Bacow may establish new VP position

University President Larry Bacow is considering re-establishing a vice president position, with some modifications. The application period for the position was closed on Friday.

According to Bacow, the position would differ from that of Vice President of Arts, Sciences & Engineering, which was eliminated after Mel Bernstein vacated the post in the summer of 2001 and was not replaced.

Bernstein oversaw the daily operations of Arts, Sciences and Engineering on the Medford campus and reported to the provost, but the new vice president would be responsible for issues affecting students at all of Tufts' schools.

When Bernstein's position was eliminated, administrators emphasized the cost savings to the University, improving the prospect of higher faculty salaries. They also said it would streamline the administrative bureaucracy.

Plans for the new position are still tentative, and rely largely on Bacow's ability to find the ideal candidate for the job.

According to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, Bacow is leading the campaign for the post's creation. The opening has not been advertised in The Chronicle of Higher Education nor on the University's human resources website.

The new position is loosely defined, and the specific responsibilities would depend partly on Bacow's choice for the job. "The new VP would have university-wide responsibilities for addressing a range of issues affecting the lives of students," Bacow said.

"I created the job to try to serve all of our students better, and to address student related issues that cut across the eight schools," he said.

There is no set deadline to fill the position and "the search is ongoing," Bacow said.

Kevin Dunn, the dean of academic affairs for Arts & Sciences, said some rumors had circulated through the administration that the old position of Vice President would simply be recreated. But he said the rumors were untrue, and the new position would have "no relation to the old position held by Mel Bernstein."