Lafayette College’s administrative structure has undergone several changes following the July arrival of Provost Laura McGrane, including a slight staff reshuffling and a dean title change.
“As I shared with faculty in late July, our interim administrative structure for the 24-25 year is designed to ensure that we thrive in our commitment to a world-class residential liberal arts and engineering experience and also take the time together in the coming months to explore which administrative models will best serve the Office of the Provost, our faculty, and our students over the longer term,” McGrane wrote in an email.
“We have already begun those discussions, and I am grateful to the faculty for their perspectives and wisdom,” she continued.
Ingrid Furniss, a professor of art history who previously served as the dean of arts and humanities after last year’s formation of an academic dean structure, maintains her role as the dean of the faculty, transitioning to the permanent title this year after assuming the role of the interim dean of faculty in 2022.
Tim Laquintano, an associate professor of English, now serves as the dean of arts, humanities and interdisciplinary programs, a title which has been updated since Furniss held the position.
“The Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Programs is a one-year position put in place as Provost McGrane works to reorganize her office,” Laquintano wrote in an email. “This frequently happens as academic leaders assume positions in new institutions and look to blend their experience with the needs of their new organizations. I’ll be working with faculty and members of the Provost’s Office to engage in program building, faculty support, staffing, operations and advising and curriculum.”
“I think about the work as my modest attempt to help facilitate Provost McGrane’s transition as she collaborates with faculty to maintain and sharpen the future of academics at Lafayette,” he added.
Furniss wrote that Laquintano “is doing a fantastic job supporting the Arts, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Programs” in an email.
Mark Crain, the chair of the Policy Studies program and a professor of political economy, is “cautiously optimistic” about the addition to include interdisciplinary programs. He emphasized the importance of having an interdisciplinary dean to represent the programs in budget discussions, citing a “constant competition for resources.”
It is “too early to tell” the impact that the title will have on interdisciplinary programs, he said.
