From: President Freeman Hrabowski

Please join me to celebrate Provost Art Johnson’s service to the campus at a reception on Thursday, May 8, 3-5 p.m. on the 7th Floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery.

Earlier this year, I announced that Art would leave his position as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and resume his work as Professor of Political Science at the end of this academic year (June 30, 2008). The reception is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to come together as a community to recognize and celebrate Art’s many contributions during his tenure as Provost over the past decade.

I also hope you will consider making a contribution to the Arthur T. Johnson Transfer Scholarship Fund. This scholarship will recognize the academic achievements of outstanding Maryland community college transfer students who wish to continue their studies at UMBC (including UMBC programs at Shady Grove). For more information on donations to this fund, please contact Kim Robinson (ext. 5-3700, trowbrid@umbc.edu) in Institutional Advancement.

It has been an honor working with Art. He has served as Provost since July, 1998, which gives him the distinction of being not only our longest serving Provost, but also the most senior Provost in the University System of Maryland. During his tenure, UMBC has grown substantially -- from 10,100 to 12,050 students -- and we have expanded and strengthened the academic program. He has led our strategic planning process and the reorganization of our academic departments, overseen revisions to general education, and emphasized our core values of academic integrity, civility, and diversity. Art also helped oversee the construction of the Information Technology/Engineering and Public Policy Buildings, as well as major renovations of other academic facilities.

We are fortunate that Art will remain on campus, and I am delighted that he has agreed to serve informally to me as an advisor.

Again, I hope you will join me on Thursday, May 8, in thanking Art for his stellar service as our Provost.