This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Jan. 2, 2013 - University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe announced a reorganization of top administrative positions at the system Wednesday, shrinking the number of vice presidents from six to five to make the university more efficient.
The currently separate offices of vice presidents for academic affairs and for research and economic development will be combined into one vice president for academic affairs and research, with the person filling the role to be chosen as part of a nationwide search.
Also, the offices of government relations and strategic communications will be combined into one office of university relations, to be led by Steve Knorr, the current vice president of government relations.
Wolfe also said that Nikki Krawitz, the vice president of finance and administration, will retire in June and the duties for her position will be refocused when her successor is chosen, also after a nationwide search.
“As I near the end of my first year as president of the UM system,” Wolfe said in a statement released by the university, “it is clear to me that higher education is changing rapidly, and as leaders of public higher education in Missouri, we, too, must embrace transformational change and adapt our structure to better meet both the opportunities -- and challenges -- that come with change.
“We must align resources with priorities, including aligning the executive team at the system with the strategic direction of the campuses, as well as look for efficiencies to better meet our mission of teaching, research, service and economic development.”
He said the changes are designed to improve the university system’s emphasis on research at a time when support from Washington is dropping.
“Our mission of research is what sets us apart from many of the other higher education institutions in the state, and our ability to conduct research throughout our system that leads to improved quality of life, enhanced revenue and job creation is one of our greatest benefits to the state and nation,” Wolfe said.
“Yet, this landscape continues to change as competition for declining federal dollars that facilitate this kind of research escalates. Our university system -- and ultimately the people of Missouri -- will benefit from enhanced focus in this area.”
University spokeswoman Jennifer Hollingshead said that despite Wolfe’s emphasis on efficiency, the primary goal of the reorganization is not to reduce the University of Missouri’s administrative budget.
“It’s not the goal to save huge amounts of money, at least initially,” she said. “It is more about being more efficient and effective and being able to adapt to the changes in higher education. “
She said there is no timetable for the changes to take place while the search process moves forward.
Under the new organization, the vice president for academic affairs and research will lead strategic planning efforts as well as institutional research, student access and success, academic program review and eLearning. The position of vice president for academic affairs is currently vacant.
The new vice president for university relations will be responsible for strategic communications, government relations and external affairs at the national, state and local levels.
Krawitz has been in higher education for more than 30 years and at the university for more than 16 years. Wolfe called her “a highly respected and trusted resource within the university system, the state of Missouri, and nationally. The university has benefited from her tireless advocacy for public higher education, and in particular from her leadership of our financial resources.”