New Provost Is Open for Business

Dr. Sam Minner, Radford University’s new provost and vice president for academic affairs, has moved into his Martin Hall office and is getting to know the campus as he prepares to lead the university’s initiatives in key areas like access, affordability and quality. 

Minner took time this week to field a few questions about settling in and gearing up for the new academic year.

Did you get your office unpacked yet?

Yes. I am up and running. Everything is unpacked and situated in a place where I can find it…hopefully without taking too much time.  

Have you had a chance to meet the faculty?

I have devoted some time each day to walking the campus and meeting the faculty and staff who I happen to run across. I look forward to the opportunity to meet everyone when normal activities resume in the fall.

What’s first on your to-do list?

Thanks to the efforts of our recruitment and admissions folks, we are anticipating our largest freshmen class this fall. First and foremost, we need to ensure that those students have access to the classes they need. Institutions of higher education are complex organizations, but it is important to remember that they exist to serve students. I use that lens to help me make every decision. How will this impact students and the learning environment?

What tips did Interim Provost Joe Scartelli give you?

Dr. Scartelli was and remains incredibly helpful in getting me up to speed on issues and concerns.  I think the most important thing he said to me was how lucky I am to work with such a wonderful group of colleagues. He also emphasized the strength of the RU faculty. He said it is a great time to be coming to RU, and I think he is absolutely correct.

What’s the best way for folks to contact you?

I do not want there to be unnecessary layers between myself and my RU colleagues. Anyone interested in contacting me can simply email or call me directly. I work with a wonderful colleague, Ms. Vickie Stewart Taylor, and she can also set up meetings. I know that my schedule will be tough sometimes, but I will try to accommodate all requests for meetings as soon as I can do so.

Any surprises so far?

Many surprises -- all pleasant.

What have you discovered locally that interests you?

My wife and I are essentially rural people. We enjoy the outdoors, hiking, fishing and just being outside. This area is beautiful, and there are many outdoor activities of interest. Another one of my personal interests is film, and I am eager to get to some of the local theaters like the Lyric. We both also like music. Several of the local music venues sound interesting.

How’s your family settling in?

My wife loves the area. She and I have moved several times over our careers, but this move has been the smoothest one. My son will visit us after summer term ends at his school, and my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter will also be visiting soon. They live in Maine.

What else would you like to tell us?

I consider it a privilege to work at RU, and I will try to bring a servant-leadership approach to my job. I seek to serve this institution to the best of my ability, to work toward continual improvement and to treat all members of the RU community with respect. It is a tough time to work in public higher education. But even during these times, we need to be kind and gentle with each other and work together to solve problems. When I think about the collective wisdom and passion embodied at RU, I am supremely optimistic about the future.