New provost hired
Barbara May is set to return to CSB+SJU this summer as the provost.
Former biology professor and Dean of Academic Affairs Barbara J. May was recently announced as the new CSB+SJU provost to start on July 1 following the retirement of current Provost Richard Ice.
The announcement came from an email communication sent by President Brian Bruess to CSB+SJU students on March 12.
“As provost, Barb will serve as our senior educational officer, responsible for the curricular and co-curricular experience across both institutions,” Bruess said via email. “With Strong Integration, her leadership will be essential in ensuring academic excellence, collaborative innovation and an integrated student experience that prepares women and men for lives of meaning and service to the common good.”
After a four-year hiatus, during which she served as provost and senior vice president at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, and provost and vice president of academic affairs at Pacific University in Oregon, May is returning to CSB+SJU.
“I am obviously familiar with the institutions, but I will need to listen and learn what’s changed to understand how I can best support and uplift initiatives and students,” May said. “The new challenge for me will be supporting student affairs as well as academic affairs. The cool thing about this job is I get to take a holistic approach: helping with the academic, social and emotional aspects of students’ experiences.”
May was a biology faculty member for ten years and served as academic dean for CSB+SJU from 2017-2022. Bruess spoke about her impact on CSB+SJU in his announcement.
“During her earlier tenure here, she helped lead general education reform, strengthened academic assessment practices, supported faculty governance, and advanced high-impact practices such as undergraduate research, experiential learning and global engagement. Importantly, she understands the power of a liberal arts education shaped by Catholic intellectual tradition and Benedictine practices,” Bruess said via email.
May shared that she is ready to return to the CSB+SJU community.
“I’m just truly excited to be back and to work with the community and help everyone to be the best they can be,” May said.
May spoke highly of the two institutions and said that administrative support is crucial to student success.
“How I see it is uplifting staff and faculty to be their best makes it so they can uplift students in their endeavors,” May said. “Collaboration with other leaders and experts is vital to supporting student need.”
May said she will continue to prioritize working with other CSB+SJU faculty to create the best environment for student engagement.
Bruess thanked the search committee and shared his excitement for May’s return.
“I am deeply grateful to the search committee for its dedicated work, and I look forward to welcoming Barb back to these campuses,” Bruess said via email.