Associate dean of arts and humanities and art history professor Adrian Randolph, who Northwestern University announced will be taking over as the next dean of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences July 1, said highlights of his time at the College include strong relationships with students and a supportive environment for his research.
Randolph said his role at Northwestern will be bigger than his current role at Dartmouth, and he hopes to get to know the faculty members and students at Northwestern as “warmly, respectfully and affectionately” as he has at the College.
He said he hopes to play a key role in trying to advance Northwestern’s mission as a university — maintaining old traditions and new initiatives with the same level of excellence, while working with faculty members to create plans for the next several years.
“[Northwestern] is very similar to Dartmouth — they’re both very ambitious institutions that want to serve their students well and be a good environment for research,” Randolph said.
He said he hopes preserve his connection to the Dartmouth community, noting that he wants to maintain a house in the Upper Valley and considers himself an alum.
“Even though I’m leaving, I hope to remain a part of the Dartmouth extended family,” Randolph said.
He said this winter term marks his last quarter as associate dean, adding that regardless of Northwestern’s offer he would have stepped down from the his current role.
He also served as director of the Leslie Center for Humanities, chair of the art history department and director of first-year seminars during his time at the College.
He said his research is focused on 15th-century Italian visual culture, noting that while at Dartmouth, he published a book entitled “Touching Objects” with Yale University Press as well as a second book of essays surrounding the iconography of 15th-century depictions of love.
Despite “enormous turnover” in senior administrators in recent years, Randolph said it was rewarding to help faculty achieve a consistent set of goals throughout his time as associate dean. During his tenure, the College has seen a change in President, Provost and Dean of the College.
Dean of faculty Michael Mastanduno said he worked with Randolph on a weekly and even daily basis, noting that he was a very effective dean and would be a considerable gain for Northwestern. He emphasized Randolph’s consistent sense of humor and creativity in problem solving as particular strengths.
“I think Professor Randolph has great composure, great judgment,” Mastanduno said. “He is an excellent problem solver.”
Mastanduno said that part of Randolph’s strength as dean derived from his relationships with faculty members, adding that Randolph knew the faculty well enough to have their confidence, while simultaneously possessing the ability to make difficult decisions regarding the faculty without losing their support.
“He just had such terrific credibility with the faculty,” Mastanduno said.
As for Randolph’s vacant position, Mastanduno said that the faculty will be going through their standard process, soliciting nominations from all professors in the arts and humanities division. A new associate dean will be selected by July in time for the next academic year, he said.
English Professor Jonathan Crewe spoke highly of Randolph’s professional skills.
“He really is a person who upholds very high standards, because he’s very professional and quite prominent himself, he knows what good work is,” Crewe said.
Music department chair Steve Swayne said that Randolph had the ability to emphasize the importance of arts and humanities in the context of an educational system that increasingly emphasizes the STEM fields, as well as entrepreneurial endeavors.
“[Randolph] has been particularly helpful in being an articulate and visionary advocate for the arts and the humanities, not merely at Dartmouth but in higher education generally speaking,” Swayne said.
Swayne said that Randolph served as an excellent voice for the arts and humanities on campus, making valuable connections between administrators, departments and other parts of the College such as the Hopkins Center for the Arts and the Hood Museum, as well as meeting with trustees, potential donors and alumni.
“He is a mensch,” Swayne said. “He will be greatly missed at Dartmouth.”
