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Administration prepares to eliminate Office of Administration
Two new areas, Human Relations and Support and Facilities and Business Operations, are anticipated to fill the vacancy left by Glenn Poshard upon his retirement later this month.
With the University facing an 8.25-percent budget cut, the administration has been looking for ways to tighten its belt in the past year.
Chancellor Walter Wendler decided to cut 20 percent of upper level administrative costs by eliminating the positions of vice chancellor, held by Poshard, associate vice chancellor and assistant vice chancellor of Administration.
The Board of Trustees is scheduled to abolish the Department of Administration at their meeting Thursday and consider approving the creation of two new areas to undertake some of its responsibilities.
If approved, an Executive Director will head each area. Catherine Hagler, the current associate vice chancellor for Administration, has been selected to be executive director of Facilities and Business Operations. Robert York, the current director of Labor and Employee Relations, will assume the role of executive director of Human Relations and Support.
"They will still be doing their old responsibilities," Poshard said. "They will continue to do that job and also take on the executive directorship. We'll be saving a lot more because each one will be doing both positions."
Each position will command an annual salary of $95,000. However, if the board approves the proposal, Wendler said he anticipates the restructuring to save about $185,000 in administrative costs.
With the elimination of the Office of Administration, Wendler said both employees, who used to report to Poshard, will now report directly to him. He said he has already been meeting with Hagler and York to make the transition at the end of July as smooth as possible.
"I will be losing a valuable colleague in Glenn Poshard, and I am going to miss his council in higher education issues," Wendler said. "But Cathy and Bob are excellent people, and I am sure they will bring tremendous benefits to the new positions."
Hagler and York declined to comment, considering it premature until the board approves the positions.
