Dean Milligan | Photo by Wright State University
Wright State University’s (WSU) Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (V.P.A.A.) position provides support for staff and students with plans to help the University achieve their enrollment, accreditation and Covid-19 safety goals.
The position
While not a new role, the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs has recently been reinstated as an administrative position. This role consists of duties such as faculty assistance, university planning, reviewing programming and mediating small disputes among departments.
Background
Dr. Barry Milligan is a faculty member turned administrator at WSU for 27 years, starting as an English professor and moving on to bigger roles like the Graduate School’s interim dean.
The new V.P.A.A. participated in faculty affairs as well. At one point, he served as the Faculty Union president and was appointed to the Joint Committee for Retrenchment.
Goals of the position
One of the administrator’s first priorities in this position is coordinating for a safe return in Fall 2021. As the pandemic wanes and students get vaccinated, the administration aims for a mix of in-person and online courses for the fall semester.
“One of the things I have been working on [these] past few weeks is trying to optimize the number of face-to-face class offerings and the possibility of still maintaining some degree of restriction,” Milligan said in regards to Fall 2021.
Other current goals for Dr. Milligan include WSU’s accreditation issues, increasing enrollment and retention, making sure the University Libraries have the funds and programming they need to operate, and helping the university process run smoothly.
New perspectives
Despite this extensive responsibility, the skilled administrator is enthusiastic about his new position. He admits this position is not as visible nor as easy as some of the other administrative positions on campus, yet according to Dr. Milligan, it is just as important.
“The exciting thing about this job is I get to help support students to succeed day in day out, even though that isn’t as visible as the end result,” Milligan said.
