The Role of a Provost
Since July 1999, Dr. Peter Lange has served in this position.
Upholding the highest standards for intellectual inquiry, and maintaining and improving academic quality university wide, are the Provost's primary goals. To achieve them, the Provost devotes much attention to the faculty appointments, promotion, and tenure processes; to the content of Duke's various academic programs; and to Duke's emphases on interdisciplinarity and internationalism. In addition, the Provost engages with issues concerning admissions, financial aid, information technology, and all other facets of university life touching on academics.
Working with the Deans, faculty committees, and senior officers, the Provost develops the institution's intellectual priorities and oversees their implementation. Duke's most recent strategic plan, Building on Excellence, outlines these priorities for the coming years. The Provost attends to resource development and allocation and oversees all academic budgets in order to ensure that the University's academic goals are achievable.
Deans of schools, Vice Provosts, and a number of unit directors report to the Provost.