Provost Swan bids university goodbye

04/03/08 - When M. Beverly Swan attended the University of Rhode Island as an undergraduate, it was a much stricter place. Students had to take Saturday classes and female students were not allowed to wear pants to class or the dining halls."We would wear slacks rolled up under a trench coat to the dining hall," she said. "If we got caught, we were kicked out."

Swan stayed at URI for her bachelor's and master's degrees in English, became an English professor and eventually rose to university provost 17 years ago. Friday marked her last day as provost and on Monday Donald DeHayes took over the reigns.

Teaching has always been close to Swan's heart after she earned her doctorate at Boston University and started teaching English and writing at URI part-time.

"I just enjoyed teaching," Swan said. "It's something marvelous when students 'get it' . they challenge you as well. I think a faculty position lets you be a teacher and learner at the same time."

After earning her doctorate, Swan took a full time faculty job at URI and moved up the ladder to become URI's provost, the second-highest academic position to President Robert L. Carothers. An interest in the more organizational aspects of teaching led Swan to an administrative position.

"I would get impatient with people, wondering why things couldn't get done quicker," she said.

She took advantage of administrative positions, such as serving as vice chairperson of Faculty Senate for two semesters and becoming head of the URI writing program.

"What's nice about administrative positions in a college setting is you get to continue to serve the faculty and students," she said.

Swan also worked closely with Carothers during her years as provost, and commended him for the work that he did to improve URI's image.

"It was a mega-change," Swan said of Carothers' changes to URI, including making it a dry campus. "He has taken a lot of heat for it . I loved working with Bob Carothers."

As provost Swan dealt with many issues surrounding academics. As such, many people have trusted her with important information.

"I know a lot of secrets," she said. "I could write a book about the University of Rhode Island, but obviously I'm not going to."

Swan's retirement was strategic. She had been thinking of retiring, and wanted to do so before Carothers' contract expires in June 2009. Retiring now left Carothers with enough time to find, hire and train a new provost and start transitioning to a new administration.

Yesterday Swan said that she is providing DeHayes with any support he needs, but she has faith in him.

"If he wants me to hide under a rock, I'll do it," she joked. "I think he's going to be very good."

Though Swan will be leaving the URI campus in June, her name will remain. The Rhode Island House of Representatives and Senate passed bills last week to rename Independence Hall to Swan Hall. Assuming the governor doesn't veto the bills, they will become law tomorrow.

Tears came to Swan's eyes when asked about being the 10th woman to have a hall at URI named after her. The building holds a lot of memories for her.

"I was so overwhelmed when the president told me," she said. "I can't believe it. I was in graduate school when [Independence] was built, and I had one of the first classes in it . I was there when [President John F. Kennedy] was shot."

When she retires in June, Swan plans on spending more time visiting her family, which is scattered across the United States. She will also finally be able to catch up on her reading.

"I start all these books and I don't finish them," she said.