Cuts in funding should be a main concern for Ohio University, said Charles Hawkins, the fourth and final candidate for Ohio University's vice president of finance and administration, at an open forum Tuesday.
Cuts are impacting the academic core
Hawkins said. If chosen for the position, Hawkins said he plans to involve the university in projects that help the state from an economic standpoint in an effort to alleviate some of the budget cuts. Hawkins also said the easiest way to reduce the number of cuts is to get the legislatures involved and aware of the university's needs.
OU's vice president of finance and administration represents the university to the Ohio Board of Regents and is the chief fiscal officer for the institution. Other areas in the vice president's jurisdiction include heading the budget office, human resources, the physical plant, business services and campus planning, construction and security and safety.
Born and raised in Michigan, Hawkins earned his BSA at the University of Michigan in 1978 before completing his master's work at Eastern Michigan University.
He currently serves as the senior associate vice chancellor for financial services at East Carolina University in North Carolina. Prior to that, Hawkins was the university's interim vice chancellor for administration and finance. He was served as the University of Michigan's manager of financial operations for 10 years.
I have grown up in universities Hawkins said, adding that his experience makes him more aware of the challenges that come with certain positions.
Having held many lower-level positions within the university setting, Hawkins said coming to OU seems like a logical career step.
I think this is a great university Hawkins said. You've got the right folks in place to move forward and I want to be a part of that.
Making the students happy is a main goal for the vice president of finance and administration, Hawkins said.
We need to be servicing them so they don't have long lines to wait in and provide adequate housing for them
he said.
If chosen, Hawkins said he also plans to build relationships among the different divisions he will oversee in order to make the university more productive.
Managing and leading an organization this size
you have to create a lot of relationships
he said. You have to build up a trust.
Larry Corrigan, who is currently OU's interim vice president of finance and administration position for OU, makes $150,000 per year. He is also a candidate for the permanent position.
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