Dr. Harvey Young to Step Down as Dean of the College of Fine Arts; Will Continue as Interim Vice President for the Arts
From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
I write today to share the news that Dr. Harvey Young, who has served as dean of the College of Fine Arts (CFA) with distinction since January 2018, has announced his intention to step down from his role and return to the faculty following a brief, planned sabbatical.
Known for his transparent, accessible, and consistent leadership, Dean Young has elevated and helped facilitate greater distinction for the three schools within CFA as well as the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, BU Art Galleries, BU Bands, and Wheelock Family Theatre. Since his appointment in 2018, CFA schools have risen in national recognition, with the School of Visual Arts climbing 20 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s graduate rankings and the School of Theatre being recognized by Playbill as a leading producer of Broadway creative teams. In concert with his efforts to enhance CFA’s profile, Dean Young initiated a comprehensive curricular redesign, launched new BA and MFA programs, improved the delivery of essential academic support for students within the college, and expanded the reach of CFA’s public programs to ensure greater accessibility of the arts within BU and the broader Boston community. Dean Young also achieved notable success in improving the physical infrastructure of the college, overseeing $110M+ in facility improvements.
Beyond his service as dean, Dr. Young has remained a dedicated scholar and faculty member with appointments in English, Theatre Arts, and African American & Black Diaspora Studies. The author or editor of over ten books, Dean Young is a widely recognized cultural historian, arts advocate, and expert on the performing and visual arts. He has made appearances on CNN, Good Morning America, NPR, CBC Radio, as well as within the pages of The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and many other major news outlets. His recent career achievement accolades include the Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Society for Theatre Research and election into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. Last year, the Association for Theatre in Higher Education established the Harvey Young Award for Academic Leadership in his honor.
Dean Young is also a highly engaged member of the BU community, having served on search committees for BU’s president; senior vice president for university relations; senior vice president for people, culture, and belonging; and dean of Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. His leadership as chair of the President’s Advisory Council on the Arts, the University Working Group on the Arts, and the Art Leaders Circle has enhanced the visibility of the arts across our campuses and further distinguished Boston University as a destination for the arts. In September 2025, Dr. Young was also appointed BU’s inaugural vice president for the arts and charged with establishing a University-level Office for the Arts. His upcoming sabbatical will not affect this appointment, and he will continue to serve uninterrupted in the interim vice president role until a permanent vice president has been named.
Dean Young will begin his planned sabbatical at the conclusion of the spring semester and return to the faculty following its completion. As we prepare for this transition, I plan to appoint an interim dean to begin on July 1.
In the meantime, please join me in thanking Harvey Young for his leadership and wishing him well as he embarks on this next chapter.