Paul Stanton, Director of Administration for Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, will temporarily fill a key administrative position vacated by Kristine Dillon in August. Dillon served as Dean of Academic Services and Student Affairs before leaving Tufts to assume presidency of the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE).
Stanton will fill this position until a permanent replacement can be found.
Stanton was selected because he "has played key roles in the design, articulation of goals, identification of people, and contribution to the subsequent success of the Student Services organization project," Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Ernst and Dean of Engineering Ioannis Miaoulis wrote in an e-mail to the Tufts community.
They also said his "straightforward, consensus-building leadership style" factored into his selection. Over the summer Ernst, Miaoulis, and Dean of Finance Wayne Buchard consulted with Dillon and other student services representatives and faculty members about an interim replacement.
There was "an overwhelming majority of support" for Stanton, Ernst said.
A national search firm is conducting the search for a permanent replacement, as is commonly the practice in filling administrative vacancies. In contrast, search committees comprised of administrators and department faculty address faculty vacancies.
The University has not set a date for selection of a permanent replacement. "We expect it at some point this year," Ernst said. Administrators, however, are prepared to wait throughout the next academic cycle if a selection is not made sooner.
Stanton said it was important to fill the position before a permanent replacement could be found. "Essentially, the [Student Services] organization involves almost one hundred different staff [members]," he said. "[There was a] real need to continue to manage the operation," which includes various positions from management to event planning.
Student Services underwent a thorough restructuring in 1999, when Dillon led a committee to centralize various administrative and academic services. The committee organized Student Services into what later became Dowling Hall. When the committee's report was completed, Dillon accepted the permanent position as dean.
Stanton was confident that he could compensate for Dillon's absence. "I, like all the other [administrators], will carry more responsibility," he said. "That happens whenever a senior position is vacated."
Stanton directs administrative support for the Tisch Library and Information Technology Services, classroom management, and space planning for the Medford Campus.
Other members of Arts and Sciences will assume some of Stanton's duties while he is filling the interim position. When finalists for the position are selected, student and faculty groups will have the opportunity to meet with the candidates and give feedback, Ernst said.
Outside firms were also used in hiring President Lawrence Bacow and Provost Jamshed Bharucha. Such firms are employed because they "know who to ask at other institutions, they might have a good fit already in mind, and they know where to advertise," Ernst said.
Dillon also served as co-chair for the Task Force on Undergraduate Life, a position that has been permanently filled by Dean of Students Bruce Reitman.
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