Just prior to the end of the Fall 2010 semester, Cornell experienced a protest march, an overflowing public forum with the university’s provost and a substantial Facebook buzz that was enough to distract some students from studying for finals. The issue: Cornell’s Africana Center would be moved from the supervision of the Office of the Provost to that of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Last semester’s announcement of the Africana Research and Studies Center’s folding into the College of Arts and Sciences, after previously being under the supervision of the Office of the Provost, was met with almost immediate resistance from the Center’s faculty, staff, students and alumni. This resentment manifested itself in a protest on Day Hall during the last day of classes, featuring racially-charged rhetoric condemning the decision’s lack of transparency.

Recent declarations from two national Africana organizations may bolster the opposition to the proposed transfer of the Africana Studies and Research Center to the College of Arts and Sciences, announced by the administration Dec. 1.

In less than two months, Engineering Dean Kent Fuchs will take over as the University’s 15th provost. In a meeting with The Sun yesterday, Fuchs (pronounced Fox) spoke about the state of the University, his focus on rankings, his plan to ensure diversity at Cornell and his background in divinity.

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The Sun: What do you see as the responsibilities of the provost?