The Office of the Provost conducts reviews of the deans approximately every five years as a normal part of our evaluation and support procedures. For each review, the provost appoints a current or emerit senior university leader to chair a committee that gathers feedback from stakeholders of the school, college, or division.
Current and recent reviews
Dean Karpus review
The Office of the Provost is conducting a review of William Karpus, Dean of the Graduate School. This review is a normal part of our evaluation and support procedures. As part of this review, the …
October 14, 2026Dean Robbins review
The Office of the Provost is conducting a review of Paul Robbins, Dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. This review is a normal part of our evaluation and support procedures. As part of …
October 5, 2026- More Posts
Frequently Asked Questions
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Is the survey confidential?
Yes. The survey is administered and analyzed by DAPIR (Data, Academic Planning, and Institutional Research), a separate unit of the Office of the Provost. The review committee receives a summary report of the results. The committee, dean, and provost do not have access to the raw survey data or know who completed the survey.
Quantitative results are analyzed in aggregate. Qualitative comments are provided to the review committee without personally identifiable information. If a respondent provides comments that could potentially identify an individual, the committee excludes those from its report or first carefully redacts them.
The survey uses unique links to prevent duplicate responses and send reminders to those who have yet to complete it. DAPIR maintains limited administrative access that allows them to associate a response with an individual if needed for safety purposes. This access is tightly restricted within DAPIR and is not available to the review committee, dean, or provost.
Are interviews confidential?
Yes. The interviews are coordinated by the Office of the Provost staff member supporting the committee. Committee members conduct interviews in pairs, and participation is not disclosed beyond those directly involved.
In committee discussions about interviews, the focus is on themes and high-level insights rather than individual perspectives. Interviewee names are not revealed and interviewers’ personal notes are not shared.
How is the review committee assembled?
The Office of the Provost assembles the review committee. We look for people with a variety of experience, institutional knowledge, and understanding of different aspects of the school or college. We also look for colleagues outside the school or college who can bring an additional perspective to the committee. Individuals who have a close working relationship with the dean are excluded.
The dean is invited to identify any potential conflicts of interest and suggest people for consideration; however, the final make up of the committee resides with the Office of the Provost.