University of Miami Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education John Barker will assume the role of dean of undergraduate and graduate students beginning in mid?December, the university announced today.
Barker's appointment concludes a nationwide search by a committee of students, faculty and staff that began in March.
Barker will be responsible for the oversight and growth of the "student services, student affairs, academic advising and undergraduate studies, programs abroad and intercultural and social identities programs," according to a letter today from Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Joanne Berger?Sweeney and Dean of the School of Engineering Linda Abriola.
"I think it's an incredible opportunity," Barker told the Daily. "I wasn't officially looking for anything, but this opportunity came across my desk, and I was really excited by the job description."
"I thought this was something that gave me a lot of flexibility to build and co?create something, and be part of a team that would work for co?curricular and curricular development," he continued.
Berger?Sweeney expects that Barker will bring new direction to the office.
"I'm hoping that we start to think more carefully and even more creatively about the co?curricular and curricular experience that students have [at] Tufts, about how we can synergistically incorporate those two elements into the student experience," Berger?Sweeney said.
"Learning happens inside and outside the classroom, and that's something we should stress," Barker said of his teaching philosophy.
Director of the Academic Resource Center Carmen Lowe has been serving in the position ad interim since it was vacated by now?Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences James Glaser in the fall of 2010.
The position, formerly named the dean of Undergraduate Education, was renamed and retooled in this year's restructuring of the Office of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies. The department was previously named the Office of Undergraduate Education, and these changes occurred in order to better reflect the accessibility of the dean to all students, both graduate and undergraduate.
"I expect, highlighted with this name change, that this position will focus on undergraduate as well as graduate students," Berger?Sweeney said. "They've been in the same office, but I don't think the graduate student experience has been as important."
"Because we have more and more graduate students in Arts and Sciences as well as Engineering, I hope he's able to bring some new ideas and energy around both those groups," she continued.
Berger?Sweeney said that she and Abriola hired a consultant to find a pool of candidates for the position starting in March, and a committee of faculty, staff and students met over the summer to create a shortlist.
The two deans, along with faculty members working with the position, interviewed candidates and selected Barker this semester.
Prior to his appointment, Barker served as founder and director of Miami's Office of Academic Enhancement. According to the letter, Barker has worked in the past as faculty master for one of the University of Miami's residential colleges and as an adjunct faculty member in the university's Department of Educational and Psychological Studies, part of the Miami School of Education.
Barker's professional background makes him well?suited for the new role, Berger?Sweeney noted.
"He understands that part of the job that is related to how students, undergraduates in particular, progress through their studies until graduation," she said.
"He was also a first?generation college student in his family, but at the University of Miami, he directed the honors programs," Berger?Sweeney said. "I thought that was a very good and interesting perspective, that he'd seen things from all sides of the spectrum."
Though Barker's plans for his time at Tufts are still forming, he hopes to spend some time on campus getting a feel for the Tufts community.
"I'm planning on going a talking tour, talking to everyone in my division and all the student organizations," Barker said. "I want people to feel that they can come and use me as a resource."
"I have a ton of ideas, but I don't want to just step in and say that I have a bunch of ideas without grassroots support," Barker added. "The context informs this as well."
Administrators are looking forward to welcoming Barker to the Hill.
"We expect him to be a creative and visionary leader, as well as a strong advocate for our undergraduate and graduate students," Berger?Sweeney and Abriola wrote in the letter. "Indeed, we are delighted to have found an individual whose background and experience directly addresses not only so many of A&S&E's stated needs but speaks to our aspirations, as well."
"I am so excited that this search created such a positive outcome," Berger?Sweeney said. "The fact that we got the most energetic and the best of a really good pool is just something I'm thrilled about. I'm thrilled I'm going to have the opportunity to work with him, and I think the students and staff that will get to work with him will be just as thrilled."
