Associate Provost Laura Hunt

Associate Provost

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONSFRESH & FAMILIAR FACES

Afamiliar face in a new place on campus is Dr. Laura Hunt, who was named associate provost when Jonathan Sands Wise was appointed provost. As a result, her office has moved from Pawling Hall to the second floor of Giddings Hall, but the same open door and welcoming attitude remains.

Laura joined the faculty in the fall of 2008 as a Spanish professor. During her 13 years on campus, she has taken on increased responsibilities. She chaired the World Languages Department for seven years, then in 2017 added Faculty Director for Study Abroad to her list of duties, and in 2019 was made Assistant Dean for Accreditation, helping then-Provost Dr. Rosemary Allen ensure the College remains accredited and complies with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’(SACOC) guidelines.

In her position of associate provost, the Spanish professor (who continues to teachone class per semester) wears several hats. She still advises students on study abroad opportunities and is the institutional accreditation liaison, but she also facilitates faculty programming, experiential learning, and student retention and is academic ombud.

In this role she counsels students who have issues with academic fairness (such as grade questions and accusations of honor code violations). “Students can come to me and have an impartial, confidential space where they can explore their options and I can help them navigate through the process.”

She is also responsible for professional development for her colleagues. “We have a lot of faculty with so many talents. We all become better teachers when we share those strategies in workshops and trainings. We have the best teachers at GC, and I learn so much from them."

One of her passions is helping students achieve their desire to study abroad, an experience that cemented her own career decision. She is on the board of directors for the Kentucky Institute for International Studies and helps students find programs that match their academic needs with their dreams of travel and learning about other cultures. Trips abroad can also factor into the experiential learning pedagogy that she firmly follows.

Professors seek her out to find ways to move students from the classroom and doing hands-on learning in internships, field trips and service learning, or in taking advantage of volunteer opportunities. “There are a lot of different ways we can increase those chances for our students and they’re so meaningful.”

Laura’s journey to Georgetown College began inWisconsin and Indiana, where she grew up. After high school she attended Furman University, intending to study biology. Like most liberal arts schools, it required a proficiency in a foreign language, so she took the placement test for Spanish. “I tested into the highest class you could get into, which I thought was a mistake,” she recalled. Her Spanish professor recognized her talent and encouraged her to continue studying the language. She decided to major in Spanish with a concentration in environmental studies. A trip to Spain her senior year sealed her decision to become a Spanish professor. “That was kind of it, for me.” She applied to graduate schools from an internet café there. Laura then moved to the Bluegrass region where she achieved master and doctorate degrees from the University of Kentucky. After working as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Eastern Kentucky University, and Centre College, she interviewed for a tenure track opening at Georgetown, and everything “clicked." Laura has been thrilled to teach and work here. “As we all say, ‘Georgetown gets under your skin.’ I think Georgetown has the kindest faculty, staff, and students of any institution in Kentucky. We are like a family here. Because it is so small, it is easy to collaborate on any project and to make big things happen in a short amount of time. We have really special relationships with students here. Teaching our students is the most important thing”