Columbus State provost Deborah Bordelon leaving for position at another university
Deborah Bordelon, Columbus State University’s second-in-command as the provost and executive vice president, is leaving to become the next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Houston-Downtown.
Bordelon’s final day at CSU will be May 31, the university announced Wednesday.
The four other finalists for UHD provost position were:
- Alberto “Bert” Ruiz, associate athletics director for student-athlete excellence and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
- Ralf Peetz, associate provost for undergraduate studies and student success at the College of Staten Island.
- Shafik Dharamsi, senior adviser to the provost at New Mexico State University.
- Clare Weber, deputy provost and vice provost for academic programs at California State University-San Bernardino.
As she is at CSU, Bordelon will be the chief academic officer and report to the president at UHD.
Her pending departure coincides with the scheduled retirement of CSU president Chris Markwood, whose last day in office will be June 30, completing seven years in charge of Columbus State.
Bordelon, who was hired at CSU in December 2017, was among four finalists in September 2020 to be chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
She previously was the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Governors State University in Illinois. She has held teaching and administrative posts at Nicholls State University and Xavier University in Louisiana.
Bordelon earned a doctorate in special education, a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, all from the University of New Orleans.
“As both a university president and a two-time provost myself, I can say that any institution where Deborah Bordelon serves is fortunate to have her,” Markwood said in the news release. “During our tenure together here at Columbus State, I have relied on her trusted counsel, and our university has benefited from her thoughtful leadership, collegiality and growth mindset.”
The news release doesn’t include any statement from Bordelon. The Ledger-Enquirer didn’t reach her for comment before publication.
Under her leadership, according to the news release, Columbus State developed and implemented several new programs, such as the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Robotics Engineering, Master of Public Health, and three Nexus degrees in Film Production, Cybersecurity of FinTech, and Public Safety. She led the efforts to integrate the Momentum Approach (integrating functions and strategies from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Finance and Operations) and coordinated the development of the five-year Academic Master Plan with an emphasis on student success and economic development.
Columbus State plans to appoint an interim provost to serve until a formal search concludes. John Fuchko III, the University System of Georgia’s vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness, will serve as interim president of Columbus State until a new president is hired.
This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 5:27 PM.
