Lois Wims, provost and vice president for academic affairs, was invited to share insights into her day-to-day work at a recent conference of the American Academic Leadership Institute. Wims, along with Fredrick Chilson, provost at Lewis and Clark State College in Idaho, gave a virtual presentation to higher-education administrators exploring the next steps in their careers.
The discussion focused on the challenges of being a provost including managing budgets, allocating resources for faculty, overseeing programs and infrastructure, and supporting faculty and student mental health. Wims also touched on building trust and relationships with faculty, especially when navigating difficult tenure and promotion decisions; the critical relationship and need for open communication between the provost and university president; and building an effective team and leadership group in the provost’s office, including by leveraging the skills and expertise of deans and other administrators.
Wims shared several positive outcomes she’s experienced during her 10 years at Worcester State , despite facing some initial challenges. She’s helped to strengthen the role of deans on campus, for example, and to improve the tenure and promotion process, raising standards while still being fair to faculty.
She said she values building a strong team as a provost, noting the importance of carefully evaluating potential hires and leveraging both formal and informal networks to make good decisions about the people on her team.
Wims emphasized the importance of building trust with faculty, including through regular check-ins and an open-door policy. She has also worked to foster a collaborative environment among the school’s leadership team, holding monthly staff dinners to build camaraderie. Wims stressed the importance of maintaining a positive, solutions-oriented approach when dealing with the complex issues a provost often faces.
Achievers
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