University library dean named interim provost
L. Brian Stauffer, U of I News Bureau
John Wilkin – Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian – is named interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost.
February 13, 2017
Library Dean John Wilkin has been named the next interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.
Wilkin is set to begin Feb. 18, replacing interim provost Edward Feser who will start as the provost of Oregon State University Feb. 28.
Wilkin serves as the chair of Feser’s Budgeting Reform Steering Committee, set to help decrease the University’s reliance on state funding. The provost works closely with the chancellor, serves as the top academic officer and is in charge of the campus budget.
Wilson said he does not intend to be a candidate for the permanent provost position and he will meet with others to select an acting university librarian to lead while he serves as provost.
Chancellor Robert Jones has recently hired a search firm to assist with finding a permanent provost. The Academic Senate is currently identifying members to represent faculty on the committee. The search committee is expected to begin its work by mid-March and hopes the process will be completed by the fall, Jones said.
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Wilson joined the University in 2013. Previously, Wilkin has served in various library-related roles at the University of Michigan for two decades and was the executive director of HathiTrust and associate university librarian for publishing and technology.
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