After a rigorous nationwide search, Boston University appointed Dr. Ari Betof as the Head of School at the BU Academy, a private high school at BU, the University Provost office announced Friday.
Betof, who currently serves as Head of School at New Garden Friends School, a private pre-K-12 school in Greensboro, North Carolina, will begin working at BU on July 1, 2015. He will succeed James Berkman, who is retiring after serving as Head of School for nine years, according to an inner-university memo from Jean Morrison, BU provost and chief academic officer.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the BUA community, and I’m honored to be the incoming Head of the Boston University Academy,” he said. “I’m looking forward to learning about Boston University Academy and about the university.”
Some of Betof’s largest goals, he said, include supporting faculty work, deepening BUA’s connection to BU and ensuring BUA plays an active part in the Campaign for Boston University, the university’s fundraising campaign.
Betof was chosen for the position because of his leadership skills, commitment to academic achievement and strategic plans to further BUA, the memo stated. He has worked as an administrator and a physics and mathematics professor.
“There was a rigorous process that took place. A school like BUA attracts an exceptional pool of candidates,” Betof said. “Ultimately, the final selection is about fit and match. Procedurally, there were initial interviews and then semi-finalist visits, and then a two-day finalist visit. I had about twenty meetings on campus over two days.”
Berkman said he is pleased about his successor and the work he will do for BUA.
“It makes my transition into retirement smoother knowing that I have a successor who will start and be able to continue on after I leave, so I’m pleased for everyone,” he said. “It’s a win-win-win. I’m like a senior, graduating with my high school seniors, but I have a lot of work to do before they let me graduate at the end of the year.”
Given Betof’s credentials and skills, Berkman said he is confident in the caliber of work Betof will be able produce.
“He’s got a lot of energy and vision, so I think he’ll come here and do a great job getting to know the school and looking for ways to grow his reputation and partnership with the University,” Berkman said. “He will be inheriting work that is already in motion and help to continue that work, as well as planning new initiatives.”
Betof said he looks forward to working with students and faculty at BUA because of the unique community found at a high school located on a college campus.
“Both [BUA and NGFS] offer a close-knit community that blends academic vigor and intellectual collaboration,” he said. “So it really is the best of both worlds. You get a small, collaborative community, and you get the academic rigor and expansive nature of a college or university.”
Looking forward to the next academic year, Betof said he hopes to continue Berkman’s work and establish an individualized community at the Academy.
“Jim [Berkman], with the administration and faculty, has helped BUA become an incredibly vibrant school,” he said. “And that’s something that needs to continue to be cultivated and tended to. Ultimately, I believe every student needs to be known and cared for and taught well and advised thoughtfully. And that’s a process that needs to be supported in the day-to-day sort of way.”
As a friend of BUA, I can confirm that Ari is quickly falling out of favor with students, parents, and alumni alike.