Provost George Davis has created a new administrative position in his office.

The new vice provost for instruction will take over some of the responsibilities of the former vice president for undergraduate education, a position eliminated this summer by President Peter Likins.

"Last summer we eliminated the vice president for undergraduate education," Davis said. "We had to find a way to manage those responsibilities."

David Cox has been the senior associate to the provost since the position of vice president of undergraduate education was officially eliminated in September. He temporarily took over the duties that will be transferred to the new vice provost.

In January, Cox will return to his previous position as associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Until then, he said his job is to focus on the immediate future for the university.

"My primary responsibility is to get us ready for the spring semester," Cox said. "My high priority right now is working with departments and colleges to deliver gen-ed courses."

Research universities around the country usually have as many as six vice provosts. We've always been very conservative and only had one. - Provost George Davis

The vice provost for instruction will help colleges and students get more support from administration, Davis said.

"Students will feel the availability of classes," he added.

The position was created because the duties of the vice president of undergraduate education could not be absorbed by another administrator.

"It's a set of responsibilities that could not be absorbed by myself and the other vice provost," Davis said.

The funds that were originally used to pay for the salary of the vice president of undergraduate education will be split by the two vice provosts. Money will also be taken from the provost's budget.

Davis said that the UA has generally had very few positions in the provost's office.

"Research universities around the country usually have as many as six vice provosts," Davis said. "We've always been very conservative and only had one. Now we're expanding."

The vice provost for academic affairs, a position temporarily taken over by Beth Mitchneck after the former vice provost retired in September, will also be filled with a permanent staff member by Jan. 15.

Mitchneck will move to the Udall Center to do research as a Udall Fellow for the spring semester, then return in the fall to her previous position as associate dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

The search to fill these two positions was launched earlier this semester. Davis called for a search committee to review applicants and recommend someone for each of the positions.

The committee is now in the process of reviewing the applications they received. The search was limited to UA employees and was not advertised elsewhere, said Sally Jackson, the vice president for learning and information technologies and the chair of the search committee.

A decision will be made in December so that the two new vice provosts will be in place by next semester.

Administrators last tried to add a new vice provost position in 2002 to address diversity on campus. Questions surfaced regarding the necessity for such a position. Ultimat-ely, it was not added.

Davis said it is important to understand that diversity at the UA is everyone's job, but it also falls into the realm of the vice provost for academic affairs.

"All of the vice presidents and vice provosts have diversity responsibility," Davis said. "But the vice provost for academic affairs is the leader for diversity recruitment and retention."

Davis said the new position, in conjunction with administrators in place for years, is what the UA needs.

"We're right where we need to be," he said.