Check out how it all started here – Search for new provost begins
Garnett Stokes came from a family and church that believed higher education will corrupt the mind of people. But after having her heart broken right out of high school, she decided she wanted to give college a try in Jefferson City, Tenn., where the first-generation college student fell in love with psychology and education.
Now the dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia, Stokes hopes to use her “bridge-building leadership style” to make Cal State Long Beach a leader in education.
Stokes is one of four finalists for the university provost position. Having a bachelor’s in psychology, a master’s in measurement and human differences, and a doctorate in industrial/organizational psychology has supported what she calls a “perfect balance between science and practice.”
She is confident that she has the experience needed to come to CSULB in the midst of the fight against higher education cutbacks.
When she came into her position at the University of Georgia — a university with about 34,000 students, or about the same size as CSULB — Stokes was faced with challenges such as major budget cuts, little faculty recruitment, political issues that divided the school and low university morale.
She immediately put her focus on rebuilding the faculty, improving the climate for diversity and increasing external funding.
Fundraising is one of the major ways Stokes plans to counter budget cuts at CSULB. She said her experience in raising more than $62 million at the University of Georgia could enhance the morale and mission of CSULB.
“Fundraising is one of those places where public universities must make an investment,” Stokes said yesterday at a forum in the University Library. “We have relied upon state dollars to fund the missions of our institutions, but it is apparent that we cannot rely entirely on that.”
Another goal of hers, and one that Stokes was able to accomplish at the University of Georgia, is to increase campus diversity and improve the experience of students. She said she plans to create a climate that emphasizes the value and importance of diversity.
“We are getting a little help with what is going on in disciplines across the country who are beginning to focus on diversity in their area, and with pressure coming from national organizations, along with leadership at the institution reinforcing the importance of diversity, that could go a long way in influencing,” Stokes said.
Her main strategy is communication. She said this is a crucial time to focus on the future, and that it requires conversation, open communication and the input of others to move forward.
She also stressed that it is important to be proactive. Across the country, there are systems of public education that tend to react to the legislature, the public and budget cuts, Stokes said, and she wants to figure out where CSULB is headed and what education will look like in 10 years.
“I think Cal State Long Beach can represent the future of the public comprehensive university in this country,” Stokes said. “California has always been a leader, and this looks like a great place to lead public higher education.”
Read about the other finalists, Anil Puri and Donald Para.