Spartans,
After careful consideration and consultation with senior leadership and the Board of Trustees, I’m pleased to share my decision to name Dr. Alan Boyette as Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, removing interim status from his position. His appointment is effective Nov. 1 (after formal approval by the UNC System President).
Dr. Boyette has served as Interim Provost since May 2024, when he assumed the post after Debbie Storrs’s departure for medical reasons. Working with him these last several months has made clear to me that he is the right person, at the right time to keep leading as our chief academic officer. As many of you well know, he is unwavering in his dedication and commitment to UNCG’s mission and values. Likewise, he is dedicated to our students, faculty, and staff.
Accordingly, we have terminated the national search for our next Provost. Looking for more candidates isn’t necessary when the best choice is in our midst. I would like to thank the search committee and chair Bob Strack for their efforts to date. I was pleased to provide them with this news earlier today, and they were extremely supportive and endorsed the decision.
Dr. Boyette brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and extensive leadership background, all of which will reinforce our stability and continuity amid a period of change. In particular, we are conducting three dean searches. With an experienced Provost in place, those searches will proceed more quickly as candidates will have a full sense of our leadership ranks — including to whom they would be reporting.
Few people know UNCG as well as Dr. Boyette. He has served the University community for more than 33 years, many as Senior Vice Provost and as a member of the Political Science faculty. He has provided leadership and guidance for essential faculty operations, from initial appointments, reappointments, and tenure decisions to professional development, faculty reporting, and post-tenure review. He also has held leadership roles in academic program planning, undergraduate and institutional research, and learning assessment, as well as budgetary oversight for the Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Research divisions.
Further, Dr. Boyette has twice served exceptionally as Provost in an interim or acting capacity. This influential office involves oversight of leaders in all seven degree-granting colleges and schools, the International Honors College, University Libraries, the Graduate School, and other academic units.
Dr. Boyette understands the broader UNC System, too. Before arriving in Greensboro, he held academic appointments at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees. He was also Assistant Secretary at the UNC System Office in Chapel Hill and worked as a socio-economist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Most importantly, he is a steadfast presence, trusted across our community, and will be able to make tough decisions that are in the best interest of the university. While he initially didn’t intend to become Provost, I’m grateful that when asked, he reconsidered and is eager to commit his exceptional skill set to the role.
Please join me in thanking Dr. Boyette for his dedication to UNCG students, to the communities we serve, and to the University’s long-term strength.
Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.
Chancellor