Provost David Kertzer's '69 P'95 P'98 decision to step down later this year will not significantly impact the Plan for Academic Enrichment, according to University leadership.
Administrators praised Brown's chief academic officer for his role in pursuing the goals of the plan and for his efforts to reform the tenure process, projects which his successor will inherit.
"The plan started under a different provost, and when David Kertzer started there was no appreciable interruption in the flow of progress," said President Ruth Simmons. "I would anticipate that the same would be true when the next provost starts."
The wide-ranging Plan for Academic Enrichment, initiated by Simmons in 2002, aims to strengthen the academic experience and the University's stature through increasing the size of the faculty and improving campus infrastructure, among other goals.
Dean of the Faculty Rajiv Vohra P'07 said he hopes the next provost will continue to move forward with the Plan for Academic Enrichment, whether or not Simmons remains president in the coming years.
"I do believe that a new provost will realize that Brown has a clear plan that it has been following, and following through on that commitment is very important," Vohra said. "At the same time, one cannot ignore the fact that President Simmons has a lot to do with the energy and the pace with which we have been going to make these initiatives come to life."
"We want to make sure that the momentum continues," he added.
In an October e-mail to faculty announcing Kertzer's decision to step down, Simmons credited him with working to reform the tenure process and helping the University follow through on capital projects during trying financial times, among other accomplishments.
"As we tried to cope with the dramatic decline in endowment that we faced and some of the other impacts of the financial crisis, we made a decision that we had to protect the academic core of the institution as well as the quality of the faculty," Kertzer said.
The Herald reported in November that Kertzer plans to spend the 2011–12 academic year on sabbatical, conducting research in Italy.
Administrators were quick to praise Kertzer's accomplishments since his start at the post in 2006, and said his departure would not hinder the Plan for Academic Enrichment.
"There is always a period of transition, but I think the Plan for Academic Enrichment is the guiding star for all of us and will be for the next provost," said Richard Spies, executive vice president for planning and senior advisor to the president.
"When David became provost, he understood that he needed to continue implementing the plan," Spies said. "The challenge for a new provost is to keep moving forward with the Plan for Academic Enrichment while keeping it current."
Spies also commended Kertzer for his work on the tenure process, but said the issue remains an ongoing project that the next provost will have to continue to improve.
"Even though the tenure process has been a very challenging conversation, I think people should give him credit for having the courage to get it going," Spies said. "If it were easy, it would've been concluded a long time ago."
"There is no magic to it," Spies added. "David's persistence in that has been one of his strengths."
"It's been a pleasure learning and growing into our roles together," said Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron, who also began her position in 2006. She also praised Kertzer's commitment to liberal education during his time as provost.
With regards to the selection of the next provost, Bergeron said she hopes to see Kertzer's replacement continue the work currently underway to improve the University.
"In a way, it will be an exciting time for a new person to come in," she said.
Vohra applauded Kertzer's efforts to recruit and hire new faculty even during the recent economic downturn. He said this allowed the University to continue its plan for growth despite a decrease in available resources.
"The fact that during a difficult financial period we were continuing to hire faculty as part of the Plan for Academic Enrichment was an important step," Vohra said. "We were hiring faculty while some of our competitors weren't."
As provost, Kertzer served as chair of the University Resources Committee and the Academic Priorities Committee, which gave him a key role in determining how resources should be allocated throughout the University.
Jan Hesthaven, professor of applied math and a member of the University Resources Committee, said that as the committee's chair, Kertzer demonstrated an ability to listen and gather facts. Hesthaven said this helped the committee in its budgeting process even when resources were scarce.
Hesthaven added that the next provost will likely remain committed to the goals articulated by Simmons.
"The Plan for Academic Enrichment is set out by the president, so it is highly unlikely that President Simmons would appoint a new provost who didn't stand by the plan," Hesthaven said. "She will appoint somebody she trusts to lead forward in her agenda."
Simmons stated that she will be looking for a replacement for Kertzer who is uniquely qualified, as well as willing to blend new ideas with the existing plan for the University.
"Not every qualified person would necessarily fit into this position because of the uniqueness of Brown," Simmons said. "We'll be looking for an outstanding scholar who has all the right experiences in terms of their scholarship and teaching, someone who is committed to undergraduate education, and someone who has the quality of mind for a place like Brown.
"If we get all of that, we would expect that the person will be able to formulate new directions beyond what we've thought of and continue moving forward," she added.
