Who’s Who at MU: the provost

Since former provost Liz Mullenix stepped down last spring, Chris Makaroff has taken on the role of Miami University’s interim provost, a position that has a wide range of responsibilities at Miami, but goes curiously unseen.

So, what exactly does a provost do?

The provost is the university’s chief academic officer; they oversee everything related to academics at Miami. This includes managing all academic programs, departments and schools.

Every dean at the university reports directly to the provost, as do the chairs of departments and key programs, like the honors program and the graduate school.

As a provost, Makaroff holds biweekly meetings with all the deans, meeting with each individually and then coming together as a group twice a week. Beyond that, he meets with university committees, the vice president’s office and key administrative offices, such as Human Resources and Development.

When problems arise — whether it’s a student or parent appeal that escalates beyond the professor, or conflicts with faculty unions — Makaroff is often involved in the solution. He also represents Miami at the Inter-University Council meetings held in Columbus, where provosts from other universities discuss statewide academic issues.

“I’m involved in a lot of different areas, and each day brings something new,” Makaroff said. “Sometimes it’s working with deans on hiring requests or redesigning academic programs. Other days, I’m helping with the THRIVE initiative, a polytechnic-focused project or supporting the nursing program and career services.”

Makaroff said the role requires balancing many moving parts across the university.

“Chairs see their own departments and deans see their colleges, but as provost, I have to think about what’s best for Miami as a whole,” he said.

Another part of Makaroff’s role as provost is to manage academic hiring. When a professor leaves unexpectedly or a new program needs staffing, the provost works closely with deans to find and approve the correct replacements.

Seth Bauguess, Miami’s senior director of communications, also said Makaroff is also involved in the search for a new provost.

“We will be working with Storbeck Search and looking over various candidates for the new provost,” Bauguess said. “In particular, we will be holding open forums across campuses informing people about our findings and also taking questions.”

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

Michael Chisanga, a sophomore computer engineering major, said he has never heard of the provost or knows what he does.

“I think it’s because [students] are more focused on what they’re here for, their academics,” Chisanga said. “Like for me, I have to complete my degree.”

This is a statement echoed by students across campus.

Laila Diane, a first-year biochemistry major, agreed that she had never heard of a provost before. She said it sounded like something you research.

Makaroff’s role isn’t a field of study; instead, he said he plays a big role in deciding whether new academic programs fit the university’s goals, or if they overlap too much with existing ones and helps to reshape programs when needed.

“It’s important work, but I have to live vicariously through others since I don’t see as many direct benefits anymore,” Makaroff said.

Higher education today faces new challenges.

“Students are consumers now, and the university is seen as a product,” Makaroff said. “When students and their parents get upset, sometimes it’s because they expect more since they’re paying for their education.”

With initiatives like MiamiTHRIVE and experiential learning growing on campus, Makaroff’s role is to guide these efforts in ways that benefit students and the university community.

“I might not always get to see the results as directly as I could when I was a department chair or a dean,” Makaroff said, “but at the end of the day, I’m here to do what’s best for the whole university.”

kwanwz@miamioh.edu