Runge promoted to interim provost

UCA’s new interim provost, Steven Runge, was hired to replace outgoing Provost Lance Grahn.
Runge was the Dean of the College of Natural Science before becoming the new provost, which he said was hard to give up.
As provost, Runge will be in charge of all things academic. All major decisions on academic policy go through the provost.
“Ultimately everything about academic affairs funnels up to the provost,” Runge said.
In addition to overseeing all academic colleges on campus, the provost also coordinates with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and with the Higher Learning Commission for the monitoring report due in May, which Runge said will produce a lot of positive changes.
Runge said there are several new things he will do as provost, including coordinating data gathered from graduate students, with people and organizations on campus that use it, to make methods more efficient.
Runge also said the university will look at what skills students need five years after college and try to improve preparation for careers. He said UCA will look at what it’s doing well and continue to do it,
Runge said the people working on the report have been working a long time on the report and doing a good job. He said he will try to stay out of their way as much as possible.
Runge said he was not sure how long he would be provost. He said it was too early to tell whether the job is right for him, but said he will remain provost as long as Tom Courtway wants him to.
UCA Vice President of Government Relations Jeff Pitchford said President Courtway chose Runge, but it would be up to Runge to decide whether he wanted to put his name in for the job permanently.
“It would be up to him,” Pitchford said. “He would have to learn the ins and outs of the job first and decide for himself.”
UCA will have a national search for a new provost.
To become provost permanently, Runge would need to apply, which Runge said is too early to tell. Pitchford said the search is not underway yet.