The first of two candidates for Ohio University's top finance job stated his case in Baker University Center Theatre yesterday, noting his experience with both housing development and quarters-to-semesters transitions.
Larry Kelley, the current vice president for Administration and Finance at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, is in Athens for a three-day interview. He hopes to replace Bill Decatur as OU's vice president for Finance and Administration.
Yesterday Kelley met with about 35 employees and administrators during an open forum in Baker Center Theatre.
Audience members asked Kelley how informed he is about OU's budget as well as how he plans to save money in the budget, make the quarters-to-semester switch efficient and privatize South Green housing.
We're now looking at a budgetary situation in California that is at least as bad (as OU's)
if not worse Kelley said. I would like to look at revenue issues and see where OU is with that. ... From an expense perspective I'd want to learn what's going on and what some of the decisions that have been made are.
Kelley also noted that he has experience dealing with both quarters-to-semesters transitions and privatizing housing at universities.
I've gone through (a quarters-to-semesters) transition a couple times in my life - once as an employee and once as a student
Kelley said. Both (systems) work - universities have been operating under semesters since the beginning of time.
During his time as treasurer and associate vice president at Georgia State University, Kelley gained experience with privatizing housing while working with a limited amount of available land in downtown Atlanta. He also worked on a large-scale housing project at Cal Poly.
There are student housing providers across the nation
and I've gotten to know a few
Kelley said. We started (the Cal Poly) project as a public-private partnership. That didn't work out
so we pulled it in and did it as a part of the university. I have experience going both ways with (housing projects).
Although the forum was open to the entire campus, no students attended the event.
Teri Combs, an organizational learning and development consultant in Human Resources, said she was encouraged by what she heard from Kelley at the forum.
There is a tense budget situation in California right now
and I think he's prepared for what we're headed toward
she said.
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