MARQUETTE—Paul Lang has been asked to remain as Northern Michigan University’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, in an announcement made today by NMU Interim President David Haynes. 

A university’s provost is an institution’s chief academic officer. Lang was appointed interim provost and vice president in June 2011, replacing Susan Koch, who left NMU to become chancellor at the University of Illinois-Springfield. Haynes said interim would be removed from Lang’s title.

“After much discussion and deliberation, I feel Dr. Paul Lang is the best fit for our administrative and academic team as we move the university forward on critical issues,” said Haynes, who was appointed by the NMU Board of Trustees in May to serve as interim president for two years. “The decision on a search for a new provost should be made by Northern’s next president and our distinguished faculty, not by me.”

Lang came to NMU in 1997 as a professor of criminal justice and head of the department. In addition to those responsibilities, he was appointed associate dean of the College of Professional Studies in 2002. He later served as interim head and director of the School of Technology and Applied Sciences before his promotion to college dean.

“Being interim provost and vice president for the past year has been a challenging but rewarding experience, and I’ve learned a lot,” Lang said. “The university has some large initiatives in the works—from the construction of a new academic building to expanding our partnership with Marquette General Health System through the Duke LifePoint agreement to a new strategic retention plan—and I’m excited to be part of the leadership team bring these efforts to fruition.”