Pictured Above: Catherine Cardwell, dean of the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, will continue to serve as the regional vice chancellor of academic affairs/vice provost.
Courtesy of Catherine Cardwell
By Annalise Anderson
The USF St. Petersburg campus faculty council has halted its search for a regional vice chancellor of academic affairs/vice provost.
The delay comes as a result of Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock’s decision to step down from his role in January 2022. It remains unknown who will fill Tadlock’s position.
The search will resume in the summer or early fall in order to provide the incoming regional chancellor an opportunity to have a say in who fills the position.
The RVCAA/VP leads and implements much of the academic programming on the St. Petersburg campus, and works closely with all USF deans, department chairs and faculty. The position also oversees St. Petersburg’s academic support areas, such as graduate studies and the student success center.
In addition to her position as campus dean of the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library,
Catherine Cardwell will continue to fulfill the role of Regional Associate Vice Chancellor/Vice Provost until someone is hired.
Cardwell has served in both positions since Tadlock was promoted to interim regional chancellor in September 2017 and to permanent regional chancellor in August 2018.
“It’s important for the St. Petersburg campus to have stability while we are going through so much change,” Cardwell said in an email to The Crow’s Nest. “I feel committed to creating a successful transition for Chancellor Tadlock, the next Chancellor and the new RVCAA.”
Cardwell said that there are many “significant projects” underway and that leaving her position prior to the appointment of a new RVCAA/VP would cause too much disruption.
She said she owes her success in both positions to the support she’s received from her colleagues.
“I have been very, very busy, but again, thanks to my teams in Academic Affairs and the library, I have been able to manage,” Cardwell said. “We have worked hard and made lots of progress in both areas.”
