Administrative Reorganization
Dear Colleagues:
The recent announcement by Executive Vice President Joseph Mercurio of his retirement this coming summer marks a major transition in the administrative leadership of Boston University. In his 16 years as EVP, Joe has had a remarkable level of administrative responsibility and has been integral to our successful operations and to the expansion of the University. In addition, Joe has hired and mentored an excellent group of administrative leaders. My plan for our administrative reorganization is to call upon several of these individuals to play significantly larger roles and to develop with them a new model for collective administrative leadership of the University.
I am writing to announce our first steps in the reorganization, which will go into effect starting July 1, 2011. There are two, very significant parts of the new organization.
First, Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer, will join me in supplying overall academic, budgetary, and planning guidance for the University through our work, collectively, with the administrative and academic leadership. In addition, Jean will take on expanded responsibility for administrative units directly involved in academic programs, research, and student recruiting and success. The leadership of administrative units that will report to the Office of the University Provost will include:
- Laurie Pohl, Vice President for Enrollment & Student Affairs
- Andrei Ruckenstein, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research
- Willis Wang, Vice President for Global Operations and Deputy General Counsel (in his capacity as Deputy General Counsel, Willis will report to Todd Klipp)
- Kenneth Elmore, Dean of Students
Second, I am forming a team of five senior administrators who will report directly to me and who will assume collective leadership of the administrative operations of the University. We will not have an Executive Vice President as of July 1st; instead, the rank of Senior Vice President will be used to recognize the larger role each of these administrative leaders will play. They are:
- Gary Nicksa, Senior Vice President for Operations
- Martin Howard, Senior Vice President for Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer
- Todd Klipp, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the Board
- Steve Burgay, Senior Vice President for External Affairs
- Scott Nichols, Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations
In addition to the University Provost and the five senior vice presidents, the Provost of the Medical Campus, Karen Antman, the Chief Investment Officer, Lila Hunnewell, and the Vice President for Information Services and Technology, Tracy Schroeder, also will report directly to the President. I have moved Information Services and Technology to report directly to me so that we can best coordinate our increasing information technology investments across the academic and administrative functions of the University.
Two other promotions of senior leaders are being announced as part of this reorganization. Derek Howe, currently Associate Vice President for Budget, Planning, and Institutional Research, will become Vice President for Budget and Planning. In this capacity, he will report jointly to SVP Gary Nicksa and to the University Provost. This promotion is in recognition of Derek’s outstanding performance and the critical role that the Office for Budget and Planning plays in the future success of the University.
Also, Peter Smokowski, currently Associate Vice President for Administration, will be promoted to Vice President of Auxiliaries and will broaden his responsibilities to include oversight of dining and housing, as well as Agganis Arena, the Fitness and Recreation Center, and our commercial enterprises. Currently, Peter also serves as the executive in charge of the BUworks project for the University. Peter’s promotion and increased responsibilities are in recognition of his outstanding management of our auxiliary services, which are key to the quality of student life and to the financing of the University.
More details of our new organization will be forthcoming in the months ahead. I am confident that the new leadership team will serve Boston University extremely well and I am very enthusiastic about working with them in the years ahead. I hope you will join me in welcoming all of them to their newly expanded roles.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brown
President