Provost & Dean of the College

Image of the Provost and Deans

The Provost and Dean of the College is Wellesley's Chief Academic Officer.

The Provost's office oversees all the academic programs of the College as well as the College's libraries and technology services, and budgetary and strategic planning. Provost Andrew Shennan, Dean of Academic Affairs Richard French, and Dean of Faculty Affairs Kathryn Lynch work together as a team, with each also having clearly delineated primary responsibilities.

Provost's and Deans' Roles

The provost has overall responsibility for all aspects of academic life at Wellesley. The responsibilities of the Office of the Provost are distributed among the provost and the two deans.

A complete list of the committees and departments each oversees, as well as their direct reports, can be found here.

Priorities and achievements of the Provost's Office include:

  • Increasing the number of full-time, tenure-track faculty
  • Strengthening interdepartmental and interdisciplinary work
  • Producing strategic reports on special areas of interest, such as foreign language or science

 

Andrew Shennan Provost and Dean of the College, and Professor of History

Professor Shennan served as Associate Dean of the College from 1999 to 2004, and Dean of the College from 2004 to 2009. In January 2010 he was appointed to the newly created post of Provost.  More >>

Kathryn Lynch Dean of Faculty Affairs, and the Katharine Lee Bates & Sophie Chantal Hart Professor of English

Dean Lynch has been at Wellesley College since 1983. She joined the Provost's Office in the 2010-2011 academic year.  More >>

Richard French Dean of Academic Affairs, and Louise McDowell & Sarah Frances Whiting Professor of Astrophysics

Dean French has been at Wellesley College since 1980. He joined the Provost's Office in the 2010-2011 academic year.  More >>

Related

Faculty Handbook


The professional responsibilities of the faculty are defined by our common commitment to learning in all of its various dimensions. The college expects its faculty to adhere to the highest standards of honesty and integrity as they carry out their scholarly work, as appropriate to and required by the scholarly norms of their individual disciplines.  In addition, the college expects faculty to be dedicated teachers with a significant commitment to scholarly accomplishment and to active participation in the life of the college community. Read more.

 

Academic Council Spring 2013 Dates
February 6
March 6
April 3
May 1
May 29

All meetings are held in the Academic Assembly Room from 12:30 to 2:00 pm except May 29 (4:15-6:00 pm).

Customarily, a reception is held at the President's House following the first and last meetings of each year.