Director of the Academic Resource Center (ARC) Carmen Lowe is taking up a new appointment as interim dean of undergraduate education, Dean of Arts and Sciences Joanne Berger−Sweeney announced in an e−mail to the Tufts community yesterday.
Lowe, who is also the director of the Writing Fellows Program, succeeds James Glaser, who is now serving as the dean of academic affairs. She sees her role as ensuring a seamless transition following this personnel change.
"I am honored and excited and a little humbled. Jim Glaser left me some really big shoes to fill," Lowe said. "I am mainly here to see that things run smoothly this academic year and make sure that everything that is supposed to happen continues to happen."
Lowe has a number of personal goals for the year, including improving contact with students and between the undergraduate and graduate programs.
"I want to enhance communication to undergraduates in Arts and Sciences and in Engineering," she said. "I also want to ensure better coordination between the [Office of Undergraduate Education] and the Office of Graduate Studies."
Glaser praised Carmen for her work as ARC director. "Carmen has a lot of experience working with students as director of ARC for the past several years," Glaser said. "She has done a tremendous job there and in that capacity worked with students, managed a staff and a large budget."
He expressed confidence that Lowe will succeed in her new role.
"She has the experience to help us through this period of time where the dean's position is not filled," Glaser said. "She has a great track record of getting things done that matter to students."
In her new position, Lowe will oversee many of the university's key programs catering to undergraduates. She will also continue directing the ARC, according to Berger−Sweeney's e−mail.
Berger−Sweeney could not be reached for further comment.
"The position will involve overseeing the basic working functions of the university — the advising system, Summer Scholars, programs abroad, the ARC, the associate deans, the senior thesis program, among other responsibilities," Lowe said.
"I will be working on the whole undergraduate experience — everything outside the classroom that links through students' four years as" undergraduates, she said.
A Tufts alumna, Lowe in 1996 earned a master's degree from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and a Ph.D in English in 2003. She joined the staff of the ARC in 1999 and has served as director since June 2005.
"In that capacity, she developed the time management and study skills program, developed a public speaking program, and expanded access to tutors by locating them across campus, in addition to Dowling and the residence halls," Berger−Sweeney said in her e−mail.
Despite the recent turnover in staff, Berger−Sweeney also stressed the university's continued emphasis on clear and effective communication with students.
"It is important to us that our students know where to bring the day−to−day matters that need swift response and tempered and knowledgeable adjudication," Berger−Sweeney said.
The search for a permanent appointee to fill the vacated position should begin shortly, though details of the search process are as yet undetermined, Glaser said.
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Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Lowe started serving as director of the ARC in June 2000; in fact she took over as director in June 2005. Information about Lowe's doctoral degree was also added to the article.
