Students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater can now go behind the scenes with the university administration by utilizing Provost Office Hours.

Hosted twice a semester in the lobby of the Center of the Arts, Provost Susan Elrod plans to set up a table and meet face-to-face with students and faculty members to answer questions or hear concerns.

Aside from being an administrative figure, Elrod is also an academic.

She said she takes a “big picture view” of various events and daily occurrences around campus. She added that since taking on the job in April 2016, she has enjoyed her work.

There are five Deans at UW-W, each in charge of one of the departments on campus. Each of these deans meet with their individual departments, then with Provost Elrod, effectively function as a miniature government body.

Elrod is also responsible for other affairs, such as the new Student Success Center, made possible with a donation from a UW-W Alumni. She said she does think of how things like this new building will impact students.

“A real characteristic of this campus is that people are really engaged.” Elrod said, adding that whether clubs or student organizations, there are literally hundreds of things students can do on campus.

“It’s an exciting part of this campus,” she says.

Many may think such a high title as Provost would symbolize a disconnection between the job and the students on campus, but it becomes clear that this couldn’t be further from the truth.