Liz Grobsmith to leave role of provost

Liz Grobsmith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Northern Arizona University, has announced that she will step down when her current appointment ends on June 30. She plans to remain with the university in another capacity.

“After 10 years as provost, I feel it’s time for me to move on to new challenges,” Grobsmith said, citing accomplishments in growing NAU’s international initiative and developing the university college, which is focused on retaining first-year students. “At this stage of my career I’m excited to serve the univeristy in a new role.”

Grobsmith said she intends to work with NAU President John Haeger to hone the details of a transition plan and clarify her ongoing role with the university.

Haeger said he will decide about a successor in the near future.

“The academic community at NAU is grateful for all that Liz has accomplished,” Haeger said. “We have made great strides in the past decade and I’m confident that NAU has enough talent internally to continue to move the academic division forward.”

Grobsmith came to NAU from Utah State University in 2002, where she was the dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Prior to that, she was dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music from The Ohio State University and master’s and doctoral degrees in anthropology from the University of Arizona.

At NAU, Grobsmith doubled the international student population and established academic ties with China that annually produce graduates who have studied in China and at NAU. She also oversaw a steady increase in programs aimed at undergraduate student success.