UNC system cuts 11 administrative positions

The UNC system has been forced to cut vital resources in the classroom, and now it is cutting some of its leaders.

The UNC General Administration, which includes President Thomas Ross and other senior officers, abolished 11 positions to cope with the budget cuts — and it could bring an axe to even more.

The administration is responsible for providing system-wide leadership in areas including academic and student affairs, research and government relations.

With the state enacting a 15.6 percent budget cut to the system this summer, employees across the system have felt the burn from the $414 million cut as salaries remain frozen and positions dwindle.

This is the third consecutive year without state pay raises for UNC-system employees.

“Throughout the University system, the last three years have been a tough time,” said William Fleming, UNC-system vice president for human resources.

Because of these budget cuts, the administration is limited in what it can offer employees as incentives to stay in their positions, he said.

Administrators are having to pick and choose which positions to prioritize.

“What you have to do is make sure you have your priorities in the right place and you have the personnel to support those priorities,” said Jeff Davies, Ross’ chief of staff.

These priorities include graduation and retention rates, academics and institutional research, he said.

The administrative assistant to the chief of staff was one of the 11 eliminated positions. Now, Davies shares an administrative assistant with Ross.

“Are we already impacting performance? Absolutely,” Davies said.
“We’re all adjusting in these difficult times to the circumstances that are required.”

But the administration’s staff could shrink even more.

The position of vice president for academic planning and university-school programs has been vacant since June 2009, and administrators said they are considering revamping their organizational structure and possibly eliminating this position as well.

Suzanne Ortega, senior vice president for academic affairs, has been evaluating the administration’s organization, but she said she does not yet have a finalized plan to conserve or cut any positions.

Fleming said filling a vacant position is a decision administrators do not take lightly.

“With the budget situation, there are some positions that may be vacant, and the administration is having to determine what can be filled and what should be held.”

Vice President for Research Steven Leath announced in late September that he will be leaving the administration February to assume the position of president of Iowa State University.

Ortega will head an internal search committee to fill his position, which includes responsibilities such as promoting university research programs and advocating for federal, state and private funding.

“We are in the process of getting the job description finalized,” she said. “Once we get that draft finalized, we will start the process of figuring out a search committee and how to post it as a national search.

“We will miss Steve, but we really don’t anticipate a problem filling the position.”

Fleming agreed that once the administration decides to fill a position, it can do so without too much trouble.

“The bigger challenge in my opinion is not so much filling positions, it’s the retention of people,” he said.

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