With the upcoming retirement of vice provost John Skillings, Michael Dantley, a professor of education and associate dean of the school of education and allied professions will take the position of associate provost.
Effective on June 30, 2008, Dantley will bring a strong background of education and dedication to the office, said Mary Woodworth, the current associate provost who will ascend to the rank of senior associate provost upon Skillings’ departure.
“I’ve worked with him and I think he takes initiative, he wants to make sure things are done right and I think he’s going to provide good leadership in that position,” Woodworth said.
Those who currently work with Dantley agree. Carine Feyten, dean of the school of education and allied professions said that Dantley will be missed when he transfers to the office of the provost.
“He has really been my right hand and we work really well together as a team, he is extremely reliable and trustworthy – he’s very caring for the faculty,” Feyten said. “He’s a very caring individual.”
Woodworth described the office of the provost as a team mechanism. She said that the provost and associate provosts operate more as a collective group than independent positions with specifically outlined responsibilities.
The professional titles within the office are earned rather than appointed, said Woodworth.
“It’s kind of like being a sophomore, junior or senior,” Woodworth said.
Reflective of this operation, Woodworth said the specifics of Dantley’s responsibilities have yet to be determined and will be decided after the spring semester in 2008 when Dantley officially assumes the position of associate provost.
“We don’t do exactly the same thing every year – we shift responsibilities partly depending on the person,” Woodworth said. “We’ll try to figure out what seems most appropriate.”
Dantley said he looks forward to the opportunity to work on a level that affects the entire university.
“The opportunity to really impact the academic life of the entire university and not just one division, to work in a position that really influences policy and the day-to-day operations, that was especially appealing to me,” Dantley said.
Dantley’s background includes a master’s degree from Miami, followed by a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati and post-doctoral studies at Harvard. Outside of his own education, Dantley served as principle at two Cincinnati public elementary schools and has taught as a professor at several Cincinnati area institutions including UC where he taught a doctoral capstone course in administrative theory.
Dantley said that his extensive background in the fields of education will allow him to bring a unique perspective to the office of the provost.
“I think it (his experience) allows me to have a much broader perspective that I need to be an associate provost,” Dantley said. “It has really allowed me to understand the plight or journey of a faculty member because I have had this kind of experience… I think it allows me to not just have a broader perspective, but a greater sensitivity to what it means to go through the ranks of promotion and tenure.”
In addition to his work in education, Dantley has been the pastor of the Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship church for over 30 years.
According to Dantley, his spiritual life is intrinsic in every part of his life and he plans to adapt his spirituality to serve him in his new office.
“I honestly believe my religious or spiritual life is grounded in treating people fairly or justly,” Dantley said.
After his move to associate provost, Dantley will continue to teach one class a semester in the school of education, though he admits he’ll miss regular teaching.
“I love to teach, I think teaching is especially life giving,” Dantley said. “It’s life giving for me and I think it’s also life giving for the students.”
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