WSU provost Steven Hoch will return — but as a professor

Steven L. Hoch, who has served as Washington State University provost since Aug. 1 and took a personal leave from that position on Sept. 23, will not return to the provost's position but will instead become a history professor at the school, university President Elson S. Floyd said today.

In a prepared statement released this afternoon, Floyd said that after discussions with senior staff, he decided that it was not in the best interests of the university for Hoch to return as provost. He said he and Hoch discussed the change today.

Sources said Hoch had an escalating disagreement with senior staff over his role at the university, and a physical altercation in a university hallway. Hoch left within days, taking a personal leave and returning to Lexington, Ky., where he had previously served as dean of arts and sciences at the University of Kentucky.

Hoch's position as provost will end Oct. 31. He has a tenured professorship with the university; his status as a professor in the Department of History will begin Nov. 1.

Warwick Bayly, the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine who has served as acting provost during Hoch's leave, has agreed to serve as provost for at least two years.

"I very much appreciate Dr. Bayly's willingness to take on the responsibilities as provost at this time," Floyd said in a written statement. "He knows the university well, and I am very confident that he will oversee a seamless transition and provide stability and strength in his new post as the academic leader at WSU."