Bob Smith, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President
Bob Smith serves as Provost and Senior Vice President at Texas Tech University (TTU) where he reports to the President. Bob is charged with oversight of the academic enterprise of TTU, along with serving as TTU Chief Executive Officer in the absence of the President. He also serves as academic liaison with the TTU System, TTU System Board of Regents, and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He has oversight responsibility for fourteen colleges and schools, along with the libraries and several additional academically related units and programs.
Prior to joining TTU, he served as the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (UAF) from 2000-2008. Before assuming the post at the UA, Bob served as Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Connecticut (UConn) from 1997-2000.
In earlier years, Bob served as Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at Washington State University (WSU) from 1987-1997. Also at WSU, Bob served as Dean of the College of Pharmacy during 1985-86. Bob’s earlier academic and administrative appointments included serving as James E. Bauerle Professor (1983-85) and Director of the Drug Dynamics Institute (1978-85) at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). He also served in Professor (1977-83) and Associate Professor (1974-77) positions at UT Austin. He began his academic career at the University of Iowa where he was Associate and Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry (1968-74). Bob’s Ph.D. (1968) and master's (1964) degrees (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) were earned at the University of Michigan; his B.S. degree (Pharmaceutical Sciences) was awarded cum laude by St. John's University in New York (1963).
Bob is a native of New York. He is the author or co-author of more than 300 articles and eight books, including The Elements of Great Speechmaking: Adding Drama Intrigue, published by the University Press of America in 2004; Pedestals, Parapets Pits: The Joys, Challenges Failures of Professional Life, published by Phoenix International, Inc. in 2005; and Where You Stand is Where You Sit: An Academic Administrator’s Handbook, published by the University of Arkansas Press in 2006. At Texas Tech, he also edits the online journal All Things Texas Tech.
His research and scholarly interests have been in the pharmaceutical sciences, communication, personal and professional development, and university administration.
What does a Provost do?
Regarding the most important and overall roles of a Provost:
Provosts, as chief academic officers, should work collaboratively with academic leadership to inspire high quality academic development and performance in the areas of teaching, research, and service. In this regard, the provost has to consistently remind the community that the university cannot be all things to all people. To achieve excellence, resources and commitments have to be selective. In the course of academic development, the provost should be at the heart of necessary policy development.
As academic development proceeds, the provost must be involved in evaluative processes. Paramount in effectiveness here will be the trust that the provost builds among the university’s many constituencies.
Finally, the provost must represent the university when so directed by the president or when that representation naturally emanates from the provost’s responsibilities. During all representations, the provost must act from a base of highest integrity.
Regarding time consumers:
The bulk of my week (typically 70-80 hours) is spent on academic development matters including attendant budgetary, evaluative, and policy matters. Representing TTU probably consumes about 20% of my time, including the work on All Things Texas Tech and other writing endeavors.
Regarding the rewards of the job:
Having the opportunity to look across a university in its broadest aspects and gaining an understanding of a complex institution—made up of complex sets of people—represent powerful motivators to serve the office well. Accordingly, I integrate all of my creative energies into core responsibilities. In the end, I hope to grow in wisdom so I may be of greatest service to the TTU academic community.
I hope that the above is useful. If you need follow-up, feel free to contact me.
Kindly, Bob.