Arcadia U. makes another abrupt administrative change

Arcadia University in Glenside is facing more abrupt change in its top administration, this time in the provost's office.

Provost Steve O. Michael is out, staff was notified in an email this week. The move has left some faculty and students wondering what happened and why the change was so sudden.

Michael, who has been in the post since July 2009, could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Christopher van de Velde, chairman of the board of trustees, said Michael's departure was a "mutual decision."

"Steve's interested in moving on in his career, and it made sense for us to change the line up," he said, noting that Michael had been a candidate for the chancellor of the University of Michigan-Flint earlier this year, a job he did not get.

"It's the end of the academic year," van de Velde added, and a good time to make a change. Michael did a "credible, commendable" job, van de Velde said.

Michael is first vice president and president-elect for the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, according to its website. Before coming to Arcadia, he was vice provost at Kent State University. He has a Ph.D. in administration of higher education from the University of Alberta, Canada, a master's in business education and a  bachelor's from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria.

University spokeswoman Laura Baldwin said Michael was aware that the university was making the announcement about his departure and that the few details provided to staff "was to respect Steve and his right to privacy."

The university on Thursday named Barbara Nodine, who has worked at the university for more than four decades in faculty and leadership positions, as provost and vice president for academic affairs for the 2014-15 year.

The university said it will conduct an international search for a new provost. Nodine, a psychology professor, previously served as chair of the psychology department and interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She has a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts.

Arcadia in March 2013 abruptly terminated its former president, Carl "Tobey" Oxholm III, stunning the Arcadia community. The board appointed Nicolette DeVille Christensen, then chief operating officer, to fill in and subsequently named her president.

"We are very excited to have Dr. Barbara Nodine serving as provost this year," Christensen said in a statement Thursday. "Her exemplary record of teaching, scholarship, and leadership is representative of our extraordinary faculty."