Interims in high places

Interim employees at Portland State are fairly common. Currently, high-level administrative positions such as the assistant vice provost of marketing and communications and vice president of university relations are waiting to be filled by permanent employees.

In the meantime, transitional employees are picking up the slack.

“Interim administrators allow for smoother transitions between permanent staff,” said David Gallagher, director of university communications.

Typically, interim employees do not stay in the position for very long. Once a suitable permanent employee is found, the interim employee steps down from the position and the permanent employee is generally expected to hold the position for several years.

“It’s a matter of supporting and serving students,” said Jackie Balzer, vice provost of student affairs. “We have to make sure that there is not a gap in service.”

Cassie McVeety filled the vice president of university relations position until December 2008, and Jennifer Williamson was the last permanent staff member to hold the assistant vice provost of marketing and communications job in June 2009.

Michele Toppe and Natalee Webb, dean of students and assistant dean of students, respectively, are also both interim employees. Toppe has held the position since June 2007.

According to Gallagher, that does not mean the university is not doing everything they can to fill these spots permanently.

Unfortunately, the hiring process can be a long one. The search for the next vice president began in August 2009, and will continue until a suitable replacement is found.

“The length [of time between permanent employees] depends upon the candidate pool and availability of candidates and interviewers to meet,” Gallagher said.

A committee has been formed and charged with the task of reviewing applicants to permanently fill the dean of students’ position, Balzer said. The committee consisting of students, faculty and staff has already advertized the positions nation-wide in several publications.

President Wim Wiewel’s Chief of Staff Lois Davis is currently standing in as an interim employee for the vice provost of marketing and communications position. Once a permanent replacement is found, Davis will return to her regular duties as chief of staff.

The search for a new assistant vice provost began in January, and Gallagher expects interviews to start in the next few weeks. There have been over 120 applications for this position.

Richard Knight, the current interim vice president for university relations, knows a thing or two about interim positions—this is his second time as an interim employee.

He first took an interim role as dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science from July 2008 to June 2009. After the position was permanently filled, Knight was then asked by Wiewel to stand in as vice provost for university relations.

However, Knight has no desire to seek the permanent position.

“[Right now], my job is to provide continuity—and hopefully a bit of progress as well,” Knight said.

When a permanent employee is found, Knight will happily go back to retired life. Already having spent over 20 years volunteering at PSU and on other boards and programs, there is a good chance he will return again to PSU, he said.

Gallagher said that in many cases, it is not that interim employees cannot be hired as long-term employees, but those temporarily holding the positions are not searching for a permanent job.

“It is very situational. In the case of our interim vice president, [Knight] is not interested in a permanent position,” Gallagher said. “[Davis] is [already] the president’s chief of staff.”

According to Knight, the amount of interim employees at PSU is not extraordinary.

“These interim positions were not created based on there being an advantage. Rather, the interim role was simply a way to maintain effective direction during the transition period while a regular employee with suitable skills could be recruited,” Knight said.

Knight personally feels that it is much easier to work for the short term without being considered for a permanent position. Although there are disadvantages to being a transitional employee—like the inability to launch long-term strategies—Knight also sees the advantages.

“There is some advantage in the fact that an organization can benefit from fresh eyes that may see opportunities,” Knight said.

His work as an interim employee has given Knight something that his years of volunteer work did not.

“These positions were an exceptional opportunity to be involved more deeply with PSU and its leadership team at a very dynamic and exciting time in its history. [This role] has given me the opportunity to appreciate…what an incredible resource PSU has become for our region,” Knight said.

For Knight, his role as an interim has been nothing but positive.

“From a personal perspective, the interim roles have given me an opportunity to see PSU in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. Hopefully, this will make me a better advocate for the University long after the interim role is over,” he said.