As our campus anticipates the arrival of a new executive vice president and provost, let me say what an honor and a pleasure it has been to serve as interim for the past two years. I’d also like to share a few brief reflections based on my observations while serving in this role. We often get so caught up in our day-to-day meetings and deadlines, or in dealing with the steady stream of challenges we all face, that we forget to take a step back and appreciate this great university and the things that make it so special.

One of those things is that we enjoy a campus culture that is uniquely collaborative, supportive, and committed to collective success. 

At the University of Iowa, we believe in the potential of our talented students, faculty, and staff, and we are prepared to support their success. I see this every day, in colleges and units across campus. When the university welcomes you into its midst, that welcome comes with a commitment to support your development and to help you realize your potential. 

Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen that sense of welcome contribute to the success of searches for several academic leadership positions, including four deans and the director of the Museum of Art. It has been inspiring to meet so many outstanding individuals who want to come to the University of Iowa—even in the face of fiscal constraints and other challenges—because we offer the opportunity to lead in a culture of excellence, surrounded by people working hard to advance a common mission. 

Collaboration is the university’s “secret sauce,” the key ingredient that makes us truly special, enhancing teaching, research, public engagement, and every aspect of university life. Our collaborative spirit is evident in the work of our faculty, staff, and student shared governance bodies, and also in our partnerships with so many wonderful community members and organizations on town/gown initiatives such as alcohol safety. We are a community populated by countless individuals who are willing to give up their time and work together to make this an even better place to live and learn.

Of course, growth and change are hard. I have been involved with several initiatives that brought together colleagues with very different perspectives and ideas about how best to move forward. In every case, I have seen those individuals give their time and energy to engage in difficult but constructive conversations—and arrive at decisions everyone is willing to respect, because those decisions are founded on a shared passion for the university and commitment to our future.

There are many things I would wish for the university, chief among them that we had more resources. But let’s stop to remind ourselves what an extraordinary job we do with what we have. We should be proud of who we are, our shared values, and our commitment to collective success. This campus has demonstrated its willingness to undergo challenging transformations to become stronger, and we choose to tackle those challenges through collaboration. As a result, we have an incredibly bright future ahead.