RIT University News

On Monday, March 10, President William Destler announced that Dr. Jeremy Haefner would be succeeding Dr. Stanley McKenzie as RIT’s Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. This announcement comes after a five month, multi-national search for a replacement for McKenzie, who is retiring after 13 years as provost and a total of 40 years at RIT. The search, which narrowed a pool of about eighty applicants down to five finalists, placed the shortlist on Destler’s desk in February.

“We were given a charge by the President at the end of the summer to find a new Provost ,” stated Dr. L. Paul Rosenberg, Interim Head of the Chemistry Department and Chair of the RIT Provost Search Committee. Rosenberg noted, “[Haefner is] a very student-centered individual...[and] brings experiences that are a very good match to what our needs are on campus.” Haefner, according to Rosenberg, is an “exciting” choice for RIT, because he will be able “to help develop and move forward [RIT’s] strategic plan.”

Haefner, who holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin and is currently the Dean of the College of Science and Applied Technology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, will begin serving as Provost this summer, starting July 1. Since July 2007, Haefner has also served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Colorado, providing Colorado’s Academic Affairs leadership for developing a research park on campus.

As Provost , Haefner will serve as the chief academic officer for RIT, overseeing the deans and working with the faculty’s Academic Senate.

He will be working closely with Destler to further the goals of creativity and innovation. “The vision that President Destler has articulated… [is] truly exciting to me,” Haefner said. “RIT can distinguish itself as a center for creativity and innovation…I think RIT is going to be a national leader and player.”

Part of the job, Haefner said, is also working closely with Student Government as well as the student body. He noted that RIT has a very diverse student community that will require some adjustment on his part, however his hope is to be an accessible administrator. Looking around the RIT website for ideas, he said, “I really liked the blog that the Dean of the College of Business does on a regular basis…it’s kind of a mechanism that allows students to have some interactivity when they’re unable to have conversations.”

“There’s an opportunity for us to engage students in new ways,” he remarked. As Provost, his plans are to begin bridging the gap between “learning that happens in and out of the classroom,” he explained. “I want to work with Student Affairs…I want a really good partnership between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. I think that just makes a lot of sense in this day and age.”

Haefner said that he is excited about the opportunities provided by the broad scope of this position. He intends to “dive into” the RIT experience, finding ways to connect with students. “I also want to have lunch in the student cafeterias, to let me learn and listen,” he stated. “I can’t wait to immerse myself in the RIT community.”