This month marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in the University of Florida's history, as Dr. Joseph Glover steps down from his role as UF provost and senior vice president for academic affairs after a distinguished 15-year tenure.
Glover was teaching mathematics at the University of Rochester when a colleague at UF suggested he should relocate to Gainesville. Upstate New York was caught in the icy grip of a blizzard, and it was a frigid winter day as he contemplated such a career move.
Little did Glover know his decision to join UF's mathematics department would set in motion a remarkable career that would span four decades and shape the future of one of the nation's leading universities.
"When I came to Gainesville in 1983, I thought I'd be here for three or four years," he said. "I was lucky enough to remain in place and flourish along with the university."
Glover's contributions helped transform UF into an academic powerhouse. From enhancing the undergraduate experience to propelling UF up the U.S. News & World Report best college rankings and pioneering the artificial intelligence across-the-curriculum initiative, Glover leaves an indelible mark on the university's legacy.
"During Joe's tenure as provost, UF has made amazing strides in rankings, reputation, and research prominence," said Sabyasachi "Saby" Mitra, dean of the Warrington College of Business. "Joe enabled that success by empowering unit leaders to make decisions while providing oversight and guidance. His knowledge of UF and its various units is unparalleled."
Mastering his skill set
Glover's first role at UF was assistant professor of mathematics, and from there, he took on several department, college, and university leadership positions before taking on the role of provost in 2008. He served as chair of the mathematics department, associate dean for faculty affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, associate provost for academic affairs, and interim provost.
"I changed jobs almost every five years, but that kept things fresh — there was always something new on the horizon," he said.
When Glover was named provost by then-UF president Bernie Machen, the country was experiencing the Great Recession, and he focused on stabilizing the institution and improving its reputation.
As the second-ranking officer of the university, the provost supervises the allocation of resources in academic areas, improvements in and coordination of instructional activities, development and improvement of research activities, and evaluation of university academic activity.
"Our objectives have become more ambitious over the years, but we laid a solid foundation as we lifted ourselves out from the recession," Glover says. "That allowed us to set our goals higher, improve the quality of students and the quality and quantity of our research programs. We have made a lot a lot of progress, and we do a lot of unique things at UF that are not replicated at other universities."
Shortly into Glover's stretch as provost, UF began an unprecedented period of growth and achievements, including the birth of UF Online, now ranked No. 1 among online baccalaureate programs; faculty hiring that included the Preeminence program to hire 100 faculty, followed by the faculty 500 hiring plan, and followed most recently by the AI 100 hiring plan; UF's reaccreditation; and UF surpassing $1 billion in research spending for the first time last year.
"His vision brought me back after retirement for another 15 years of life at UF, and frankly, we accomplished more in that time than in my preceding 30 years," says W. Andrew McCollough, associate provost for teaching and technology. "One of Joe's many strengths is his ability to bring to the table parties in disagreement and walk away with a consensus. The reputational progress of the university benefitted from his recognition that all UF people had a role to play."
Elevating the undergraduate experience
Throughout his tenure, Glover made it his mission to prioritize the quality of undergraduate education at UF, and he put in motion a comprehensive set of initiatives elevating the educational experience for students.
"Whether accurate or not, UF used to have a reputation as a huge university where students were herded through large classrooms," Glover says. "We've turned that story around and offer an experience that is equal to any university in the United States, public or private."
