Bill Hardgrave has been appointed as University provost and will succeed Timothy Boosinger on Jan. 1, 2018.
Hargrave has served as the dean of the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business for seven years. The Board of Trustees made the appointment at their meeting on Friday.
Hardgrave said seven years went by too quickly and he is satisfied with what was accomplished during his time at the college of business. He said he knows it is in great shape, and he is looking forward to serving Auburn in a different role.
"I had the wonderful privilege of serving Auburn University as the dean of the Harbert College of Business for the last 7-plus years and this is, in my opinion, a way that I can serve Auburn in a bigger and broader role," Hardgrave said.
Graduate School Dean George Flowers and COSAM Dean Nicholas Giordano were considered for the position. President Steven Leath said Hardgrave's dedication to the College of Business made him stand out.
Hardgrave said it is "an exciting time at Auburn University" and he is proud to be a part of Leath's team.
"He has a good feel for Auburn and he has been hugely successful when driving the business college in terms of ranking, graduates, programs, and I wanted to take what he has done in the business college and transfer it to the whole university," Leath said.
Hardgrave said he brings an organizational memory to the table, having been at the University for many years. He said his thinking aligns with Leath's plans for ensuring students are prepared holistically, research remains a top priority and telling the Auburn story.
"We have a great story to tell, and we don't tell it well or very often, and we are going to do a better job of that," Hardgrave said.
Hardgrave said what he hopes to achieve is the holistic view of education, working with students to provide a wide facet of opportunities. He said the partnership with Student Affairs will not be understated.
Hardgrave said he hopes to employ a system where students receive assistance and attention from their freshman year and on, to ensure they are given the resources to be successful after graduation.
Leath said Hardgrave met with Boosinger previously to ensure the transition is seamless and goals are transferred over.
"We will miss Tim and all he has done for this University from the vet school deanship to his time as provost," Leath said. "I wish him well and I certainly understand."
Hardgrave said he was thankful for Boosinger's leadership and he was initially sad to see him go. He said he has learned from what he has done and hopes to take those years and build upon them.
Hardgrave said the College of Business will work through the process of appointing an interim dean and then proceed to the search for a permanent replacement.
Hardgrave, previous to his time at Auburn, served as a professor of information systems at the University of Arkansas and as the executive director of the Information Technology Research Institute. He established the Institute in 1999.
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