First female provost steps down after 6 years

By Nicole LaPrade

After six years, Santa Clara's first ever female provost, Denise Carmody, will be stepping down to return to teaching after a year-long sabbatical.

Carmody's decision, which she announced at the end of winter quarter, comes just as a review of the undergraduate core curriculum has been launched and administrators prepare for Santa Clara's accreditation. The process should last seven or eight years.

"It seems to me that we should have a provost here who's going to be in office right through that time," Carmody said.

Carmody came to Santa Clara in 1994 as a professor in the religious studies department; she later served as department chair. She became provost in 2000 when Locatelli asked her to serve as an interim after the provost at the time, Stephen Privett, S.J., became president at the University of San Francisco.

Carmody said initially that her commitment would only last two years, "and it soon morphed into six."

During those six years, Carmody has been involved in projects in many different areas of the university.

Both Chief Information Officer Ronald L. Danielson and Vice Provost for Student Life Jeanne Rosenberger credited Carmody with numerous successes during her tenure, including increasing the number of full-time faculty and strengthening the Residential Learning Community program.

Rosenberger said that Carmody was "quick to acknowledge successes for the staff across student life."

She also recognized Carmody for supporting student life changes such as the expansion of Counseling Center services and the growth of the Emergency Medical Technician program.

"A lot of times, people don't really acknowledge that type of service, and I think that was one of the things I hear her talk about regularly to others -- about what a unique point of pride it is for us to have that program," Rosenberger said.

Carmody said what she'll miss most is working with other administrators.

"Something I didn't fully realize when I was a faculty member was the absolute commitment those people have to making Santa Clara an excellent school. It's really the only thing we think about here on the second floor of Walsh," Carmody said.

As the first female provost, Carmody said she was proud of the leadership role she held.

"It's always an advantage if a woman is in a position like this because in society we don't really have parity," she said. "There aren't equal numbers of men and women in positions of responsibility."

"That's what makes it worthwhile," Carmody said.

Carmody said that the hardest part about the provost job for her was not being able to teach, so she looks forward to jumping back into the classroom -- first as a student.

During her sabbatical, Carmody plans to audit courses in the religious studies department.

"What I would like to do is watch, and see especially how technology is being used because I'd like to be able to use technology profitably and I haven't done anything in these six years, as far as teaching goes, so I just want to see what's going on now."

The search for a new provost began almost immediately after Carmody announced her resignation. According to law professor Cynthia Mertens, chair of the search committee, the job listing has been posted on Santa Clara's Human Resources Web site, as well as on a number of Web sites and publications for those in the field of higher education -- some specifically to reach women and minority applicants.

Contact Nicole LaPrade at (408) 554-4546 or nlaprade@scu.edu.