The Ohio University interim vice president for Finance and Administration emphasized his longevity at OU at the second open forum for vice presidential candidates in the Human Resources and Training Building yesterday afternoon.
Larry Corrigan said his long-standing career at OU and experience with the department's employees has prepared him for the responsibility associated with the position.
I have a lot of familiarity with the finance piece
Corrigan said.
Corrigan received his bachelor's in business from OU in 1971 and has worked for the university since his graduation. Before starting his current position he was the associate vice president for finance and treasurer, a position he kept while serving as interim vice president.
After I graduated I got a job in the finance department and have been here ever since Corrigan said. I know the people and how the university works.
Corrigan said the main problem the university faces is how future budget cuts will affect Finance and Administration's performance. The quality of OU's dining and residence halls would be affected the most.
We've had a pretty aggressive plan to take one building off-line each year to renovate it with leftover money but we've found that we don't have room for students once the building is off-line
Corrigan said.
He said he plans to ask the Board of Trustees to look at the needs of the campus from a facilities, infrastructure and heating standpoint.
From a competitive nature
residence halls are at a point where we really need to take care of deferred maintenance that we've had for a while
he said.
Corrigan also discussed how he planned to run the department, personal goals for the future and accomplishments under his management.
The driving point for me is to be ethical and transparent
Corrigan said, alluding to past stigmas of the finance department being clandestine. I don't want there to be any secrets
I am going to make sure we keep things open and transparent.
During his time as interim vice president, the department negotiated a lease with Mill Street Apartment developers, bringing in more than $9 million and adding 240 more rooms to upperclassmen housing.
I looked at areas of excess
combined areas and eliminated positions saving the university $1.1 million. Residential and dining hall fees also went down two percent
Corrigan said. We haven't sat still at all during the year
and if I get the position I plan to keep moving forward. If OU does not offer Corrigan the position, he said he will seek either his old position or another position in Finance and Administration.
