It is hard to measure the impact any single administrator has on the student experience here at Stanford. Even so, the imminent departure of John Bravman, current Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education, and the transformative impact he has had on campus life here at Stanford definitely warrants an attempt.

Bravman’s tireless commitment to undergraduates is demonstrated from the administrative level to the individual lives of each undergrad. Bravman’s ability to articulately communicate a vision for undergraduate education at Stanford has led to an immeasurable increase in the quality of resources and programs offered to undergraduates. He played a pivotal role in the $1.1 billion Campaign for Undergraduate Education and was a member of President Hennessy’s Needs Assessment Task Force.  He has been a part of hundreds of events for the Office of Undergraduate Admission, the Stanford Alumni Association and the Office of Development. He also continues to engage in the Stanford Challenge, the $4.3 billion campaign that grew from the President’s Task Force. Programs from Introductory Seminars to Sophomore College and IHUM to the Arts Intensives emerged under his leadership. A more robust advising infrastructure for all undergraduates has come along with a stronger residential education focus.

Furthermore, Bravman helped create a two-year residential program on campus–FroSoCo–serving as its first dean and inviting faculty and students to weekly dinners for the program. These are just a few of the countless contributions and efforts Bravman has made to the undergraduate experience at Stanford during his term as VPUE.

Moving forward, the Editorial Board hopes that the search committee will seek a replacement for Bravman who can live up to his level of commitment and involvement. As one student will represent the entire undergraduate community on the search committee, we also hope the ad hoc committee will find ways to survey student opinion on the issue. Simple things such as a town hall meeting or using digital mediums to seek student input could go a long way towards improving student engagement in the process.

The Editorial Board recognizes the impact the VPUE has on student life at Stanford, and we hope that a replacement is found who can live up to this responsibility. Someone who has served with the highest levels of University administration–preferably on committees and task forces focused on undergraduate education–would be able to smoothly transition into the VPUE office. Perhaps even more importantly, an empathetic and intellectual leader is needed for the role, as the collective University must respect and trust the strategies the VPUE seeks to employ in order to serve the student population.

Vice Provost Bravman has served his position with dedication, initiative and an unwavering commitment to the quality of undergraduate life at Stanford. The Editorial Board recognizes that he will be a tough act to follow, but is hopeful that his replacement will live up to and further his legacy of enhancing the undergraduate experience.