As you are likely aware, Associate Provost Deborah Vess has accepted a position as Provost at Rivier University in Nashua, NH. Dr. Vess made important contributions to our undergraduate education during the two years that she was at the College. We wish her well in her new position. The departure of Dr. Vess has resulted in an evaluation of the diverse areas that she administered. Given this evaluation, and our desire to make thoughtful decisions in any reorganization of her portfolio, it is likely that the line occupied by Associate Provost Vess will not be immediately filled.
During this period, Continuing Education will be overseen in the President’s Office by Ken Iwama, Deputy to the President, Chief of Staff. All questions regarding areas previously directed by Dr. Hugo Kijne should be directed to Ken Iwama. Dr. Kijne has been reassigned to the Division of Enrollment Management effective immediately. The Center for International Service is directed by Dr. Stephen Ferst, who will report to Interim Dean Sussman until a new Associate Provost is hired. It is the intention of all parties that the CIS be viewed as a campus-wide resource. Interim Dean Sussman was selected as the senior academic administrator because of her extensive international experience and not because of her association with the humanities and social sciences. In addition, the responsibility for Learning Communities will also be under the guidance of Interim Dean Sussman, with Donna Scimeca and Jonna Desantis playing important roles in coordinating the formation and linkage of classes in various LCs. Please direct your queries regarding LCs to these individuals.
For the immediate future, all honors programs (Macaulay, Verrazano, and TEHA), which previously reported to AP Vess, will report to the Provost. As a reminder, the honors programs are directed by two outstanding faculty members (Charles Liu and Jane Coffee). The Discovery Institute is undergoing a period of reorganization and revitalization under the stewardship of Interim Dean Gold, who will also be responsible for the Teachers on Sabbatical program. Finally, Interim Associate Provost Syed Rizvi will assume the responsibility for academic aspects of Pathways. I ask all of us to work together to ensure the success of these different initiatives.
