Staff departures this year have left several top administrative posts at PSU vacant. These positions include the top student affairs officer, the vice provost, who oversees academic personnel, and the business affairs director, who handles financial aid disbursements. Portland State is now seeking to fill these positions before heading into another academic year. Here’s a rundown of who left, and what PSU is doing to fill the positions.
| The vice provost of student affairs is responsible for enrollment management and oversees the admissions office, registration and records, the Career Center and the student health center. The vice provost also serves on a variety of committees, including the President’s Executive Committee and Council of Academic Deans. | Doug SamuelsAfter spending last summer on family medical leave, Doug Samuels returned to PSU in the fall as a black studies professor. He left PSU in January to become vice president for student services at Metropolitan State College of Denver in Colorado. | Dan Fortmiller, who previously was director of the Information and Academic Support Center, has served as interim vice provost since Doug Samuels’ departure. The hiring committee for this position is meeting this month, and an ad for the position has been placed in The Chronicle of Higher Education. While the university has begun receiving applications for the post, it will be several months before finalists are interviewed and the position is filled. |
| The vice provost of Academic Administration and Planning oversees the financial aspects of the university and works with the University Budget Team to develop Portland State’s annual budget. The vice provost also leads collective bargaining negotiations with faculty unions, is responsible for academic planning, and works with the human resources office to recruit and hire staff. | Mike DriscollMike Driscoll, a PSU faculty member since 1988, resigned in May to become provost at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The job title has been changed since his departure, from vice provost for Academic Personnel and Budget to its current title of Academic Administration and Planning, to better reflect the duties of the position. | This week Provost Roy Koch is interviewing three finalists for the position, which has been modified slightly since Driscoll’s departure. The university hopes to fill the position within seven to 10 days. The three finalists are Duncan Carter, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Carol Mack, interim dean of the Graduate School of Education, and Craig Wollner, associate dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs. |
| The director of business affairs oversees the business affairs office, which is responsible for managing the university’s contracts with federal and private organizations, and provides accounting services for various departments. | Dee WendlerFormer business affairs Director Dee Wendler left the post this year for a promotion to associate vice president for Finance and Controller, under new Vice President for Finance and Administration Lindsay Desrochers. | The position is currently empty. A hiring committee has been formed and will begin advertising for the position this week, and would like to fill the position before fall term. |