1/12/2012: Marianne Nicols (PhD Berkelely, MBA) runs the CAS finance and administration. CAS is 2/3 of UO, and since UO’s VPFA has been the total nincompoop Frances Dyke, that has meant Nicols was pretty important to the functioning of UO. Essential. Now she’s retiring. You might of thought CAS would have been preparing for this for a while, but you’d be wrong – the ad was just posted today.
The Associate Dean for Finance and Administration (ADFA) is the chief fiscal officer and lead administrator of the College. This senior executive position in the College reports to the CAS Dean and serves as a member of the CAS Leadership Team. The ADFA directs College units in two general areas: (1) Finance, including accounting/financial oversight, budget development/administration, internal/external audits, human resources/payroll; and (2) Administration, including oversight of CAS departments and procedures, facilities and operations, information services and technology services. The ADFA leads all CAS academic programs and service units in the development of comprehensive, detailed budgets and financial plans which reflect revenues and expenditures from all funding sources. The ADFA ensures compliance with University financial, budgetary, and internal control policies and procedures across all CAS units and manages budget procedures within CAS to provide transparency with regard to University guidelines and procedures. The ADFA interprets and enforces College, University, OUS, State of Oregon, and US Government financial and administrative policies as required. In addition, the ADFA provides primary strategic planning and decision support to the Dean …
So, basically she runs CAS. All this, at a university, and the only educational requirement is a BA? Very odd. Then there’s this:
“… and supports diversity within the college across all aspects of CAS operations.”
Diversity? Nothing about sustainability? Equity? Carbon-neutral free range chickens?
Nicols has been the person who made CAS work, through long years of Moseley, Bean, Davis, Dyke, and Frohnmayer. The idea that she can be replaced by someone with a BA is ludicrous. Coltrane is going to need someone with some serious firepower on his side for the next few years. This ad suggests he doesn’t understand that, which is pretty frightening.
Don’t knock carbon-neutral free range chickens, buddy. We’ve already got too many overfed turkeys.
Yes she does run CAS. We are sorry to lose her.
nothing about academic excellence? Intellectual diversity? …..
Marianne has been the person who made CAS work, through long years of Moseley, Bean, Davis, Dyke, and Frohnmayer. The idea that she can be replaced by someone with a BA is ludicrous. Coltrane is going to need someone with some serious firepower on his side for the next few years. This ad suggests he doesn’t understand that, which is pretty frightening.
This is not good news.
It will take 3 months to hire, if all goes well. So no overlap with Marianne? Disastrous. Why didn’t the search start 6 months ago? Coltrane’s in denial?
Is it possible they have an internal candidate in mind that only has a B.A?
So isn’t it strange that the UO will require a masters before you can be considered for some classified positions and we have a BA at the top. I think it high time for faculty to have a talk with the new pres and request he do a fireside chat with our new vp and Lorraine, get them off campus then hold real searches with real requirements of an advanced degree. I remember when an advanced degree was required for all Johnson Hall offices did Penny approve the change or something?
From what I understand, Coltrane has been working with a consultant to find ways to reorganize CAS administration. No, he is not in denial. Just because the ad has been posted only recently does not mean he has not thought about it.
They should have begged Marianne to take the CFO job. But competence would just make the rest of Johnson Hall look bad.
and ever more consultants. What was once a rarity has become increasingly common. but the rising cost for search firms and consultants has to be paid somehow. at the presidential level it might be defensibile, but I wonder if the use of such firms for lower level positions does not indicate a lack of confidence in one’s judgment? or reflect the anxiety about making the ‘wrong’ decision. That is, if something goes wrong then it was the fault of the well paid consultant. The cost of Huron, of higher end searches is considerable and surely the dean who has been here for almost five years ought to have an idea of what works and what does not work in his own office. When Palm and Stone reorganized the CAS, they did not rely on consultants but rather soliticited faculty and dept head input. Perhaps both are now considered too ‘inadequate’ for understanding the complexities of the culture of the higher adminiistration.
Don’t be silly. Whoever gets the position will have more than a B.A. But also, whoever gets the position will have impossibly big shoes to fill. Marianne is extraordinary.