President Larry Bacow and Provost Sol Gittleman announced plans to restructure the undergraduate and graduate administrative structures in a meeting with the Board of Trustees this weekend. The changes include the elimination of Mel Bernstein's former position, the vice president of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering (AS&E).
The restructuring came alongside an announcement that Tufts will begin a nationwide search for a new provost, as Gittleman steps down from his post.
Dean of Engineering Ioannis Miaoulis and Dr. Mary Y. Lee, dean of educational affairs at the medical school, were appointed associate provosts. The dean of natural and social sciences, Susan Ernst, will become the dean of Arts and Sciences. All changes are effective Nov. 1.
The appointments of the new associate provosts were initiated to streamline the administration and unite Tufts' seven schools. Gittleman said that reducing the size of the administration's organizational structure will save money that could enhance faculty salaries.
Gittleman also said that he and Bacow hope to strengthen the roles of the deans and build stronger ties between AS&E. Ernst will begin serving on the President's Council with all of the other deans, effective immediately. The deans will continue to report to the provost and be expected to collaborate across disciplines.
In an interview, Gittleman said he expects the realignment to succeed, explaining that the system mirrors Tufts' "model of governance" from the 1960s. "It worked well back then, and was a more agile structure that generated few complaints of 'administrative bloat,'" he said in a press release.
"Larry and I are convinced this approach will serve us well into the future, having seen how well the AS&E team has worked since Mel Bernstein's departure," Gittleman said.
Several other administrators have left since Bacow was appointed University president. Bernstein announced his resignation in May and on Nov. 5 Associate Dean Michaele Whelan announced plans to leave for Brandeis to again work under Bernstein. Former Associate Provost June Aprille left earlier this year to assume the position of provost at the University of Richmond. Former Dean of Arts and Humanities Leila Fawaz and former Dean of the Graduate School Rob Hollister stepped down last spring to focus on teaching. Hollister now serves as Dean of the University College of Citizenship and Public Service.
The state of undergraduate education will be evaluated through a Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience, which will be chaired by economics Professor Gilbert Metcalf, and co-chaired by deans Kristine Dillon and Charles Inouye. Undergraduate life was last comprehensively reviewed 20 years ago, and Bacow said in a press release that much has since changed.
The task force will present its findings to Bacow and build on the recommendations of the Higher Education Initiative, an undertaking from 1997 to 1998 that examined several aspects of the Tufts academic experience.
Bacow and Gittleman also announced that chemistry professor David Walt will become the chair of a University Council on Graduate Education. Aprille led a group that reviewed graduate education over the summer and asked Tufts to create a council to find ways to build cohesiveness among the graduate schools in AS&E.
Miaoulis will continue to work on the initiatives Aprille began this summer, such as collaborative programs on aging, the environment, research in Africa, and child development, while working to create ties between Tufts' seven schools.
Lee plans to focus on integrating educational programs in health sciences through the medical school, nutrition school, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, the dental school, and the veterinary school, and work on teaching initiatives throughout the University.
Lee, who has already organized several University-wide teaching initiatives, is working to promote faculty development.
