Former Kennesaw State Interim President and Provost Ken Harmon started his first semester in 24 years as a professor of accounting this fall.
Harmon announced in February while serving as interim president that he intended to return as a professor to the School of Accountancy within the Coles College of Business. In doing so, Harmon later said that the decision was “the best decision I ever made.”
Harmon stepped down from his role as KSU’s provost shortly after the acquisition of KSU’s new president, Dr. Pamela Whitten. Harmon said the transition from interim president and provost to professor was easy for him.
“I’ve always recharged my batteries being back in the classroom,” Harmon said. “While I’ve been in the classroom from time to time, it’s my first time to actually be a full-time professor since 1994. I keep pinching myself. It’s like a dream. It truly is just a fantastic feeling.”
Harmon said he decided to return to a faculty member position because of his love for the classroom, his family’s fondness of Kennesaw and his desire to lay deeper roots within its community.
Harmon also explained that he has received many questions about his future career plans from others in the KSU community since he returned to the classroom during the first week of the semester.
“Truly, my plan is to remain a faculty member until I retire,” Harmon said.”I’m ready to get back my scholarship, be a faculty member again for whatever many more years I have, do some consulting and things like that and just have a good time.”
Harmon has been involved with the School of Accountancy since 2006, serving as the department chair.
Since then, the accounting program has grown from a department into its own school with over 1,100 students, making it one of the largest accounting schools in the state and perhaps even the southeast, according to Harmon.
Harmon also said that he is fully supportive of Whitten as she steps into her new role as the president of KSU.
“I’ll just say I’m optimistic. Extremely optimistic,” Harmon said. “She’s very, very bright. One thing I love is she is a decision-maker. I know she’s walking in with one agenda and that’s to take us to another level.
“The things I hear from talking to the folks around her, it sounds like she’s definitely and aggressively moving in that direction,” he continued. “It just makes me even more excited to be here.”
Harmon has been with KSU for 12 years and served as the provost and vice president of academic affairs for seven. Harmon took over as interim president at KSU after former President Sam Olens resigned his position in February.
Dr. Linda Noble is currently serving as the interim provost until the university can find a replacement. KSU is conducting a national search for a new provost, and the job ad for the position was posted to KSU’s website on Aug. 6.
