Message from President Roberts

Yesterday, we completed our SACSCOC on-site review and I was pleased to have received positive feedback from the reaffirmation committee. We look forward to the next steps in the process. I extend my gratitude to the entire campus community including our Auburn Board of Trustees, employers and alumni for the enthusiastic, thoughtful and thorough engagement.

Earlier this week, we announced the hiring of Dr. Edward Thomas as our Dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics as well as the hiring of Richard Campbell as Auburn’s new Chief Communications Officer. The dean searches for the Colleges of Engineering, Pharmacy and Business are well underway with finalists already completing on-campus interviews or scheduled to happen soon.

I am now pivoting to two key leadership roles that will complete my current leadership team. Given the breadth and depth of talent among Auburn’s faculty, the searches for each of these positions would be open only to current Auburn faculty and academic leadership holding the rank of full professor. Additionally, these internal searches will allow me to immediately tap into the selected individuals’ existing knowledge of Auburn and its context, to quickly establish momentum, and to balance and complement the recent and still emerging decanal leaders at AU.

First:

Since the Auburn University Provost is Auburn’s chief academic officer and is the second highest ranking academic administrator after the University President, as per AU Board of Trustees policy, I have consulted with and have the support of the AU Board of Trustees to proceed with this search as outlined below:

All current Auburn faculty and academic leadership who hold the rank of full professor have the option to compete for this position without restrictions.

The internal search for our next Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will be chaired by Dean Susan Hubbard.

More details regarding the composition of the search committee and the position description including application materials needed are available here.

Second:

Given our collective ambition to further elevate our research and scholarship at Auburn University, the current Research office will become a direct report to the President, and will be led by a Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development.

This internal search will be chaired by Dean Calvin Johnson.

More details regarding the composition of the Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development Search Committee and the position description including application materials needed are available here.

Sincerely,

Christopher B. Roberts
President