Reappointment of Provost James H. Garrett Jr.

Dear Members of the CMU Community,

I am delighted to announce the reappointment of James H. Garrett Jr. to a second five-year term as the provost and chief academic officer of Carnegie Mellon University.

This renewal follows a thorough review completed by the Provost Review Committee, led by co-chairs Bobby Klatzky, the Charles J. Queenan Jr. Professor of Psychology in our Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Board of Trustees member Erroll Davis (E '65). Nine faculty from across our schools and colleges also served on the committee as well as Trustee Darryl Britt (TPR '90).

As with past provost reviews, the committee solicited feedback from a wide range of CMU stakeholders and constituents. Direct outreach spanned 53 individuals, including faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as representatives in the community, industry, government and philanthropic sectors. In addition, the committee gathered nearly 90 online submissions from members of the CMU community via a webpage dedicated to supporting the search.

There was broad and enthusiastic support expressed for both Provost Garrett and the call for his reappointment.

The review shares vociferous praise for Provost Garrett’s unwavering integrity and unparalleled commitment to serving the CMU community. These findings call particular attention to Provost Garrett’s role in advancing and elevating CMU’s academic mission during a pandemic. They also commend his deft navigation of academic freedom challenges and his successful turn as chair of our Academic Freedom Commission during his initial five-year term.

The committee’s report calls Provost Garrett “a champion of efforts to advance the future of higher education at CMU.” This transformative work takes many forms. It is apparent in Provost Garrett’s decision to raise doctoral student stipend minimums and invest in holistic Ph.D. support. It is reflected in his “commitment to faculty recruitment, retention and promotion” and his “increased support and resources for faculty mentoring and orientation.” It is also a vision that Provost Garrett is actively realizing — and promoting equitable access to — via the launch of initiatives such as the Tartan Scholars program, the Rales Fellows program and the Student Academic Success Center.

The committee’s review also pinpoints areas of opportunity for Provost Garrett and our university’s leadership team to consider as we move the university forward. We plan to use this feedback to further advance our institutional mission and better serve our community.

In summary, I am grateful to the committee for conducting such a thorough and insightful review and wholeheartedly echo their support of Jim Garrett and his leadership across CMU’s schools, colleges, institutes and campuses. Today, our faculty and students are achieving excellence in classrooms, labs, studios and on stage. Our alumni are driving transformative change in science, technology, business, the arts, public policy and government. Our university’s capacity to change the world for good has never been greater. And, buoyed by Provost Garrett’s steadfast leadership and inspiring vision, I’m looking forward to watching our Tartan community continue to raise the bar — and redefine what’s possible — over the next five years.

Warm regards,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair