University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

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By SUE WUETCHER

Published: June 9, 2011

UB has begun a national search for a vice president for finance and administration, a new position that will bring several existing units, including Business Services, Facilities and Human Resources, under the leadership of a single administrator at the vice presidential level.

The university also is laying the groundwork to begin a national search for a vice president for development and alumni relations, a position that has been vacant since the departure of Kathryn Costello in January. Costello has continued to serve as an advancement and campaign consultant for UB.

An executive search firm, Meng, Finseth, Peeps & Associates, has been hired to assist in the search for the vice president for development and alumni relations, and the firm is meeting this week with key stakeholders, both inside and outside the university.

In an email announcing the search for a vice president for finance and administration, President Satish K. Tripathi said the scope and responsibilities of the new position are consistent with practices at the vast majority of UB’s AAU peer institutions.

Tripathi has named Dennis Black, vice president for university life and services, to head the search committee.

UB has been without a vice president overseeing business services and human resources since the resignation of Scott Nostaja, senior vice president for operations, in March.

Tripathi noted that he had appointed a “cross-organizational working group” made up of senior administrators in a number of areas, among them University Life and Services, Business Services, UB Foundation, Academic Planning and Budget, and Research to help define the scope and duties of the new vice presidential position.

“This group met and subsequently developed a report summarizing the reporting relationships and major and specific duties associated with this position,” he said. “The report also detailed additional organizational changes and identified the skills/experience necessary to perform this vice presidential position.” 

Those organizational changes include moving University Facilities, currently under the purview of University Life and Services, to Finance and Administration once the new vice president is in place.

Several organizational changes went into effect June 1. Wellness Work/Life Balance, Organizational Development and Training, REV-UP and the Employee Assistance Program—all formerly part of Human Resources—have been shifted to University Life and Services. The Office of Equity, Diversity and Affirmative Action has moved to University Life and Services as well.

Tripathi said he also is considering moving UB’s emergency preparedness operations from its current home in University Facilities to University Life and Services, effective with the move of Facilities to Finance and Administration.