Friday, President Jehuda Reinharz publicly announced the appointment of Prof. Marty Krauss, Ph.D. '81 (HS) as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs pro tempore. The University has been without a provost since Mel Bernstein stepped down last month.Krauss, who has served as associate dean for faculty and academic programs at the Heller School since 2000 and led the previous provost search committee, is certainly a qualified candidate for this interim position. But, questions remain about Bernstein's sudden departure that should be addressed by the administration.

Bernstein began his position in August 2001 under a five-year contract, according to Prof. David Gil (HS), a member of the Faculty Senate. The administration understandably cannot reveal the details of Bernstein's contract or possible settlement agreement for legal and privacy reasons. He was, however, a top officer of the University. A departure so early in his term makes it likely that Brandeis, currently in financial crisis, is paying a large sum of money to settle the matter.

When Bernstein was chosen as provost, in-house candidates among the Brandeis faculty were also considered for the position. The administration has not revealed why Bernstein left, other than stating, "Dr. Bernstein has decided his academic visions and goals are better suited to a different institution" in a Jan. 31 e-mail from Reinharz.

Reinharz himself became provost and then president after serving as a Brandeis professor. This suggests an in-house candidate who is already familiar with Brandeis' institutional goals and would already have earned the respect of fellow faculty members would be the most appropriate choice.