We recently installed a new provost after the previous one decided that life was better in the mountains. The administration told us that a search committee would find a replacement. However, the administration ended up promoting the assistant provost instead. I can understand the train of thought. If somebody worked under a person for a long time, there is a good chance that there won’t be any radical change when the transition happens. There is also the added bonus that they are familiar with the traditions and processes of the campus.

At least, that is what is supposed to happen, in theory. Sure, some random changes may occur that might improve a situation or make things worse, but that is why they are called adjustment periods. Even if the new person is the identical twin of the person who left, there will be bumps. I have come to terms with it, but why does the new leader need to unnecessarily rock the boat when everything was calm in the first place? Do they stare at everything within their domain and think to themselves, “What this tranquility needs is a little chaos.”

I get it. The new boss wants to fashion things in their own image. Sometimes, they have a bright idea that may improve parts of the academic experience. However, I am learning that most people who take a new leadership role do it to leave their mark, and most of the time it isn’t good.

Our new fearless leader is not only doing head-scratching things but weird stuff that seems overkill. The best example I can provide concerns a convocation program. Our printing and duplicating people sent a draft of the program for review. Typically, this would mean that the client will send any changes the draft needs back in an email. That way, there is documentation about the suggested changes and alterations that are easy to double-check. However, our new provost thought the best solution was to give dictation to the designer while standing over their shoulder for over an hour, ensuring everything was where it needed to be. Gotta love micromanagement.

After the provost left to take care of other matters, the software holding the program crashed, and all the changes were lost. Since there was no documentation to follow, the printers had to call the provost back. This time, with a lot of indignance in their voice, the dictation happened again. When it was all said and done, the provost left in a huff, mumbling to himself about how this place needed better help. All the while, most of this extra work could be avoided by having changes documented so that nobody would have to call them back.

I have also learned that our new fearless leader is a perfectionist and is scared to make a mistake. Apparently, any error in judgment is the bane of this man’s existence. It is totally cool to make a mistake. Nobody gets everything right on the first go around. However, the provost’s mentality is that everything must be flawless. That is no way to go through life. Being that high-strung and pedantic can’t be good for anybody. Of course, this probably means they are the most boring person outside of work or don’t have hobbies other than their job. Then again, I get the feeling that they also get excited over grapes.