What Exactly IS a Provost?

If you don't know, don't feel bad.  You're not alone!  So few people actually know what a provost is, the humorist Dave Barry once used it as an example of how to befuddle the IRS. 

One might try to explain what a "provost" is by starting with the origins of the word.  Unfortunately, the original definition of the word "provost" was "keeper of a prison."  The Provost Marshal of the Norman invaders in 1066 was infamous for torture and merciless cruelty.  And suspected deserters and drunks during the American Revolution were very poorly treated in their respective "provost prisons."

So the historical route doesn't seem like such a good idea. 

You could try the literary route--seeking out all the examples of noble provost characters in the great texts.  There's one in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, for example.  As it turns out, the provost in that play is--you guessed it--a prison warden. 

In the end, it seems best to just describe directly what a modern provost does.

The provost is the University's "Chief Academic Officer." In a nutshell, that means it's the provost's job to oversee and advance the interests of undergraduate, graduate, and professional education on our campus. It's the provost's job to advocate for our academic priorities; make sure we recruit and retain a superb and diverse faculty; and marshal resources in support of excellent teaching, research, creative production, and service. All promotion and tenure decisions ultimately come to the Office of the Provost. All the colleges and academic units report to the Provost's Office, as do student academic services, the University Libraries, International Programs, the Museum of Art, and Information Technology Services.

We're glad you're interested in what a provost does.  We encourage you to learn more about the office, who we are, and what we're working on by exploring these pages.  Welcome to the Office of the Provost!