Provost Announces New Organization Structure

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A reorganization of the administrative leadership in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs designed to better serve the university's students and faculty was announced on Monday by Satish K. Tripathi, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

In a letter to the university community, Tripathi, who assumed his responsibilities on July 1, said he shares "President Simpson's vision of moving UB beyond the very fine institution it is today to a new plateau upon which we share center stage alongside the world's great public research universities.

"As we begin preparing for this exciting new challenge," he added, "it is imperative that we realign our provostal structure to support President Simpson's overall institutional vision and campus academic plan. Our goal is to create a leadership and academic services structure to meet our campus academic objectives.

"Reporting directly to the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs will be: (1) the vice provost and dean of undergraduate affairs; (2) the vice provost and dean of graduate studies; (3) the vice provost for faculty affairs; and (4) the associate vice president for academic planning and budget. The full scope of responsibilities for these positions," Tripathi added, "will be more comprehensively defined as the realignment of the provostal organizational structure takes shape."

Tripathi said he has asked Sean P. Sullivan, previously vice provost for enrollment and planning, to assume a new senior leadership role as associate vice president for academic planning and budget. Jeffrey Dutton, previously vice provost for institutional analysis, will report to Sullivan in the new position of assistant vice president for academic planning and budget.

Stephen C. Dunnett will continue as vice provost for international education reporting to Tripathi. Beth Del Genio, formerly assistant vice provost for academic affairs, will serve as Tripathi's chief of staff.

Tripathi's memo noted that "over the next month, my senior leadership and I will continue our assessment of the provostal organization to determine how to best align the provostal structure and accompanying responsibilities with the president's vision of the university. The realignment of the provostal structure will be completed within one month.

"At the beginning of the fall semester, we will commence campus-wide searches to fill the posts of vice provost and dean of undergraduate affairs, vice provost and dean of graduate studies and vice provost for faculty affairs. Soon, I will be announcing those who will be serving in an interim capacity for these positions. By the conclusion of the fall semester, these three academic leaders will be in place."

Tripathi also thanked Robert J. Genco for serving as interim provost for the past six months. "Dr. Genco proved once again to be an adroit leader who will be continuing his university service as interim vice president for research. I am delighted that I will continue to have the benefit of his sage counsel and leadership in this new capacity."