UT narrows search for academic affairs VP

Vice provost at UTC among the finalists

NASHVILLE — The University of Tennessee system on Thursday announced four finalists in its search for a new vice president for academic affairs and student success.

Among them is David Rausch, current vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Rausch is also UTC’s director of the School of Professional Studies, according to a UT system news release.

Finalists will visit Knoxville for meetings with members of the university’s leadership team and chief academic officers from across the UT system.

Public forums won’t be part of the process, officials said, but they will ask the public for feedback. The new vice president will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tonjanita Johnson.

The person selected will work with campus chief academic and student affairs officers to oversee those activities for the UT system. Duties include coordinating mission statements, academic strategic plans, establishment and revision of academic organizations and admission, progression and retention standards.

The other finalists are:

› Risa Dickson, vice president for academic planning and policy for the University of Hawaii system from 2015 to present. Before that, Dickson spent 24 years at California State University, San Bernardino, holding various leadership positions, including serving as associate provost for academic personnel.

› Linda Martin, director of the Second-Year Transformational Experience Program at Ohio State University since 2014. Martin also has served as the Sanford G. Price and Isabelle P. Barbee Endowed Chair for Teaching, Advising and Learning, and as associate dean and director for academic programs for the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State.

› John Omachonu, senior vice provost for academic affairs at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. He previously served in various leadership roles at Middle Tennessee State University for 11 years, including as vice provost for academic affairs and chief diversity officer. Also at MTSU, Omachonu served as interim vice provost for academic affairs. He led the communication department at William Paterson University in New Jersey from 2000 to 2004.