Katherine Harber, Campus Carrier copy editor

Over the summer, Berry’s administration experienced a number of changes, many of which came as a result of Provost Mary Boyd’s departure from Berry. David Slade has been appointed as Interim Provost for both the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years.

Slade expressed his eagerness to continue helping Berry’s students grow in both their academic and personal lives, and to carry on Berry’s legacy of service and community improvement.

“I’m really excited over these next couple of years to think about what we can do to try some new things, to strengthen that student experience,” Slade said. “I feel very confident that we will make some very important gains [for student support] in the next few years.”

In addition to Slade’s appointment, Casey Dexter has been appointed to a two-year interim position as Dean of Academic Services, a position previously held by Slade. One of Dexter’s main responsibilities in this position will be to facilitate academic support for all Berry students by collaborating with various departments and campus organizations to ensure that every student has the resources they need in order to thrive at Berry.

Lauren Heller was also appointed to a new position as interim Assistant Provost for Teaching and Research. She will continue to oversee the Honors Program, as well as taking on an increased role in facilitating research opportunities for students and helping faculty expand their teaching skills and strategies. Heller is excited to work with a wider variety of individuals and departments across campus to create more unique opportunities and experiences for students.

“There’s all these different ways, through [her new position] that all of these diverse groups on campus can more efficiently collaborate, and it’s all for the benefit of students,” said Heller.

She also said that some of her main goals as she takes on this position are wholistic student enrichment and facilitating communication across departments and organizations.  

Heller also echoed some of Slade’s sentiments about faculty and staff at Berry wanting the best for students.

“All of the people that I work with, from faculty up to the president, are really student-focused.”

Heller also emphasized that she is available to help students if they are interested in doing research.

“You have this opportunity at Berry to do so much more than you ever thought possible in high school, so if you have a question about how you can engage in research, please email me.”

Both Heller and Slade repeatedly expressed their optimistic outlooks on Berry’s future and the changes they hope will improve the overall student experience at Berry.

Furthermore, Anna Sharpe has been appointed as Dean of Student Success. She will be working with services like the Academic Success Center, the Writing Center and the Office of Academic Transitions to further support students academically.

Madi Rowe, a junior who served as the first-year mentor for Provost Slade’s BCC 100 class last fall, said that she is excited to see what he will do as Provost because she appreciated his emphasis on student support in his former position.

“He definitely displayed, in his time as Assistant Provost, his care for students and student success,” Rowe said.

Rowe elaborated on Provost Slade’s attention to student support.

“He has this really awesome ability to make students feel supported and cared for but not rushing them to make quick decisions. He makes sure that they are taking the time to think about their dreams and their wants.”

While the changes in administration may have come as a surprise to some, Slade and Heller were reassuring in their comments about their continued focus on supporting students and helping them grow wholistically.

“Faculty are here to deliver an extraordinary learning experience for the students,” said Slade. “There is no Berry without our students.”