Hopkins recently announced its plans for how it is going to replace retiring Dean of Undergraduate Education Paula Burger, who for the past seven years has overseen almost every aspect of the undergraduate experience at Hopkins.
On July 13 the University announced that Sarah Steinberg will serve as Vice Provost for Student Affairs and on July 14 it was announced that Steven David will serve as permanent Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education.
"Dean Burger's portfolio had grown immensely over the years and we took advantage of this time of transition to strengthen our capacity to provide the best possible experience for our undergraduates, both inside and outside the classroom," Philip Tang, Senior Advisor to the Provost, wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
Burger had overseen both undergraduate academic affairs and student life. When she leaves, David will be responsible for academic issues in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences such as academic advising, curriculum, and study abroad while Steinberg will oversee student life issues such as enrollment, housing and dining, and student employment.
Steinberg, who had been Senior Associate Dean of the Krieger School will only be serving in an interim capacity, although Steven David's position will be permanent.
"I expect to serve in this role until a permanent replacement is found. The search could take at least a full academic year," Steinberg wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
Steinberg emphasized her plans to communicate with students and praised the work of Dean Burger.
"One of my most important jobs over the next several months will be to listen and actively seek comments and suggestions from our students and other members of the Hopkins community, so we can work together to make the Hopkins Experience even greater than it is already. I look forward to meeting and speaking with many of you," she wrote.
"I am privileged to have the opportunity to build upon the incredible achievements spearheaded by Dean Burger and the Homewood Student Affairs staff over the last several years."
David is currently a professor in the political science department.
"I will continue teaching. I will teach two courses a year (this fall I will be teaching CIP and Political Violence)," he wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
He pointed that despite the high quality of academics at Hopkins there is always room for improvement.
"Hopkins already does a good job in undergraduate education but as with all things, we can do better. As for specifics, I suspect they will become apparent once I get started," he wrote.
-Peter Sicher, Magazine Editor
