Dear Student,
I am writing with bittersweet news that Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising Robin Olinsky will be leaving Tufts for an exciting new opportunity to take a position as Class Dean at a college nearer to her family’s home in upstate New York.
Effective Monday, November 29 (immediately after Thanksgiving holiday weekend) and through late February, Liberal Arts students will be assigned to their advising deans as follows:
- Liberal Arts last names A-E and Combined Degree BA/BFA students: Dean Tanesha Leathers
- Liberal Arts last names F-L plus U-Z; Transfer students and domestic exchange students: Dean Matthew Bellof
- Liberal Arts last names M-R plus S-T; Combined Degree Tufts/NEC students: Dean Stephanie Frazitta
- REAL Students A-Z: Dean Carmen Lowe
There will be no changes for Engineering undergraduates and BFA students, who will continue to be assigned to Dean Jennifer Stephan and Dean Leah Gadd.
In February, a new Advising Dean will join the Liberal Arts advising dean team, and that dean will be assigned to all Liberal Arts BA/BS students last names S-Z as well as REAL students. We will introduce you to your new advising dean in February.
Dean Olinsky has worked at Tufts since 2001, when she began working in the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Department. She then moved to the Academic Resource Center for 10 years, serving as Administrative Coordinator, Assistant Director, Associate Director, and eventually Director. She was instrumental in launching and expanding the ARC’s tutor-led study groups in introductory classes, making major updates to the Tutor Finder system, and expanding collaboration with other programs and departments across Tufts. Over the past four and a half years, Dean Olinsky has served as Advising Dean for thousands of Tufts undergraduates in the School of Arts and Sciences, including hundreds of students in the combined degree programs with SMFA and NEC. She has been a deeply respected member of the wider team of Tufts faculty and staff devoted to supporting students and maintaining the integrity of our degree programs. Dean Olinsky has led efforts to bring greater cohesion to the pre-major advising program in Liberal Arts, and her ingenuity was key to the highly successful pivot to an online academic orientation initiated during the pandemic.
Dean Olinsky will be missed by her Tufts friends, colleagues, and students, but we are excited for her as she embarks on a new journey closer to her roots in upstate New York. We will be hosting an informal gathering at the Remis Sculpture Court (Aidekman Arts Center) on the afternoon of December 3 so that Robin’s friends, colleagues, and students can wish her well. Students are invited to join Robin’s friends and colleagues between 2:00-5:00 PM for a hot chocolate. If you join us, please remember to wear masks when indoors.
Dean Olinsky’s last day at Tufts will be December 3, but she will be using her last week at Tufts to prepare for the transition and will not be accepting appointments. If you need to consult with an Advising Dean or Senior Academic Advisor, please refer to the interim alphabetical and programmatic advising dean assignments above or go to our website to make an appointment.
Sincerely,
Carmen Lowe
Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies
School of Arts and Sciences
Tufts University
