Mississippi State University will say goodbye to President Malcolm Portera and Provost David Cole at the conclusion of this fall semester. Cole calls his tight relationship with Portera a “brotherly bond” that would make working without him too difficult to bear.
Topping Interim President J. Charles Lee’s list of things to do in January is to contend with the recently announced state budget cut in education and filling Cole’s position of provost.
Cole told The Reflector he will leave MSU to be with his close friend of 25 years to fill an unnamed position at the University of Alabama to serve as an assistant to Portera.
“The exact details of my position have not been established yet,” Cole said.
Cole said leaving MSU will be hard, but he said staying behind would be even harder. He also said his close colleague made sure to ask Cole whether he would go with him to Alabama.
Cole and Portera’s fraternal relationship began at the University of Alabama where both men worked. It was there, Cole said, their friendship and team-working capabilities began.
“We are a team,” Cole said. “This university has advanced primarily through his leadership (Portera). I’ve been more of a liaison between his efforts to improve economic development and the academic side. We have both worked to raise the standards of the university in teaching and research.”
Like Portera, Cole said the advancement MSU and the surrounding community has experienced were only possible with the help of a hard-working staff.
“The university will continue to be excellent when we are gone because the key players are still here,” Cole said. “So there’s no reason for the progress to stop.”
Had there not been a position for Cole to follow Portera, Cole said his future would have been clear.
“I would have probably resigned,” Cole said. “I keep working because of him (Portera), and I have a lot of energy.”
Cole said his deep companionship with Portera is more important to him than the money behind the job.
“It’s about the friendship,” Cole said. “Working with someone like Dr. Portera allows a person to work as one when you are as closely tuned-in together as we are. We really work as one.”
Cole said the exact details to his new job are not known yet, but he said his friend and colleague knows his capabilities and will place him well. Cole said his position will be in Tuscaloosa like Portera’s; however, he said Portera’s new job will require him to travel to the University of Alabama offices in Huntsville, Birmingham and Montgomery.
Interim President Lee said picking a replacement to take Cole’s position is high on his list.
“It’s one of the top things I need to do,” Lee said.