Nearly a month before Roderick McDavis steps down as president of Ohio University, several departments within the university have reorganized to keep up with the “changing dynamics of higher education,” according to an email sent to students Monday.
The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, Pam Benoit, will now oversee the Office of Information Technology and the One Card office, which handles ID card-related services such as Bobcat Cash. In addition to her current position, Benoit is also one of four finalists for OU’s next president. She will participate in a forum open to the public Jan. 17 in Baker Ballroom from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
One of the larger changes comes to the Division of Student Affairs, led by Vice President for Student Affairs Jason Pina. Culinary Services, which employs more than 2,100 students, according to OU’s website, Bobcat Depot and the Regional Campus Retail Operations will now report to the Division of Student Affairs. Jason Pina started working at OU in June.
Pina said Culinary and Bobcats Depot's direct interaction with our students is similar to many of the departments in Student Affairs. He also said that most of the Culinary Services locations are in Student Affairs facilities, which will allow the two to collaborate more closely.
"I am really looking forward to getting to know the the operations more intimately over the next several months," Pina said in an email. "I have toured all the facilities and met many of the staff and student employees. Since my arrival at OHIO, I have attended a number of meetings with Culinary's leadership as well as our Vice President for Finance and Administration."
He said he expects his workload to remain at a similar level to what it was previously.
“Aligning these auxiliary operations with Student Affairs will ensure we continue to prioritize the student experience in the services we provide,” according to the email, which was signed by Benoit, Pina and Vice President for Finance and Administration Deb Shaffer.
No changes to salary or compensation were made for any of the individuals in the affected departments, OU Spokeswoman Carly Leatherwood said.
