Interim leaders during MU’s chancellor transition were announced Monday by University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe.
Steve Owens, a former interim president for the system and current general counsel, will serve as the university’s interim chancellor, Wolfe said.
MU Deputy Chancellor Mike Middleton will be deputy chancellor and transition executive.
The appointments were approved by the Board of Curators on Oct. 23. They will be effective at day’s end on Nov. 15.
Owens served as interim president of the UM System from Jan. 9, 2011, till Feb. 15, 2012. During this period, he worked closely with other university general officers including chancellors on the four campuses to continue pursuing system and campus objectives. Owens and Middleton are not candidates to replace Chancellor Brady J. Deaton, who is retiring Nov. 15.
“Our search for a new chancellor at MU remains on schedule, and I am confident we will get an excellent candidate out of our process,” Wolfe said.
“In the meantime, it is imperative that the daily operations of the university continue to run smoothly, and I am confident that Steve Owens and Mike Middleton will use their experience to provide leadership that will maintain the university’s momentum during the transition period.”
The board also appointed Phil Hoskins as acting general counsel for the system, also effective Nov. 15. Hoskins will serve in that role until Owens returns to the position.
