Two years and three fewer positions later, the Office for Multicultural Student Access and Retention is nearing the end of its internal reorganization, which has saved the office more than $72,000 so far.
OMSAR began reorganizing in 2009 and has implemented several changes, including the recent elimination of Stacey Brinkley’s position. Brinkley will continue to serve as interim director until June and earns $95,481.
“This is a reorganization of the administrative staff so that we can reinvest some funding into the scholar programs and LINKS,” said Brian Bridges, vice provost for Diversity, Access and Equity. “Our goal was to direct all of the funds to OMSAR in the most effective way possible.”
The office’s purpose is to attract and retain Ohio University students from underrepresented minorities or backgrounds. Currently, OMSAR offers five different scholar programs and LINKS, a peer-mentoring program for first-year multicultural students.
During the reorganization, Brinkley’s position was not the only one eliminated. In the past two years, two assistant director positions, formerly held by Greta Oliver and Sylvester James Aji, were also eliminated, Bridges said.
OMSAR does not know the total amount it will save from eliminating the three positions, but the office has saved more than $42,000 during the past two years, as well as an additional $30,000 from other budgetary and office changes, Bridges said.
Oliver and Aji were paid $74,263 and $62,050, respectively.
“There have been other budget cuts,” Bridges said. “We don’t do the Summer Legacy Program anymore, and we have scaled the LINKS pre-matriculation back significantly. But we’re trying to reinstitute that.”
The savings will allow the office to hire more peer mentors and offer more tutoring to students.
Reorganization is always a difficult process, but everyone involved is professional and has been given time to absorb the changes and to make plans for their individual futures and careers, said Ann Fidler, the provost’s chief of staff.
“Dr. Bridges is relatively new to Ohio University,” Fidler said. “He’s a very talented person, and what he is attempting to try to do is bring his knowledge and his experience to Ohio University to help move that office in the direction in which it needs to go.”
Brinkley could not be reached for comment.
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