YSU Trustees Tentatively OK Reorganization Proposals

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The president of Youngstown State University, Jim Tressel, announced his proposals Thursday to reorganize its administration, which if adopted by the board of trustees, would save more than $900,000 annually, he says.

Based on the administrative positions listed on the YSU website, not updated in some time, the savings would appear to result from not filling vacancies and not replacing retiring administrators.

Adoption of his proposals, Tressel says, “will allow the university to operate more efficiently and effectively on behalf of students and the community and will reduce top managerial costs by nearly $1 million.”

The university affairs committee of the board approved the reorganization yesterday. Since all members of the board sit on each committee, their vote is tantamount to final approval at their regular quarterly meeting June 17.

“We believe that this reorganization … will result in improvements across all segments of the university, as well as significant savings,” Tressel said in a prepared statement.

Under the reorganization plan, YSU will operate under four major administrative units: the Office of the President, the Division of Academic Affairs, the Division of Finance and Business Operations and the Division of Legal Affairs and Human Resources.

• Tressel’s office would oversee the divisions of enrollment planning and management to be led by Associate Vice President Gary Swegan; inclusion and multicultural affairs, to be led by Executive Director Sylvia J. Imler; student experience, to be headed by Associate Vice President Eddie J. Howard Jr.; and university relations, to be headed by Associate Vice President Shannon Tirone, listed as Tressel’s chief of staff on the YSU website.

• Martin Abraham, provost and vice president, would lead the Division of Academic Affairs, which consists of the eight colleges, including the new honors college, and all other units related to academics. Academic Affairs would include the proposed division of student success headed by Associate Vice President Michael Reagle. The committee yesterday recommended the board approve his appointment. The committee also recommended the appointments of Sal Sanders as the new dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Mike Hripko as the new associate vice president for research, both in the Division of Academic Affairs.

• The Division of Finance and Business Operations, responsible for budget planning, treasury operations, the bursar’s office, controller’s office, buildings and grounds, maintenance, support services, bookstore operations and information technology services, would be led by Neal McNally, vice president for financial affairs.

• Holly Jacobs, vice president and general counsel, would lead the Division of Legal Affairs and Human Resources, which comprises the office of general counsel office, human resources and intercollegiate athletics.

Among the positions to be eliminated under the reorganization are two vice presidents – one is retiring and the other remains vacant — and four executive directors. Net savings in administrative salary and benefits are projected at $939,582.

Tressel said the university’s leadership team has identified four major areas on which they will focus: creating a culture of community on campus, ensuring the success of all students, developing programs and activities that affect the region, and promoting a campus environment that encourages the discovery of knowledge.

Tressel said that the plan would result in a small number of offices moving elsewhere on campus, most to occur this summer:

• The office of career services is moving from Jones Hall to Kilcawley Center.
• The division of inclusion and multicultural affairs and the office of student diversity and programs will move to Jones Hall.
• The division of student experience will be in Kilcawley Center.
• The division of student success will be in Jones Hall.
• The division of enrollment planning and management will move from the first floor of Tod Hall to the second floor.
• The office of research will be on the third floor of Tod Hall.
• As part of an effort to improve the university website and layout design capabilities, the office of marketing and communications will expand into the north end of the first floor of Tod Hall.

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