Provost reflects on time in office
Ken Woods
Issue date: 8/28/09 Section: News
Dr. Jack Thomas is a well-traveled individual. Thomas began serving as provost and academic vice president on Jan. 1, 2008 with a long list of credentials to his name.
Before his time at Western, Thomas received his bachelor's degree in English from Alabama A&M University (1983). He earned a master's degree in English education from Virginia State University (1984) and a Ph.D. in English literature and criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1990).
A former senior vice provost for academic affairs and professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University (2006-2008), Thomas also held administrative positions at MTSU as vice provost for academic affairs (2004-2006) and interim dean of the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning (2006).
Now that Thomas has become a part of the Western community, I sat down with the provost to get his feelings on his first year and a half on campus.
Ken Woods: Take me back to your first day at Western, and what were your feelings heading into it?
Jack Thomas: Well, I was excited about getting started on my first day. The president was away and the next day I was so sick I couldn't come to work, and I just felt so bad because I had to call in and let them know that I wasn't coming to work. When I first got here from Tennessee, it was warm there and here it was so cold. When I came here I was so sick I couldn't come in to work. I was just excited about starting somewhere new, and there were just a lot of things I wanted to do here.
KW: How would you compare your time at MTSU with your first year at Western as provost?
JT: I worked with the provost and worked with the president there, but here taking this position I am the provost so everything falls on my shoulders. I did a lot to assist the provost and work on special projects. Here I am handling all the academic affairs and serving in for the president in his absence, so it's a lot different here.
KW: What are some of the activities you are involved in on a daily basis in this position?
Before his time at Western, Thomas received his bachelor's degree in English from Alabama A&M University (1983). He earned a master's degree in English education from Virginia State University (1984) and a Ph.D. in English literature and criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1990).
A former senior vice provost for academic affairs and professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University (2006-2008), Thomas also held administrative positions at MTSU as vice provost for academic affairs (2004-2006) and interim dean of the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning (2006).
Now that Thomas has become a part of the Western community, I sat down with the provost to get his feelings on his first year and a half on campus.
Ken Woods: Take me back to your first day at Western, and what were your feelings heading into it?
Jack Thomas: Well, I was excited about getting started on my first day. The president was away and the next day I was so sick I couldn't come to work, and I just felt so bad because I had to call in and let them know that I wasn't coming to work. When I first got here from Tennessee, it was warm there and here it was so cold. When I came here I was so sick I couldn't come in to work. I was just excited about starting somewhere new, and there were just a lot of things I wanted to do here.
KW: How would you compare your time at MTSU with your first year at Western as provost?
JT: I worked with the provost and worked with the president there, but here taking this position I am the provost so everything falls on my shoulders. I did a lot to assist the provost and work on special projects. Here I am handling all the academic affairs and serving in for the president in his absence, so it's a lot different here.
KW: What are some of the activities you are involved in on a daily basis in this position?
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