Changes to the President’s Cabinet

January 5, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year and welcome to the Spring, 2024 semester.

I am writing to inform you of two changes I am making to the President’s Cabinet, effective immediately.

  1. I have named Ashley Tanksley, former Director of Admissions, as Interim Vice President of Admissions. Interim Vice President Tanksley is hereby added to the President’s Cabinet and the Office of Admissions is constituted as a free-standing unit reporting to me through the Interim Vice President.In addition to continuing to coordinate undergraduate recruitment activities, the Office of Admissions will also assume responsibility for the administrative functions of graduate recruitment. The Office of Graduate & Continuing Studies as well as the deans will remain responsible for academic policies, curriculum, and programming related to graduate study, but will be expected to work with the Office of Admissions on coordinated recruitment activities and align with an institutional enrollment strategy. Staff reporting reassignments will follow to make this arrangement effective.I make this move so that university policies and operations can better support efforts to recruit students in an increasingly competitive admissions landscape. I appreciate Interim Vice President Tanksley willingness to take on this role. A national search for this position will be conducted this semester.2. As I am convinced that the perspectives, needs, and priorities of Academic Affairs are ably communicated by Interim Provost Griffin, I am discontinuing the practice of including a dean on the Presidential Cabinet. The empaneling of the University Leadership Council, which includes all the deans, now provides a venue where college-level concerns can be discussed and communicated through the Cabinet to me.

I look forward to seeing you at the next Town Hall, January 23 at 3pm, at the Jacob Conference Center.

Best regards,

Dan Ennis