Decision expected later this week

A university administrator≠s recently lengthened title could soon be cut in half, leaving a second gap in the leadership of SIUC≠s enrollment team.

Provost John Dunn said he would soon announce whether Tina Collins will remain in her new role as both assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management and director of records and registration.

Dunn said the decision to keep Collins≠ title as is or remove the assistant vice chancellor duties would be made later this week.

"We≠ll soon be reaching something definite on that position," Dunn said.

Dunn said Collins, who was promoted in early May, has been busy in her role as Records and Registration director, mainly with the upcoming implementation of a new student information system, and she carries a hefty workload.

Collins did not return multiple calls for comment at her home or office.

Collins was named assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management in early May during an administrative overhaul that transferred enrollment duties into Dunn≠s domain from the office of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Larry Dietz.

She became director of Records and Registration in 2002. Her salary jumped to $90,000 from $62,000 with the assistant vice chancellor appointment.

Collins told the DAILY EGYPTIAN in June that the new position mainly called for her to help boost enrollment. Enrollment for fall 2006 is down 2 percent compared to last year with 21,003 students enrolled compared to 21,441 in fall 2005, following the same downward trend for many years.

If the title is reduced, two of the university≠s top enrollment positions will be open. SIUC has been without a director of admissions since late February, when former leader Anne DeLuca accepted another job while on maternity leave.

A search for an admissions director began in May and the committee recommended Cleveland James, formerly of the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater, for the post, said search chairwoman and SIUC Bursar Jill Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick said James was their top pick because he had extensive recruiting experience in the Chicago area and had excellent communication skills.

Dunn said no action was taken on the recommendation because background and reference checks caused delays.

James eventually accepted the director of admissions position at Albany State University in New York. Dunn informed committee members James went elsewhere in an Aug. 29 memo, Kirkpatrick said.

"It certainly came as a disappointment to me," he said.