Progress with the Provost: An Interview with Dr. Brooke Barnett and Academic Affairs Committee Chair Jake Overman
Provost Brooke Barnett and Chairman Jake Overman sit down to discuss the importance of maintaining a positive relationship between SGA and the Provost’s Office.
Lucy Olmstead | lolmstead@butler.edu
On March 15, 2022, Dr. Brooke Barnett was officially named Provost after serving as Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs since April 1st 2021. Dr. Barnett originally joined Butler in 2019 as the Dean of the College of Communication and a Professor of Communication. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Communication Studies at Georgetown College and her Master of Arts in Journalism and Doctorate in Mass Communication (with a concentration in Law and Visual Communication) at IU-Bloomington.
Prior to her arrival at Butler, Dr. Barnett served as a professor and scholar for more than 25 years, having served nine years in the Elon University President’s senior cabinet as Associate Provost for Academic and Inclusive Excellence and as chair of the faculty governing body. Accomplishments aside, Dr. Barnett is setting major goals to “continue the good trajectory of some of the work that is already happening and to continue working in collaboration with others to think about new, interesting, and innovative things to make Butler a stronger place for student experience.”
When asked about her position as Provost, Dr. Barnett states that this position is important to her because “Butler matters to [her] a lot as an institution and [she] is also very attracted to the founding mission and how Butler tries to live into that founding mission” even as time goes on and things change. While following Butler’s founding mission, Dr. Barnett recognizes that there is still room for improvement within this institution. “I believe things can always be improved and I would hope we are in a state of continual improvement, that we are always looking to make things better.” she said.
Regarding her relationship with Butler’s SGA, Dr. Barnett states, “[she] enjoys her relationship with the SGA and [she] believes it is a good relationship and will continue to be.” One of the most important things to Dr. Barnett is to have the social, community-building events that give her a chance to have conversation with students, such as the “Pasta with the Provost” that was held last fall. “[She] hopes to continue that because it brings joy and levity and a chance to be around each other” in a fun setting. Dr. Barnett emphasized that these events are important to enhance “dialogue about students’ minds and ideas that pertain to the academic experience.”
When asked why these SGA/Provost events are important to her, Dr. Barnett explains that “[she] likes to get to know the students and their perspectives because [she] learns so much from them. [She] hopes that the students feel heard, valued, and they know that their voices do matter in how [she] thinks about the institution.” The SGA member who serves closest to Dr. Barnett is Jake Overman, a LAS Senator and the Academic Affairs Committee Chair.
Overman explained that “as the leader for all things relating to Academics within SGA, it only makes sense for me to be in close contact with the Provost, who is the figurehead for academics and academic policies at Butler. I have spoken to her on many different occasions and have had meetings in which we talk about feedback gathered from students at events in addition to information we have gathered from our daily interactions with constituents.” He also commented on the fact that this role is collaborative because they often discuss how SGA can work with the Provost’s office to “invoke change as opposed to just giving her feedback and expecting change to occur.”
By utilizing this partnership, both the Provost’s Office and SGA can work towards the common goal of serving Butler’s students. When it came down to endorsing a Provost candidate, this shared goal “made the choice an easy one” according to Overman. “Her commitment to serving students and acting in their best interest is something that we are lucky to have given that it is hard to come by at Butler at times. SGA considers themselves lucky to be able to work with Dr. Barnett and wanted to have the opportunity to continue doing so.”
In a final comment, Overman reinstated the fact that “[he] thinks the future for SGA and Dr. Barnett is bright. I hope that future leaders and administrations see the value in the partnership with Dr. Barnett that has been created this year and continue to build upon it. I think that SGA will greatly flourish from maintaining an open line of communication so that they can benefit from her advisement and expertise.”