Peter Berek Says It's His Last Year as Dean of Faculty and Provost

The 1997-98 academic year will be Peter Berek's last as MHC's dean of faculty and provost, President Joanne Creighton announced in a memo to the College community earlier this week. After serving for the coming year and taking a sabbatical, Berek will return to his scholarship and teaching as professor of English.

Creighton called Berek's service to the College exemplary. "Peter has accomplished a tremendous amount during an important and sometimes difficult period in the College's history," Creighton wrote. "He oversaw a strengthening of the admission office following a nadir in applications to Mount Holyoke around the time of his arrival. He instituted sound budget management practices and undertook necessary but painful cost cutting in his areas with careful attention to the best long-term interests of the College. He supervised the strengthening and restructuring of information-technology services. He enhanced the College's institutional research efforts, and effectively employed data to improve decision-making processes.

"He worked collaboratively with academic department and program chairs on sometimes vexing curricular issues. He sought to improve mechanisms of faculty governance by working with the faculty to revise the committee structure and alter the format of faculty meetings. Especially praiseworthy has been his solid commitment to diversity and his work with departments in hiring and supporting junior faculty. And, of course, Peter played a key role in our successful planning process, and I am pleased that he will remain in his position during the critical first year of implementation of The Plan."

Berek also served as interim president during the fall of 1995, aiding a smooth transition between the Kennan and Creighton administrations.

Creighton said she will meet with the Faculty Conference Committee soon to discuss the process of finding Berek's successor.

JIM GIPE Peter Berek has chosen to step down as dean of the faculty and provost after the coming academic year, but he'll remain at MHC as professor of English.