Director Takes on New Role

Director Libby Morris assumed a new role in early January 2010, when Provost Jere Morehead asked her to serve UGA as the vice provost for academic affairs.

Currently, she is wearing the dual hats of director of the Institute of Higher Education and vice provost. Morris became the director of the Institute in December 2006, following the retirement of Thomas Dyer. Libby is quick to note that the success of the Institute, and its number six ranking should be attributed to the internationally known faculty and the exemplary leadership provided by the former directors, including the late Cameron Fincher, Ron Simpson, Del Dunn, and Tom Dyer.

Upon her appointment as vice provost for academic affairs, Provost Morehead stated, that “Dr. Morris brings to the Provost’s Office unparalleled expertise in higher education from her work in the Institute of Higher Education.” Morris began her career as an assistant professor in the Institute and rose through the ranks to become professor and director.

When asked about the Institute’s past and future, Morris replied, “The Institute of Higher Education is a remarkable unit, where the entire faculty is dedicated to the scholarly study of higher education and to the application of knowledge. So, faculty members publish in leading journals in higher education, serve on national review panels, consult with other colleges and universities, and collaborate internationally with peers in Australia, the Netherlands, China, and Norway, to name only a few places! I think the greatest change during my time at the Institute is the shift in audience and connections. In the early years, we focused almost exclusively on the state and southern region, and at that time the larger perspective was the U.S. Today, our research and instruction has many more global connections and perspectives. Like corporate America, higher education is increasingly a global activity as students and faculty move across institutions through faculty exchanges, study abroad, and collaborative research.”

In her new role as vice provost, Morris is leading a campus-wide working group focusing on enhancing interdisciplinary activities at UGA. She also works closely with the Georgia Museum of Art, the Office of Faculty Affairs, the Performing Arts Center, and the associate provosts. She advises the provost on student academic honesty appeals, faculty appointments, and promotion and tenure cases.

When asked which of the many duties she enjoyed the most, she replied, “each has unique challenges and opportunities, and for me it is gratifying to work in a variety of areas and to support the university in the pursuit of its various goals and objectives. I am so very proud of UGA and how it has risen in various important rankings over the years, and I feel fortunate to have this opportunity.”