Sara Rosen, Dean
To the College of Arts & Sciences community:
As I announced during the college faculty and staff meetings earlier in November, we are embarking on a reorganization of the college’s staff structure. This action is in response to a decline in the number of state-funded staff in the college over the current and previous two fiscal years of approximately 20 percent — more than 30 full-time staff. Given the current and future budget outlook, the college does not expect to replace these vacant positions. To continue to support the needs of our academic units, the college will implement a team structure designed to provide professionalized administrative and academic services to all Arts & Sciences departments. A team-oriented model brings advantages that will enable the college to reduce duplication; increase efficiency; implement best practices; and invest in staff training, mentoring, and career development. The launch date for the new structure is July 1, 2021.
The reorganization process will begin in December when the new organizational chart is announced. The reorganization will shift an estimated 38 departmental staff positions to eight function-specific teams among the dean’s office service units. These eight teams include budget administration, business services, financial planning and analysis, human resources, faculty review services, undergraduate academic assistance, graduate services, and enrollment services.
In addition to the teams, the new structure will include up to 22 staff members serving in the role of department specialist. Department specialists will report to the department, and will assist chairs with day-to-day business and serve a liaison role to the teams. Some departments will retain staff positions that are not directly impacted by the reorganization.
Approximately 60 current staff positions are in scope for the reorganization. The staff members who occupy these positions are in the pool to be reclassified into a team or as a department specialist. As part of this process, these staff will be invited to participate in informal interviews based on the position or positions in which they express interest. Staff are referred here for clarification regarding the positions that are in and out of scope. Staff members whose current positions are in scope will receive a separate email following this announcement with more details and information about next steps.
Like any major change, our reorganization introduces a level of uncertainty that pushes us outside our comfort zone. During this process, my leadership team and I will work to eliminate as much uncertainty as possible by sharing information regularly and engaging with department chairs, staff, and faculty across the college. Our goal is to make sure every department’s needs are met and the aspirations of our staff members are also taken into account.
To learn more about our reorganization plan, I encourage you to read through our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you do not find an answer to your question there, you can submit a question. Questions may also be directed to Associate Dean John Augusto. You may find the information shared during the recent college faculty and staff meetings beneficial. Recordings of those meetings are linked at the bottom of this email, in case you were unable to attend.
As we embark on our reorganization, the standard we are setting for ourselves is high but attainable. We are committed to building a more efficient and sustainable model to support research, teaching, and student success in Arts & Sciences. At the same time, we are committed to developing career paths for our staff, who make up the foundation of our administrative structure. I look forward to our work together as we shape this important part of the college’s future.
Sara
Sara Rosen, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 4038
Atlanta, GA 30302-4038
Phone: 404-413-5488 | Fax: 404-413-5124
E-mail: [email protected]