Reshaping Management to Seize Our Opportunities

September 21, 2012

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues:

Rutgers faces enormous opportunities in the year ahead on all of our campuses. Once the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees complete their due diligence and, should they signal their approval of the restructuring legislation, we will see Rutgers grow in size, in scope, and in the positive impact we can have. The university’s annual operating budget will grow by 50 percent—from $2 billion to $3 billion—with the integration of the academic units of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey that are coming to Rutgers. That dollar growth only hints at the potential expansion of our reach and our capacity to serve the needs of the state and strengthen our own community.

In order to manage this growth well and to ensure that every part of the university is positioned to achieve its potential, I am implementing a restructuring of our senior management. 

SVP for Finance:  We will establish a Senior Vice President for Finance, separating those duties from the position of Senior Vice President for Administration, which Bruce Fehn will continue to hold. The finance vice president will act as chief financial officer for the newly expanded university, including oversight of the complex financial arrangements required to effectively manage medical and dental schools and their related clinical functions. To fill the new position, we will look to appoint an individual with particular expertise in these areas. Vice President for Budgeting Nancy Winterbauer and her office will report to this senior vice president.

EVP for Academic Affairs:  I have appointed Dick Edwards as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, removing “interim” from that title. Among his most important duties will be coordination of academic programs, including those we will acquire from UMDNJ, and monitoring of the tenure review and academic promotion process across the expanded university. So as to enable him to focus on the key components of academic quality in the new Rutgers, the EVP position will no longer have chief budgetary authority.

Chancellors:  Moving forward, we will have four chancellors—one each at our Newark, Camden, and New Brunswick campuses, and a chancellor for Biomedical and Health Sciences. All four chancellors will report directly to the president, and all four will have an equal voice at the table. We will launch national searches for the chancellorships of Rutgers-Newark and Biomedical and Health Sciences, and we will consult with the appropriate constituencies before making these appointments.  I have asked Executive Vice President Dick Edwards to serve as chancellor for the New Brunswick Campus on an interim basis for one year while we determine what the new structure will require in New Brunswick.

Provosts:  Each of the chancellorships will be augmented by appointment of a campus provost (and, in the case of the Biomedical and Health Sciences, by two provosts, one in Newark and one in New Brunswick). The provosts will oversee academic matters on their campuses. We will make appointments to these provost positions through internal searches, selecting from faculty members already at the university. Chris Molloy will continue to serve as Interim Provost for Biomedical and Health Sciences, overseeing the integration.

Other Leadership Searches:  As you know, several other leadership positions are currently vacant or being filled on an interim or acting basis. These searches will be phased to ensure that each is managed in an efficient and effective manner. As we proceed, I am more than confident that those now serving in interim positions will continue to manage their units well until these posts are permanently filled.

My administration will move as quickly as possible to make these important appointments so that we can take full advantage of the opportunities the integration with UMDNJ will create for Rutgers. At the same time, as I have announced, we will launch a strategic planning process to identify a vision and clear priorities for the strategic investment of resources to help Rutgers move to the next level of excellence and nationwide reputation. We are now selecting a firm to help with the process. I intend that we will complete our strategic plan during the current academic year, and shortly after that, a facilities master plan based on that strategic plan.

As we look at improving our facilities, and hopefully have the benefit of the higher education bond issue that will come before New Jersey voters in November, we need to ensure there is equity in project approvals across the campuses.  I will be forming and chairing a Capital Council, with representation from all campuses, to consider all proposals for capital projects before they go to the Rutgers Boards for approval.

There is much hard work to be accomplished in the coming year, and it will demand a lot from us all. I appreciate your cooperation and thank you for the energy and good will that so many of you have already shown in regard to the challenges before us.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Barchi
President