As another development in a line of recently announced realignment projects, the Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs and Student Affairs will begin to be phased out. It will eventually be reorganized into a single administrative division.
According to Thomas Stafford, vice chancellor of student affairs, the proposal to merge the divisions of Student Affairs and Undergraduate Academic Programs has been confirmed.
“We are basically planning a major strategic realignment of these two divisions to increase their organizational efficiency and effectiveness,” Stafford said. “The work is still in the pipeline, and we will be taking certain important steps towards this merger, starting from July 1, 2011.”
There are quite a few things in process, Stafford said, so it will take some time for this merger to take effect.
“We are still evaluating how to go about this merger,” Stafford said. “The final outcome of the exact structure and process is not yet determined.”
Stafford said students’ success is the top reason behind this decision.
“The University’s strategic plan has identified students as the top priority in the decisions they make in near future,” Stafford said. “By this merger, students would be benefited the most.”
John Ambrose, dean of Undergraduate Academic Programs, said budget cuts were also included in the reasoning for the plan.
“The possibility of financial savings down the road was certainly in our minds,” Ambrose said. “Besides, the fact that myself and Mr. Stafford will be retiring at the same time would vacate two top positions at the same time. It then makes sense to make the change and have just one position for the merged division. This would also lead to streamlined administrative structure and would increase administrative overhead substantially.”
According to Ambrose, some positions may be cut along with the merger.
“In this process, overlapping positions may be phased out. But this does not mean all of them will be cut. There will be some overlapping positions will stay in the system,” Ambrose said. “Given the position cuts, there is a chance that we will have more opportunities for student part-time jobs, especially in IT administration. This is mainly because the student jobs are temporary and on a project basis.”
According to Ameya Gholkar, a graduate student in computer science, the possibility of increased student job opportunities after the merger is exciting news.
“It will be great if we get more job opportunities after the merger,” Gholkar said. “We normally have a tough time finding a technical job on campus and if this merger opens up more jobs for students, especially the technical ones.”
Stafford said the major decisions will be made by the end of the coming fall semester.
“We will take some steps by through this year till the end of fall semester,” Stafford said. “The selection process for the common position replacing myself and Mr. Ambrose will take place in next spring.”
Ambrose said the University Career Center and co-op office will have a common director starting in July.
“This is one of the steps we are taking towards the reorganization of the two divisions. The University Career Center and Co-op Office are separate bodies as of today,” Ambrose said. “But the director of University Career Center will resign before the fall semester and the head of the Co-op Office will hold the position for both and thus will be combined into one unit and housed in the Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs.”
