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Cheney steps down as provost
Berman will assume duties of the position until replacement is found

By Tom Cronin

       A week before the end of the fall 2004 semester, Michael Cheney announced that the semester would be his last as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UIS. He resigned effective Dec. 31 and plans to spend this semester pursuing his research interests.

Following Cheney’s announcement, UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen named Harry Berman interim provost. Berman, the university’s associate vice chancellor for graduate education, research and academic planning, has worked in the provost’s office for 10 years and plans to assume the role of the provost until the position is permanently filled.
       Cheney said that when he interviewed with Ringeisen in 2001, he indicated that he was looking to serve as provost for three or four years. At the time, the provost faced the challenges of

overseeing the early development of the Capital Scholars Program, expanding the campus’ online programs, and increasing faculty and student diversity, according to Cheney.
       Considering that the university had been “moving along quite nicely” with the three major challenges he faced in 2001, Cheney said that he talked with Ringeisen during the nine months prior to his resignation about some career options he was considering. Cheney said that he will likely make decisions on some of these options either this month or next month, and he intends to make a commitment by March.
       According to Cheney, Ringeisen said that it would be best for the campus to begin a search for a new provost this academic year instead of waiting for a resignation in March or April, which would result in more than a year with an interim provost.
       “He felt that they might be able to start early – at this time, the beginning of the semester – and have someone in place by the beginning of the next academic year, which I wholeheartedly support and agree with,” Cheney said.
       The career options that Cheney are considering all involve some level of faculty standing, as well as a significant amount of research work. One option he is considering would keep him at UIS as a faculty member.
       This semester, Cheney will work as a senior fellow with the Institute for Government and Public Affairs. The IGPA has offices on all three University of Illinois campuses, with the main office being in Urbana.
       Cheney said that he plans to work with another senior fellow and the IGPA’s assistant director to develop an ongoing series of articles about public-policy issues. The articles would analyze policy issues without trying to support any particular position, and they would be made available to small- and medium-sized newspapers.
       In addition to his work for the IGPA, Cheney plans to research the policy implications of new media on political communication, specifically whether the cost-effectiveness of Internet advertising should change current assumptions about campaign funding.
       In an e-mail sent to faculty, staff and students on Dec. 3, Ringeisen thanked Cheney for his service and said that the resigning provost brought “fresh new ideas, innovative thinking, and high energy” to the position.
       “I am grateful to Michael for helping move this university forward on some very important fronts and wish him well as he pursues his research interests,” he said.
Berman said that his goals as interim provost include making progress on a number of plans that are currently under way: the expansion of the lower division, the development of a strategic plan, the large number of faculty hires expected for the 2005-‘06 academic year, and the improvements to the campus’ recruiting, admissions and marketing activities.
       Another initiative that Berman said must remain a priority is the Assessment of Learning Outcomes, which is an effort to improve the curriculum by studying the degree of student learning and achievement. Berman said that faculty have made “good progress” on the assessment, which is an ongoing initiative, but it’s something that the campus can keep getting better at.
       Having worked in the provost’s office for 10 years under two different provosts, Berman said he is familiar with the responsibilities of the position. But even with his experience, Berman said that working as the provost has been much different from working with the provost.
“It’s the difference between knowing something in the abstract, or intellectually, and actually living it from day to day,” he said.

Cheney steps down as provost