Dean Folt to Become Acting Provost Folt

Personnel in Parkhurst are being shifted around like chess pieces, it seems.

October 14, 2009

Dear Members of the Dartmouth Community,

I am delighted to announce that Dean Carol Folt will serve as Acting Provost (effective October 26) as we search for a permanent Provost. Carol also will continue as Dean of Faculty. We are very fortunate to have someone of her academic and administrative caliber who is willing to take on this additional responsibility at this critical time for Dartmouth.

The Dartmouth Professor of Biological Sciences, Carol is an internationally-recognized environmental scientist, an award winning teacher, and an astute administrator. Known for her work on metal toxicity, she is the Associate Director of Dartmouth’s interdisciplinary Superfund Basic Research Program, which has received over $40 million in federal research awards. Carol has served as one of Dartmouth’s senior academic leaders since 2001, first as Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Dean of Faculty(2001-2004), then as Dean of Faculty since 2004.

Provost Barry Scherr, who is stepping down after eight years as Provost, will continue working closely with Carol through the transition, and overseeing our reaccreditation self-study through December.

With her deep understanding of our mission, and her experience across academic, administrative, and financial affairs, Carol has been a key advisor since my arrival in Hanover. Going forward, her guidance will be valuable as we work together as a community to address financial challenges and discuss our future. Dean Folt has played a critical role in overseeing the strategic growth of the Arts & Sciences faculty, and in launching creative cross cutting programs and institutes, including the Neukom Institute for Computational Science, the Institute of Writing and Rhetoric, as well as new programs in digital humanities, sustainability science, and professional ethics. She developed numerous partnerships with the graduate and professional schools, such as with the Amos Tuck School of Business to teach classes in business for undergraduates, with the Dartmouth Medical School to enhance graduate student recruitment and training, and with the Provost’s Office to enhance K-12 experiential science education programs in the Upper Valley.

I want to thank Carol for her willingness to take on this additional responsibility and look forward to her leadership and guidance over the coming months.

Sincerely,

Jim Yong Kim
President
Dartmouth College

This is unfortunate, especially President Kim’s note about her, “administrative caliber.” Do keep in mind that while serving as Dean of the Faculty, Carol Folt let our philosophy department become a shell of its former self (for example, we’re losing Prof. Sinnott-Armstrong to Duke in the coming spring). Let’s hope that soon to be Acting Provost Folt will be better at her new job.

With how long Provost Scherr remained in his position after President Kim reappointed him, one wonders how Dean Folt will hold onto her new post.