Five EKU administrators lose jobs in reorganization

This from the Eastern Progress:

Five Eastern administrators lost their jobs this week as the university moved to reorganize three of its chief administrative departments.

The reorganization, which was announced the week before Thanksgiving, shifted some 34 administrative jobs: 23 positions in student success, eight in communications and marketing and three in development and alumni relations.

Scott Cason, vice president of communications and marketing, said the university considered waiting until next year to make the changes, but ultimately decided to act now so employees knew where they stood before the holiday break.

“We’re sensitive to the fact that people were worried throughout the process,” Cason said. “But we wanted to be as straightforward and as expeditious as possible.”

Several long-serving administrators were among those who lost their jobs in the shake-up, including Marc Whitt, the university’s former spokesman, Claire Good, the associate vice president of student affairs, and Michael Reagle, associate vice president of campus life.

Cason said five positions still remain to be filled: two in student success, two in communications and marketing and one in development and alumni relations. Cason said those who lost their jobs were encouraged to apply for several administrative positions that have yet to be filled.

Those positions, which will be open to both internal and outside candidates, include the following:

• Associate vice president for student success and dean of students (student success)
• Director of student life (student success)
• Chief external officer (communications and marketing)
• Web strategy and search engine optimization administrator (communications and marketing)
• Director of major and planned gifts (development and alumni relations)
• Director of campus recreation (student success)

Those employees who lost their jobs this week would be given a severance package if they are not hired for new positions, Cason said. The severance package would provide eight to 14 weeks of an employee’s annual salary, depending on years of service, Cason said.

“Some of these people have worked here 10, 12, or even 14 years,” Cason said. “They invested a lot of life into the university.”

Cason said that the reorganization was driven primarily out of a desire to change the university’s strategy in its branding, student affairs and alumni development. The Office of Student Success, for instance, which is headed by Laurie Carter, will consolidate what had been four divisions down to two: one for enrollment and retention and another for student life and campus operations.