Although the wheels of the University resource realignment process are in motion, and cuts such as the one made to pre-law services have been made and confirmed, the overall realignment process will not happen overnight, according to high-ranking University administrators.

Faculty-led task forces have been assembled at the behest of Provost Warwick Arden to address proposed recommendations for cuts. The realignment process was announced before the NC legislature released its proposed 15.5 percent higher education budget reduction.

Chancellor Randy Woodson and his colleagues, mainly Arden and Vice Chancellor for business and finance Charles Leffler, made several recommendations in their University resource realignment plan.

Recommendation: Elimination of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Extension, Engagement and Economic Development (EEED)

“Extension, engagement, and economic development, that unit, will no longer continue,” Michael Giancola, director of the center for leadership, ethics, and public service said.

The extension office, currently headed by its vice chancellor James Zuiches, will be closed, but the services it provides will not diminish, according to Zuiches. Its services will be realigned and transferred under new leadership, which is in-line with the Chancellor’s overall plan of reducing administrative inefficiencies. The office will lose five administrators as a result of the cut.

Recommendation: Merge the Division of Student Affairs (SA) with the Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs (DUAP) to form a combined, coordinated Division of Undergraduate Student Programs within the Office of the Provost.

“DUAP and Student Affairs will merge and continue under new leadership,” Tim Luckadoo, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, said.

The leader of the newly combined DUAP and SA has not been decided. The process of hashing out how to merge the two units has recently been left up to two senior University officials: Thomas Stafford, vice chancellor for student affairs, and John Ambrose, dean of undergraduate academic programs. They meet weekly, according to Luckadoo. Four administrators were cut from OASIS, a DUAP division, saving the University “$357,000 and change,” according to Ambrose.

Recommendation: Merge the Offices of Equal Opportunity and Diversity and Inclusion to form a new Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity.

“I may restructure some things a bit to more effectively and efficiently position us to do the equity and diversity work we have been charged with,” Joanne Woodard, current vice provost for equal opportunity and equity, said.

Woodard was chosen to lead the newly realigned office that “has been historically located in student affairs,” according to Woodard. Stafford, who has been in charge of student affairs for decades, recently announced his retirement, effective as of July 1. No jobs were lost as a result of this realignment. A monetary savings could not be determined.

Recommendation: Review the administrative structure for academic science 

“How are we positioned on campus with respect to our structure and our delivery, is the word being used, of science programs?” Margery Overton, professor in construction and environmental engineering and chair of the Faculty Senate, said.

Overton has been charged by the Provost to lead a task force meant to examine science delivery at the University. Deans from all University colleges have been asked by Arden to suggest names for task force representatives. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and the College of Natural Resources, three colleges that deliver “hard” sciences, are in the crosshairs for this particular realignment. This is evidenced by the fact that deans from the three colleges have been asked to name two to three task force representatives, while deans from all other University colleges have been asked to name only “one or two” representatives, according to Arden. The first task force meeting will occur in two weeks, according to Overton.

Recommendation: Review Distance Education (DE)

“The item we are addressing which will be of most interest to students is that we are looking at how to restructure how tuition is charged so that Distance Education courses become part of a student’s regular tuition charges so that full time students don’t incur additional tuition and fees when they take a Distance Education course,” Tom Miller vice provost for distance education and learning technology, said.

Miller co-chairs a task force seeking to capitalize on inefficiencies within the University’s Distance Education program. According to documentation available online, the task force has met three times. “Tom provided a brief background on the current resource allocation process and identified the goal of developing a unified resource strategy that works well with both the relatively slow rate of change on-campus and the rapid rate of change in on-line DE,” according to the task force’s minutes posted online. The task force’s recommendations will be made official in their final report due to the Provost May 15.

Recommendation: Review Student Leadership Programs

“The [realignment] will not impact directly CSLEPS,” Michael Giancola, CSLEPS director, said.

CSLEPS, the center for student leadership, ethics, and public service, mission statement is as follows: “To provide unique learning experiences that embody the value of leadership, service, responsible citizenship and ethics,” according to the University website. Leadership and service opportunities will continue to be provided, according to Giancola. No jobs are planned to be cut due to the uncertainty of the realignment plan.

Other recommendations were included in the Chancellor’s realignment plan:

Review of low-enrolled courses and academic degree programs

 Review Summer Education

Realign Reporting Relationships and Accountability for Management of Campus Financial and Human Resources Transactions

 Establish Business Operations Centers Across Campus

Complete the extensive review that has been initiated of all existing PRRs with each division spearheading the examination by subject matter or topic

Woodson reconstituted the Administrative Process Review Committee with a charge of evaluating and making recommendations to streamline and simplify University practices and procedures.

Chancellor Woodson has been traveling since Thursday, according to Stephanie Parker, assistant to the chancellor for communications. Therefore, due to his busy schedule, he could not be reached for comment.

All sources spoken to in regard to this story said they agreed with the general spirit of the Chancellor’s realignment plan. They all said they understood how large budget cuts could affect the University, and they all, without exception, signed on with the Chancellor’s plan.