 percent of graduate coursework and academics. She also increased research dollars by 200 percent while dean.

Whitten highlighted her own thoughts on what a provost is and should be at a state flagship university like The University of Alabama.

“I’m a big believer in interdisciplinary studies and transparency. I would lead in a way that this is a destination place for students and faculty,” Whitten said. “I think what is key, though, is that the provost of a state flagship university is to bring out the heart at the University and to recognize that Alabama is unique.”