As the Chief Academic Officer, the College's Provost and Academic Dean serves as the key architect, advocate, and representative of the College's academic program and faculty interests to both internal and external constituents. The Provost reports directly to the president and consults with the Board of Trustees on matters of educational policy, faculty recruitment, professional development, and retention.
The people in this position have sometimes been called Deans of the College, Academic Deans, Provosts, or Provosts and Academic Deans. Sometimes the same person had held both the role of Academic Dean and Provost, and sometimes they have been different people.
Up until 1949, the person in charge of Academic Affairs was the "Dean of the College." The name was changed to "Academic Dean" in 1949. In 1970, Helen Hole became Earlham's first provost, with Joe Elmore as Academic Dean. In 1975, Joe Elmore became both Provost and Academic Dean, followed by Len Clark as both Provost and Academic Dean. Len Clark retired from the Provost position in 2006, although he remained Academic Dean for an additional year. At that time Nelson Bingham became Provost, and Greg Mahler became Academic Dean a year later. The title of Provost and Academic Dean has been more or less interchangeable since Nelson Bingham stepped down from the Provost role in August 2014 and the position was not refilled. Greg Mahler took on the responsibilities of both roles, although his title remained Academic Dean.
*Mike Deibel (Chemistry), James Logan (Religion, AAAS), and Maggie Thomas (Psychology) served as the "Dean Team" from 2020-2022. They divided up the functions of a Provost and Academic Dean and filled the role until a new Provost could be hired.
Sources:
Alumni Directory of Earlham College, 1847-1967. Boston: Spaulding-Moss, 1967.
Who's Who Among Earlhamites: The Alumni Directory of Earlham College, 1985 Edition. Richmond, IN: Earlham College, 1985.
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