On Monday, April 13, President George Bridges announced the appointment of Timothy Kaufman-Osborn to the position of Provost and Dean of Faculty.

The announcement, which was made to the faculty via e-mail, comes in response to the upcoming departure of current Provost and Dean of Faculty Lori Bettison-Varga. Bettison-Varga has accepted the position of President at Scripps College.

Pending confirmation by the Board of Trustees, Kaufman-Osborn will officially assume the  position on July 1. He currently holds the positions of the Baker Ferguson Chair of Politics and Leadership and Chair of the Faculty, and served as Interim Dean of Faculty in the 2006-2007 academic year.

“While serving as Interim Director… Tim performed tirelessly, graciously and effectively, recruiting many new faculty members, addressing critical salary concerns and working closely with me and the College’s other budget officers,” Bridges wrote in his e-mail to the faculty.

According to Bridges, the search to fill the position can be intensive and long, often requiring two separate years to find a candidate and for the candidate to familiarize themselves with the college. Bridges cited benefits of Kaufman-Osborn’s current and previous involvement with Whitman.

“Conducting a national search is extraordinarily time consuming and expensive. If there is someone here, right here on campus, who the knows the college well and who has performed very well as Dean, why search nationally?” Bridges said.

In addition to the convenience of his appointment, Bridges said Kaufman Osborn’s knowledge of the inner workings of the school makes him an ideal candidate in light of current issues the college must face.

“Given the budgetary issues that we’re facing, we need a person who is knowledgeable and familiar with the college and its culture from the get go,” said Bridges.

In conducting an internal search, Bridges considered and consulted many Whitman faculty members and administrators. He said the overwhelming recommendations he received from faculty members, administrators and Trustees was Kaufman-Osborn.

Kaufman-Osborn has expressed excitement over the appointment.

“I am delighted to have this opportunity, especially given the caliber of the people I will be working with in the faculty as well as the administration,” said Kaufman-Osborn.

In his newly gained position, Kaufman-Osborn will need to deal with the effect of the unstable economy on the college. Bridges, however, is confident that these challenges will not faze Kaufman-Osborn.

“My first priority is to build on the new initiatives brought to Whitman by President Bridges as well as by the Provost and Dean of Faculty Lori Bettison-Varga, and to do so in a way that is consistent with our character and reputation as one of the best small liberal arts and sciences colleges in the nation,” said Kaufman-Osborn.

Kaufman-Osborn is expected to be confirmed as Provost and Dean of Faculty at the May Board of Trustees meeting.

Pending official confirmation, Kaufman-Osborn will serve a three-year term. At the end of the second term, his position and performance will be reviewed. Following this review, Bridges, in consultation with other Whitman faculty and administrators, will decide whether or not to renew his appointment or to conduct a national search for a new Provost and Dean of Faculty.