The news Ohio University's chief financial officer will leave OU has opened the door for OU President Robert Glidden to merge two vice presidencies - and possibly save significant funds.
OU will consolidate the vice president for finance and vice president for administration positions into one office when Dick Siemer, OU's vice president for finance and treasurer, begins his new job as executive vice president at the University of Kentucky.
"Under the current budgetary constraints, it just seems wise to reduce administrative positions," Glidden said. "I've asked Gary North to take on the role of vice president of administration and finance. That is actually a more typical structure anyway."
Siemer earned $161,200 this year, OU spokeswoman Leesa Brown said.
Gary North, OU's vice president for administration, earned $154,425, but Glidden said North would receive a raise for taking over the two offices.
"I'll boost his salary a little bit," Glidden said. "I'll bring his salary up to a level that is commensurate with others who have that type of responsibility."
The details are still being negotiated, he said.
North will stay in his second-floor Cutler Hall office.
"I don't see any changes in the operation," North said. "Everything I run has business and financial implications."
North, a longtime OU administrator, oversees the offices of the registrar, enrollment services, financial aid and scholarships, facilities planning, housing and dining services, facilities management, facilities planning, professional development, campus safety, human resources and environmental health and safety.
The vice president for finance oversees the offices of accounts payable and receivable, bursar, cashier, general accounting, purchasing and loan disbursement.
Larry Corrigan, current assistant vice president for finance, will become interim treasurer of both OU and the OU Foundation, the fundraising arm of the institution.
Corrigan, a 31-year OU employee, said he already handles most of the treasury functions of that office. Corrigan's new title would be associate vice president of administration and treasurer. OU has not offered the official contract to Corrigan yet.
When the two divisions are combined, Glidden said he hopes OU will be able to reduce employees campus-wide through a voluntary buyout program. About 75 employees university-wide have taken the option, which requires employees to leave within 60 days but pays another two years into their retirement. "The sooner they're off the payroll, the more salary savings we realize."
Glidden said he hopes as many as 150 employees university-wide will participate in the program.
"It is a voluntary workforce reduction rather than forced," Glidden said.
OU likely will replace no more than 50 percent of the buyouts, Glidden said. This is in alignment with OU's "soft" hiring freeze that replaces departing administrators only in key areas. Nonessential administrative duties will be shifted to others or stopped.
"I'm hoping there will be some jobs that will not be needed anymore," Glidden said. "We're trying to reduce the workforce across the university. And that's not an easy thing to do."
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