Towson University Provost, Dr. Marcia G. Welsh
Many of you may have already met our new provost, Dr. Marcia G. Welsh, or seen her out and about campus. I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to your new chief academic officer with a quick and informal Q & A session so you can get to know her a little better.
Bob’s Blog: What excited you most about coming to Towson University?
Provost Welsh: I wanted to get back to a larger university and Towson is not only large, but the institution’s mission and vision really appeal to me. I like Towson’s classification as a metropolitan university that combines researched-based learning with practical application. I also like the emphasis that Towson has to serve those students who are disadvantaged because of socioeconomic issues, and I am passionate about the need for higher education to get back into the communities we serve. Universities were started in this country with the goal of educating the citizens in preparation for living and participating in a democracy, and I believe Towson’s mission serves to advance that goal.
BB: What are you looking forward to accomplishing in your first semester on campus?
PW: I want to learn all I can about the institution, and hopefully finish some initiatives that were started by my predecessors. The economy has proven challenging and I want to be sure the academic priorities and the mission of the institution are held as harmless as possible, so I will be working with the Deans to evaluate what we do and what we can do without. As 2010 comes to a close, it will be important to help lead the academic voice as we begin the next strategic planning process and determine what Towson should look like with 25,000 students.
BB: What do you do for fun in your free time?
PW: What free time? I find that most of what I do is in some way related to work, including many of my social events. I also love spending time with my family, although they now live quite a distance from me and we see each other primarily through Skype! My husband and I enjoy going to movies and plays, finding good restaurants, and I do love to shop and typically drag him along! Our vacations are always around water, as we both enjoy snorkeling and scuba diving. And I’m addicted to Sudoku.
BB: Will you most likely be seen at a sports event, arts event, or film or lecture series?
PW: Great question. Fortunately, the timing of these events typically don’t overlap, so you will absolutely see me attending most types of events on campus, although I won’t make it to everything. I love to see students perform, either on the court or field, marching down the street (I’ll be at the Macy’s Parade), on stage or in a black box theatre, so you might say my priority will be at student events. I also enjoy indies, and have the list of films being shown this fall, so will try to get to some of those. We are quite privileged to have such quality visual arts programming at Towson, so I’ll see you there, too!