Tufts University. Office of the Vice President for Arts, Sciences, and Technology

The Office of the Vice President for Arts, Sciences and Technology (also known as the Vice President for Arts, Sciences and Engineering) was established in the fall of 1986 and ceased to exist in 2001. Various deans, including the Dean of Liberal Arts and Jackson, the Dean of the School of Engineering, and the Dean of the Graduate School of Art and Sciences, reported to the VP for A, S & T. The Office of the VP for A, S & T influenced a broad range of academic policies through its Policy Council, an executive group of administrative and academic deans in Arts & Sciences. The Vice President for Arts, Sciences and Technology (VP for A, S & T) reported to the University Provost and Senior Vice President. The activities of this high-level administrative office included: strategic planning for student, faculty and program development; addressing issues of diversity and the quality of intellectual life at Tufts; developing new offices to handle ever changing academic and organizational issues; spearheading initiatives such as the Higher Education Initiative (HEI); creating and overseeing task forces, such as the Task Force on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Life. The Office's affairs reflect the priorities of the long time VP for A, S & T, Mel Bernstein, who held the office from 1991 to 2001. Mel Bernstein focused on recruiting and retaining a more diverse student body and faculty, and on increasing diversity within the curriculum. He was instrumental in the creation of a new student services center and advocated shared governance with faculty. Mel Bernstein became Provost at Brandeis in August, 2001, and the Office of the VP for A, S & T ceased to exist.