Anne Linehan over at blogHouston.net alerts us to this University of Houston announcement that Donald J. Foss has been named the University’s new Provost.
Dr. Foss has been the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida State University for the past 10 years and, for 12 years before that, he was Dhairman of the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin. He replaces former UH Optometry Dean Jerald Strickland, who has filled the Provost position on an interim basis since September 2003.
By all accounts, Dean Strickland has done a marvelous job of patching up the relationship between the UH Faculty and Administration that had deteriorated badly during the tenure of former UH Provost Edward Sheridan. That bitter relationship is the subject of this April 2002 Tim Fleck Houston Press article.
Dr. Foss’ appointment is subject to approval by the UH Board of Regents at its April 6 meeting, and he is expected to assume the Provost position in July.
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Sheridan was a terrible dean at the University of Central Florida and also an out and out liar. No surprise at what he did at the University of Houston. We were glad when Missouri hired him away. UCF has been doing much better since he left.