Third provost candidate interviewed

The third candidate for provost at Montana State University-Northern to go through the open interview process answered questions Monday at 2 p.m. at Hensler Auditorium.

John Shoup said he has ties to Havre through his wife, who calls the city her hometown.

"I'll actually be back up here in a couple of weeks for Christmas," Shoup said.

He began his interview by asking the names, professions and ties to Montana State University-Northern of the 15 to 20 people present at the interview.

An audience member asked Shoup about any reservations he had moving from private to public school systems.

Shoup said he has studied public schools extensively and teaches people at the California Baptist University to work in them.

"In private (school systems), you can be more nimble," Shoup said, but added he was ready to make the transition.

Shoup said he has no experience working with unionized staff, but is "learned and familiar with what is involved."

"I want to be an advocate of everyone," Shoup said, and then added that this does not mean he is a "pleaser."

After an audience member asked Shoup how he believes communication should work between administration and faculty, Shoup said he was a good listener.

"I'd rather be known as a listener than a talker," he said. "Practicing listening is my goal and the spirit of what I'd like my communication to be."

He added that respect was key in communication between administration and faculty.

Another question from the audience was how the university could keep the traditional flavor of instruction in light of the increase of online education.

"Traditional campus students are here to stay," Shoup said. "There is a place for community (in the traditional method)."

Shoup explained that the one-on-one, human experience a student receives when they attend a traditional university is too valuable to students for online options to make much of a dent in the traditional student body.

"I do think there is a place for online education," Shoup said. "Giving people access is wonderful."

Because technology is become increasingly more interactive, Shoup said he thinks technology has a place in universities and that "hybrid instruction can work."

The three things he said a provost needs to address when they are hired into the position are:

• The provost must align with the "vision" of the university and the chancellor to ensure they have the right goals in mind.

• The provost must study accreditation timelines, where the schools stand within them and what needs to be done to keep the ball rolling.

• The third thing a new provost needs to do is find out and study the university's budget situation.

An audience member asked how he felt about the relationship between the university and the Native American population.

Shoup spoke of the importance of working with people of different cultures.

"When the students can assimilate without losing their identity, that's powerful," Shoup said. He added that employees of a university should be "sensitizing ourselves to how other cultures operate."

Shoup is dean for the school of education at the California Baptist University. He has a doctorate in education with a concentration in educational administration and policy studies from the University of California and a master's degree of arts in counseling psychology and master of divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

The final interviewees will be William Rugg Dec. 11 and Michael Oudshoorn Dec. 16. All interviews take place at 2 p.m. at Hensler Auditorium.

Follow John Paul Schmidt on Twitter @HDN_JPSchmidt