Faust Promises Dean Appointments Before Departure

University President Drew G. Faust said in an interview last week she still expects to appoint the new deans of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and Harvard Graduate School of Education before her term ends in June.

Both schools have been in search of new deans since Education School Dean James E. Ryan and Radcliffe Dean Lizabeth A. Cohen announced they were stepping down in September 2017 and October 2017, respectively.

“I think those are searches that are well underway and we can accomplish,” Faust said of the dean searches. Faust also said she plans to consult with President-elect Lawrence S. Bacow about her appointments.

Although Faust said she plans to appoint the new deans before the end of her term, she said the exact timeline is still uncertain.

“I always say searches don’t have a timeline, because you’re never sure what kinds of bumps you might meet along the way and how many candidates get named,” Faust said.

“You have to investigate their qualities, and maybe you set your sights on someone, and then it takes that person a long time to make up their mind,” she added. “So there are just a whole series of possibilities that make it always impossible for me to predict the timeline of the search.”

Cohen plans step down on June 30, 2018 to return to teaching and research in Harvard’s Department of History following a year’s sabbatical, while Ryan is stepping down to serve as the next president of the University of Virginia beginning Oct. 1, 2018.

—Staff writer Sarah J. Hong can be reached at sarah.hong@thecrimson.com.