Reorganization Framework
This framework explains how our reorganization supports student achievement, strengthens shared leadership, and simplifies how work gets done— while advancing our financial stability and long-term sustainability. This is presented as a framework for our general future direction. Some details are subject to change and further discussion with those closest to the work.
Framework & Principles
Guided by Welcome, Weave, Widen, this reorganization reinforces our commitment to our mission, our students, and our broader community. By simplifying our structure and strengthening shared leadership, we position decisions and daily work to more directly support student success and the full university.
- Clear roles and decision pathways reduce handoffs and improve efficiency.
- More transparency and communication means fewer surprises during transitions.
- Leadership closer to the work enables faster support and solutions.
- Break down silos and solve problems across units more often.
- Link planning to daily practice (staffing, scheduling, priorities).
- Use a university-first lens—what moves the whole institution forward.
- More people empowered to shape solutions—not just receive decisions.
- Clearer connection between each person’s work and university progress.
- A flatter structure supports wiser resource use and stability.
“Wolves First” Decision Code
- If it’s good for my unit but bad for the university, it’s a no.
- If it’s neutral for my unit but good for the university, it’s a yes.
- If it’s hard for my unit but necessary for the university, we find the way together.
Five Strategic Lanes
The reorganization clarifies leadership lanes so work is coordinated, responsibilities are clear, and decisions support student success and institutional sustainability.
Facilities, auxiliaries, finance/budget functions, bursar/cashier, IT infrastructure & cybersecurity, and event/media production—coordinated as one system.
Student experience, enrollment, persistence—kept central with streamlined leadership and tighter coordination across the student lifecycle.
Academic supports aligned so students experience help earlier and more seamlessly—connected to pathways and classroom experience.
Clearer employee pathways; stronger coordination across HR, DEIB, Title IX/ADA-related employee supports; healthier day-to-day climate during change.
Stronger alignment of message, reputation, relationships, enrollment, and philanthropy—clarifying strategy vs. production.
Lane Detail: Operations
Operations is being structured so the work that keeps the university running functions as one coordinated system under the Vice President for Operations (VPO) as a direct report to the President—supporting fewer handoffs, clearer roles, faster solutions, and stronger stability.
What’s changing under the VPO
- Auxiliary Services
- Facilities & Operations
- Administrative services, financial planning, budgets, and fiscal affairs organized under a CFO
- Bursar/Cashier’s Office
- IT & Innovation split into two focused leaders:
- Technology, Infrastructure & Cybersecurity — networks, systems, cybersecurity, enterprise reliability
- Digital Innovation, Media Services & Events — media production, event production, conference & event management
Operations FAQs
- Is this just cost-cutting? It supports savings, but it’s also about better coordination and stronger service.
- Who owns housing? Operations owns housing operations; Student Affairs owns the residence-life student experience—coordinated so students experience one system.
- Does this reduce the importance of IT? No—this clarifies it. Infrastructure/cybersecurity is a focused lane dedicated to reliability and protection.
- Why move events/conference services with production? Successful events require planning, staging, run-of-show, and technical delivery—core production strengths.
Lane Detail: Student Thriving
A Student Thriving lane keeps the student experience, enrollment, and persistence central to university decisions. In a streamlined model, recruitment and retention leadership is consolidated to reduce management layers and strengthen coordination across the student lifecycle.
Leadership roles and scope
- Associate Vice President & Dean of Student Affairs — keeps the daily student experience coordinated and responsive.
- Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Executive Associate to the President — integrates recruitment and retention; removes barriers that impact persistence.
Lane Detail: Academic Affairs (Provost Lane)
Academic supports are being aligned so students experience help in a clearer, more connected way—especially early in their time at WestConn. Advising, first-year experience, tutoring/mentoring coordination, writing support, career services, honors, and access supports are strongest when linked to pathways and the classroom experience.
Provost’s Office structure (high level)
- Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness & Analytics and Academic Innovation & Research
- Associate Provost for Academic Student Support Services
- Deans remain direct reports:
- Macricostas School of Arts & Sciences
- Ancell School of Business
- School of Professional Studies
- School of Visual & Performing Arts
- Other direct reports remain: Library Services, Carol Hawkes Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching, University Registrar
Academic Affairs FAQs
- Will students notice a big change? Not in a disruptive way—the goal is that support feels more connected and easier to navigate.
- Who supports graduate programs? The redistribuition of the Graduate, International, and Career Services School is only an administratiev and cost-savings effort. The university's committment to graduate is key to our future growth and will need greater coordination and investment. Graduate Studies will continue under Academic Affairs, reporting to an Associate Provost. Academic leadership/curriculum/advising: Provost/Deans/Graduate Program Coordinators—working closely together. Recruitment/outreach: AVP Recruitment/Admissions/Outreach.
Lane Detail: People & Culture
Culture doesn’t happen by accident—it’s shaped by how we hire, support, develop, communicate, and resolve issues with consistency and care. A People & Culture division creates clearer employee pathways, improves coordination, and supports a healthier day-to-day climate during change.
What’s changing
- Create a People & Culture division with HR and DEIB leadership in closer coordination.
- Employee accommodation support and coordination moves into People & Culture (ADA coordination for employees).
Why this design
- Clearer pathways: employees know where to go and what to expect.
- Better coordination across related responsibilities reduces confusion and improves follow-through.
- Consistency and fairness in accommodation coordination.
- Healthier climate during change: structure matters—but how we treat people matters more.
People & Culture FAQs
- Why create People & Culture now? Because change asks a lot of people. This improves clarity, coordination, and support.
- Is this adding bureaucracy? No—this reduces the runaround by clarifying lanes and coordination.
- Who handles accommodations? Students: AccessAbility Services in Student Affairs. Employees: People & Culture (ADA coordination for employees).
Lane Detail: Marketing/Communications & Advancement
We are strengthening two connected efforts: how we tell our story and how we build relationships that move the university forward. A university can’t grow enrollment, deepen partnerships, or inspire philanthropy without consistent communication and intentional relationship-building.
What’s changing
- Strategic Marketing, Communications & Public Relations becomes a direct report to the President.
- Separate production from strategy: production; event production; conference & event management sits under Operations with a production-focused leader; strategy sits with MarCom.
- Advancement/Foundation alignment closer to the President: eliminate VP of Institutional Advancement; Executive Director for Institutional Advancement & WCSU Foundation becomes a direct report to the President.
Why this matters
- Enrollment and philanthropy depend on trust—people support what they understand and believe in.
- One clear voice improves recruitment, community relations, PR, and government engagement.
- Coordinated relationship-building helps donors, alumni, partners, and community stakeholders experience WCSU as aligned and responsive.
MarCom & Advancement FAQs
- Is this “just marketing”? No—it’s about clarity and trust in communication and relationship-building.
- Why separate production from strategy? Different skills. Production is technical delivery; strategy is message, audience, and reputation.
- Why remove the VP of Advancement? To tighten alignment to institutional priorities and strengthen presidential connection to key relationships.
- Does MarCom control everything? No—MarCom coordinates the university’s message and external relations for consistency; units remain essential partners and subject-matter leaders.
Continuity: Public Safety and Athletics
- Chief of Police remains a direct report to the President (including emergency management and campus safety coordination).
- Athletics Director remains a direct report to the President.
