Email March 10, 2008 | Office of Academic and Student Affairs

Management Structure Workgroup

E-mail from President Mary Spilde,

March 10, 2008

Colleagues,

As I embark on reading and digesting the Management Structure Workgroup report I want to make a few observations. First, I appreciate all the work that has been done to date. It is obvious that all members of the Workgroup did an incredible amount of work to visit and hear from departments and individuals, to review the current structure and associated costs, to review structures at other colleges and to thoughtfully discuss all the proposed models. I want to thank each and every member of the workgroup for their time, commitment and thinking.

I went into this process with an open mind regarding the management structure. I had not concluded that the current management structure should be changed,; nor had I concluded that it should be retained. I have tried to remain open to any and all possibilities. I intentionally refrained from reading the draft report so that the workgroup could receive feedback on the proposals and incorporate it into the options they presented. Now, as I immerse myself in the final report I will endeavor to finalize recommendations for the board that will serve the college well. I have already received enough e-mails to know that whatever recommendation I make there will be disagreement. I will not be able to reach a conclusion that will please everyone. While every decision has some politics associated with it I will be making every effort to focus on what is best for the organization as opposed to making a political decision. Since I received four options, none of which attained consensus, it is possible that I will not fully embrace any one option but may tweak an option or take the best of the options to create a new option for consideration. I fully accept the responsibility of making the best recommendation that I can to the board.

As I read the report and formulate conclusions I will be taking into account the nature of the management work required to operate a complex organization like Lane; span of responsibility; supporting effective decision making and communication systems, cost, and compliance with applicable laws, including collective bargaining impacts. There may be other considerations but these are what comes to mind as I begin my part of this process.

So, now I plan immerse myself in this work for the next few days. I will provide the rationale for whatever structure I recommend.

Thanks.

Mary.

Printable version: E-mail from President Mary Spilde, March 10, 2008