The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) Board of Trustees granted approval to the next KSC interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, according to a June 6 email to the college community from KSC President Melinda Treadwell.
Kirsti Sandy, currently chair of the English Department, will take on the position starting July 1, according to the email. Treadwell listed Sandy’s 24 years at Keene State, serving in several leadership roles during that time, such as her dean positions and director of the Center for Research and Writing, as qualifications for the position.
In an interview with The Equinox, Sandy described her experience as a dean as “eye-opening” with regard to aspects of administration such as budget management and curriculum design.
“At a time when I think nationally people are questioning the value of college education, it’s really important to be able to stand behind what you’re offering and say, ‘This is what we do and this is why we do it,’” Sandy said.
Sandy said a continued focus on the liberal arts will be one of her priorities as chief academic officer.
“The liberal arts is who we are and it’s who our students are,” Sandy said. “Our students want to be thinkers; they want to be exposed to a whole lot of different ideas and make up their own minds about what they believe, and I think that we have a responsibility for helping them do that.”
Another of Sandy’s priorities is preserving Keene State’s distinctiveness. She said the college’s strategic plan has begun the work to outline a unique identity, and the next step is to follow that plan.
“We have to be able to show who we are and how we are different from UNH, how we are different from Plymouth and how we are all important branches of that system,” Sandy said.
The search to fill the chief academic position comes after previous Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs James Beeby left for a chancellor position at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, according to previous reporting by The Equinox.
In a prior email sent on May 28 to the KSC community, Treadwell said she had nominated someone already working at the college for the position. She did not reveal the nominee’s name at the time.
“To build on our momentum, we need someone with deep knowledge of Keene State, its history, its gifts, and its challenges,” said the May 28 email.
In the June 6 email, Treadwell confirmed Sandy was her nominated candidate.
Sandy described herself as “nervous but excited” about her new position.
“I have a lot of smart people around me who will help: a great group of deans, a great group of administrative assistants, just people all across the board. The provost office group is amazing,” Sandy said.
Sandy added she will still go on to teach one of her English classes in the 2024 fall semester, an Advanced Creative Writing course on “Writing Woke Horror.”
“I love teaching so much,” Sandy said. “I had a full slate of courses, I had spent a year on a sabbatical after being a dean, designing all these new courses. I’m keeping a course a year because I cannot be out of the classroom.”
Charlotte King can be contacted at
cking@kscequinox.com
This article was updated June 20, 2024, to include an interview with Kirsti Sandy.
