Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
I write to share several administrative shifts that aim to center the student experience, bring comparable portfolios together, and capitalize on the experience and talent of administrators and staff in multiple offices. I appreciate very much the conversations I have had with the leaders involved, and their coordinating these changes together and among their teams. This alignment will become effective on March 1 unless otherwise noted.
- Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration (EVP): As you know, in November 2022, Audra Kahr became our new EVP. I have asked her office to assume responsibility for two areas:
- Public Safety: As Public Safety attends to the safety of our students, faculty, and staff, we are shifting this responsibility from the Division of Student Life into the broader administration of the College.
- Human Resources: As announced on Monday, Leslie Muhlfelder will be retiring at the end of this academic year after nearly three decades of dedicated service to the College. This spring, we will launch a search for a new General Counsel. As Leslie moves into retirement, we will be transitioning the Office of Human Resources to report to the EVP, and that transition will be fully effective July 1.
- Recreation Services: Sports and physical activity are important to holistic health and wellness for our students. With this in mind, I have asked our Director of Athletics, Sherryta Freeman, to add Recreation Services to Athletics’ management portfolio. This change brings together all our related programs and services into one area for all our students, whether Division I student-athletes or those pursuing club/intramural sports, recreation, and physical wellness.
- Gateway Career Center: The shift of Public Safety and Recreation Services from Student Life to the above offices will allow Student Life to focus on its primary mission of student development, belonging, and lifelong success. To advance that focus, we are moving the Gateway Career Center from Development and College Relations to Student Life. This move acknowledges the central work of our student life staff in helping our students connect their in-class and out-of-class experiences to their personal and professional aspirations.
My thanks to the staff affected by these shifts for their dedication to everyone in our community, and to all they do to make the work and lives of our students, faculty, and staff better.
To great things ahead,
President Nicole Hurd