Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Marty Krauss will step down from that position by June 2011 according to an Aug. 31 e-mail to the Brandeis community from University President Jehuda Reinharz.In an interview with the Justice, Krauss, who received her Ph.D. from Brandeis in 1981 and has previously been a professor in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and served as the associate dean for academic programs and Faculty for the same school, said that she will not be leaving the University after she steps down as provost but, instead, will be returning to work at the Heller School after taking a one-year sabbatical.

In an e-mail to the Justice, Reinharz credited Krauss with "co-chairing our successful re-accreditation in 2006, recruiting new leadership at Heller and [the International Business School], improvements in benefits for contract faculty, and the launch of the Office of Global Affairs."

Krauss said that she considered some of her biggest achievements as provost to include "the work that we did on improving the working conditions and benefits for contract faculty across the University," creating a new committee to work with the directors of centers and institutes, and co-chairing the University's successful reaccreditation application in 2006, a process Krauss called a "massive undertaking."

In his e-mail to the community, Reinharz wrote that he and President-elect Frederick Lawrence will begin the search for a new provost "in the next few weeks." In his e-mail to the Justice, Reinharz wrote, "The provost has agreed to serve as late as June 2011 if need be, so there is no immediate pressure to find her replacement. It's more important to find the right person than to do this quickly."

Both Reinharz and Krauss expressed that the new provost, when selected, will face many of the same challenges that Krauss has had to deal with during her 7 years as provost. Reinharz wrote his e-mail that the new provost "will face the same broad challenge that Marty and the entire senior staff now face- how to maintain excellence in our teaching and research programs in a time of great financial challenge."

Krauss added that Lawrence has created a committee to look at "restructuring ideas and possibly redistribute some of the responsibilities for the institution from the way it is currently administered," and she said that implementing any changes that result from this committee will be a "significant" challenge for the next provost.

In a Sep. 1 e-mail to the Brandeis community, Lawrence wrote that the "Administration Structure Advisory Committee . will assist in evaluating administrative structures and duties that will best serve Brandeis in the years ahead." Assistant Provost for Graduate Student Affairs Alwina Bennett, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Frances Drolette, Dean of Academic Services Kim Godsoe, Chair of the Faculty Senate Prof. Timothy Hickey (COSI), Dean of the International Business School Bruce Magid, Vice President for Students and Enrollment Keenyn D. McFarlane, Senior Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong and Dean of the Heller School Lisa Lynch will serve on the committee. Lynch will chair the committee, according to the e-mail.

Krauss said that while she does not expect a formal advisory role in the incoming administration, she intends to be as helpful to the new president and provost as she can be.

"I look forward to working with President Lawrence in a capacity that he wants and with the next provost; I don't see this as the end of my service to Brandeis," Krauss said.