July 7, 2011
A message to ULM faculty and staff from ULM President Nick J. Bruno
Dear Colleagues,
On August 1, 2011, a new University of Louisiana at Monroe organizational chart will take effect.
This chart was developed over the last several months after receiving input from a variety of constituent groups, external as well as internal. My discussions with these constituencies confirmed three chief suggestions for improvement.
First, ULM should seek ways to reduce the size of its upper-level administrative staff. Second, there should be a greater focus on our academic core, and finally, ULM should provide the best possible “customer service” as it can to our most important clientele – faculty and students.
In light of these suggestions, I have made the decision to reduce our vice presidential appointments from five to three.
These three vice presidents are the vice president for academics, the vice president of student affairs and the executive vice president, who will each focus on areas of campus relevant and specific to their expertise. The executive vice president will replace the two former vice presidential positions. A chief business officer will be added and be responsible for a smaller span of control.
You will see that the areas falling under administrator control are better aligned with divisional and departmental responsibility. As an example, the vice president for academics will be strictly responsible for our five academic colleges, while our executive vice president will oversee those areas concerned with internal and external support services, including University Police.
These changes have been proposed to and endorsed by the University of Louisiana System with expectation of full Board approval in August. UL System policy will be followed in filling positions where applicable.
As mentioned, my goal is to better align areas of responsibility within the proper framework and leadership. I believe that change though sometimes challenging is a good thing, and I am certain that the new organizational structure will benefit the entire campus in the long run.
You should also be aware that savings expected from these actions will be strategically reallocated to academic and support functions. As always, please contact my office if you have any comments.
Sincerely,
Nick J. Bruno, Ph.D.
President