Oberlin College. Office of the Provost.

This senior administrative position was created in 1960 during the presidency of Robert Kenneth Carr (1908-1979). The Office of Provost was created to bring about a cooperative relationship among all the academic departments. The Provost was to work closely with the President in the administration of Oberlin's academic programs. The new position was further charged with studying specific educational problems and making recommendations to the President, the General Faculty and the Board of Trustees. The Provost was also given broad ranging but largely undefined responsibilities with the College's governing bodies. Throughout the 1960s the Office of the Provost continued to evolve, focusing on faculty development and responding to growing student dissatisfaction and a changing campus environment. In the 1970s budgetary and fiscal responsibilities were consolidated under the Provost and the Office of Institutional Research was created and administered by the Provost. In 1975 the Office was renamed as Vice President and Provost to more accurately reflect the Provost's function. Reporting relationships continued to be altered, and by 1981 the position was primarily viewed as the chief budgetary and fiscal officer, with responsibility for coordinating both short and long term development among the various divisions. Throughout the 1980s the Provost focused on financial forecasting. The Provost has continued to operate as a key player in the overall planning process, studying enrollment trends, student body composition, student retention, general budgetary parameters, and compensation.