A provost is a university or college’s top official. The provost is the equivalent of the university’s chief executive officer, and this term for senior officials is generally only used in the academic community. His or her job is to oversee academic matters on behalf of the institution’s governing organization, usually with the help of a large support staff that assists the provost with a variety of tasks, such as hiring new faculty and dealing with suspected cases of academic fraud or cheating.
The term “provost” is derived from a Latin term that means “chief” or “in charge of,” and it appears to have originated in the Church to describe high-ranking appointed officials before being adopted by the academic community. Provosts are appointed by the board of governors, the president, or other governing officials of the college, and they report to them as well as the college’s chief financial officer.
Provosts are in charge of all academic programs at the institutions where they work. The provost receives reports from deans and other faculty heads, as well as librarians, laboratory supervisors, and other officials who oversee various aspects of the college, such as sports coaches, chiefs of student medical services, and so on. The provost typically has the authority to establish, amend, or repeal policies, as well as to enforce them, and to make a variety of decisions that are intended to benefit the college.
The majority of provosts anticipate receiving regular reports from various college officials, as well as updates on specific or ongoing issues. The provost likes to be kept informed about anything that affects the college’s academic integrity, and he or she is usually interested in issues that could affect the institution’s social standing as well. Many colleges and universities, for example, rely on the goodwill of surrounding communities, making public relations an important aspect of the job to ensure the institution’s continued success.
Although anyone can make an appointment with the provost to discuss issues of interest or importance, students rarely meet with him directly. If a student needs to be disciplined for an academic infraction such as cheating, the case may be referred to the provost after the case has been heard by whichever system the institution’s honor code mandates. Individual instructors rarely have to meet with this official because they bring issues to their deans or heads’ attention. When dealing with clashes between town and gown, members of the community may find that appeals to provosts are most effective.