New Chapman provost selected

Norma Bouchard, who has served as the dean of Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences and of San Diego State University’s College of Arts and Letters, will serve as Chapman University’s next provost. SAM ANDRUS, Photo Editor

After months of deliberation, Chapman announced March 26 a new academic leader to inherit the provost’s seat — someone who appears to check off every box on the university’s wish list for an ideal candidate.

Norma Bouchard will become Chapman's new provost July 28. Photo courtesy of Bouchard

Norma Bouchard, the current dean of Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, will replace Glenn Pfeiffer as provost starting July 28. Bouchard originally came to campus Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 to interview, and after impressing the search committee, the Senate Executive Board (SEB) and President Daniele Struppa, she was officially offered the position in late February.

“She brings to the university what the president was looking for: a serious scholar who leads faculty in the research agenda of a university, a serious administrator who has had enormous background in many of the different kinds of initiatives we are looking forward to promoting and a very transparent leader,” Janeen Hill, the leader of the provost search committee, told The Panther. “I am thrilled to death that she is coming.”

Bouchard also served as the dean of the College of Arts and Letters at San Diego State University, overseeing 18 academic departments and 19 graduate programs. She has published over 10 books and 60 articles, examining topics like intersection of the arts, social sciences and philosophy in 19th and 20th century Europe. 

Struppa mentioned that Bouchard’s experience with managing a diverse portfolio of faculty in two different dean positions “was a good indication” of the strength of her candidacy. In fact, it reminded him of the experience he had as dean of George Mason University’s College of Arts and Sciences before coming to Chapman as a provost candidate 15 years ago, he said. 

Prior to their interview, Struppa said he sent Bouchard Chapman’s proposed budget for the 2021-2022 academic year. In that initial conversation, which lasted two hours, the two went line-by-line through the budget to analyze where money was being allocated. The balance of Bouchard’s background in higher education administration and understanding of university finances was important, Struppa said, considering the provost, president and chief operating officer hold a weekly meeting to discuss the university’s finances. 

“We need somebody we don’t have to teach from scratch how this stuff works,” Struppa said.

Philip Goodrich, the president of Chapman’s Student Government Association, and Alison McKenzie, president of the Faculty Senate, also endorsed Bouchard. Goodrich said Bouchard emphasizes placing students at the forefront of decision-making, while McKenzie said faculty were encouraged by Bouchard’s understanding of faculty governance and managing different personnel. 

McKenzie, in particular, was impressed with Bouchard’s preparation and attitude toward inclusivity. She said that the provost had come in with knowledge of both the demographics of students at Chapman and in Orange County as a whole, speaking to the importance of having faculty that students can relate to and recruiting more first-generation students.

“She just seems very personable and down-to-earth — not stuck in her ivory tower,” McKenzie said. “She’s lived a life that has informed a lot of her work … She seems to have an appreciation of a lot of different types of people and backgrounds.” 

Similarly unprompted, Struppa, Hill and Goodrich all spoke highly of Bouchard’s “warm” personality. 

“You don’t include or exclude a person (from candidacy) based on the fact that they may have a sense of humor, but when you talk to people and you find them very likeable, very easy to work with, very easy to talk to — that helps,” Hill said. 

Bouchard aims to expand Chapman’s health sciences program and promote intersectionality of the humanities with other academic fields, Struppa said. However, he expects Bouchard will need time to feel out the dynamics of the university. 

McKenzie also noted Bouchard didn’t seem to want to impose a self-created vision upon the university, but rather, to help guide it in its current form. Overall, the administration is eager for Chapman’s academic future with Bouchard at the helm.

“I hope that she’s here a long time,” Hill said. 

The Panther is interviewing Bouchard April 5 and will be publishing a Q&A detailing Bouchard’s motivation for applying to Chapman and her goals as provost.