With Monday’s approval by NIU’s Board of Trustees, Ivan Legg will fill Lynne Waldeland’s shoes as NIU’s next provost.

Legg, the current provost and also a chemistry professor at the University of Memphis, will begin acquainting himself with his new peers and the entire NIU community in April. He will meet with deans, the associate provost, student and faculty leadership groups and “others in various roles so no one gets left out.”

Legg’s official date of appointment is July 1, but he won’t actually be serving full-time until August, he said. The position garners a salary of $200,000 a year and comes with tenure.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “The university has a great future and the potential to go the direction we need to go in society.”

The announcement came after a whirlwind interviewing process March 7-9 for Legg, who was interviewed along with three other candidates to follow the retiring Waldeland, who serves as provost on an interim basis.

NIU President John Peters, who made the final decision, said Legg will participate in the June budgeting process and with appointments in the provost’s office.

“I am delighted,” he said. “Professor Legg is known nationally for his work with faculty development.”

Peters said “internationalization” of NIU would require increasing knowledge of other cultures through various means such as the study abroad program.

Legg stressed his priorities at NIU, including strengthening undergraduate education and making sure the university fulfills the needs of the community.

“I still have a firm belief that liberal arts education is very important as a foundation for education,” he said. “It helps produce educated, responsible citizens.”

Legg said NIU’s core consists of a strong liberal arts program, and he wants to focus on that to produce students who are ready for graduation.

“I want to emphasize the importance of preparing students who can function in an increasingly diverse global society and also students who are able to communicate effectively … students who are self-learners,” he said.

Faculty Senate President Dan Griffiths said he’s very pleased with the decision.

“I think he’s a good fit for this campus,” he said. “It’s a plus that he brings international recognition … he’s got a strong academic record out there.”

Legg also plans to encourage advising and mentoring as a way for students to be successful, and he said it’s important for students to have help beyond knowing what classes to take when they come to the large university environment.

He added that improving retention is a challenge for all universities, and NIU is no exception.

Legg said he would like to see undergraduates get involved with the community and with scholarly activities to ensure a successful school experience.

Peters said Legg’s work in developing an enrollment management plan at the University of Memphis fits with Peters’ goal of examining enrollment at NIU. Legg also encouraged him with his “commitment to a great undergraduate experience.”

“As far as students are concerned, I understand he’s very student-oriented,” Peters said.

Legg’s commitment to diversity issues also made him a prime choice for NIU, Peters said.

The decision wasn’t easy, Peters said, but he and the Board of Trustees are satisfied with the choice.

“We had four outstanding candidates,” he said. “It was all close. But I think of the experience Dr. Legg has, and he was a good fit with NIU. I feel very compatible with him, and the senior cabinet feels very compatible with him as well.”