Dean Miner Selected as Provost
OGDEN, Utah – Madonne Miner, dean of Weber State University’s Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities, has been named provost of the university.The WSU Board of Trustees unanimously approved the selection at its monthly meeting held Tuesday. Miner will assume the new role effective July 1.
“During the past eight years as dean, Dr. Miner has understood and embraced Weber State’s mission,” said WSU President Charles A. Wight. “Throughout the search process, I heard from many constituents who expressed the utmost confidence in Madonne. In this expanded role, her commitment and dedication to Weber State will help our institution continue to pursue its vision.”
In accepting the new assignment, Miner praised the university’s leadership and the strong foundation she inherits.
“Weber State is on a marvelous trajectory, and I don’t want to see that stop or slow down,” she said. “This university has a firm grasp on its mission and vision, and my higher education values are Weber State’s values: access, learning and community.”
The selection follows a national search and months-long hiring process. Fifty-nine candidates representing 29 states and three countries applied.
The provost serves as the vice president for Academic Affairs at WSU and is responsible for ensuring quality and excellence in the school’s curriculum. Toward those ends, the provost oversees WSU’s seven colleges, Stewart Library, Enrollment Services and other programs.
Miner enjoyed getting to know various departments and faculty in her role as dean, and she looks forward to expanding her knowledge base as provost. A champion of shared-governance, she hopes to foster greater collaborations between colleges and disciplines across campus.
Miner has actively supported Ogden and WSU’s College Town initiative, something she will continue to promote as provost.
“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to meet and get to know so many people in our community,” she said.
Reflecting on her time with the Lindquist College, Miner is most proud of her efforts to establish the Venture Course in the Humanities. Created in partnership with the Utah Humanities Council in 2008, the Venture program allows adults facing economic barriers to start college. This spring, the seventh cohort of Venture Course students will graduate from the program.
A Milwaukee native, Miner first fell in love with the West’s mountain air, sunshine and blue skies while teaching English at the University of Wyoming, where she spent 15 years. During her tenure there, Miner served as the program director of Women’s Studies (1988-1989) and was assistant chair for the Department of English (1994-1997).
Miner is an avid reader who admires the prose of the modernist authors of the early 20th century. In her spare time, she enjoys running and outdoor recreation. She has become a frequent marathoner since competing in her first race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, in 2002 and plans to run the Ogden Marathon later this month.
Miner came to WSU in 2007 after serving as the associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas Tech University. She joined the faculty at Texas Tech in 1997, serving as chair for the Department of English for five years. In 2004, she was appointed director of Graduate Studies in English and became the associate dean in 2006.
Miner earned her bachelor’s degree from Macalester College and holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Minnesota. She completed her Ph.D. in English at SUNY-Buffalo.
Miner will succeed Michael Vaughan, who announced last fall that he would step down as provost at the end of June 2015. Following a sabbatical, Vaughan plans to return to the classroom and lead WSU’s Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
- John Kowalewski, Director of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7212 • jkowalewski@weber.edu - Contact:
- Brad Mortensen, vice president for University Advancement/Provost Search Committee chair
801-626-6002 • bmortensen@weber.edu
Madonne Miner, dean, Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities
801-626-6424 • madonneminer@weber.edu