February 25, 2015
From the Provost: Office of Academic Personnel will close June 2015
Submitted by Provost April Mason
The Office of the Provost continues to evolve as we work as a university to achieve our goals for K-State 2025. During this spring, we will be working closely with our new Division of Human Capital Services, or HCS, and others to prepare for another transition. The Office of Academic Personnel will close in early June as part of our on-going centralization of universitywide HR-related functions within HCS and other changes within the Office of the Provost.
This office was established in the 1990s as part of the Provost’s Office to assist the provost, deans, department heads, and faculty in employment related matters and compliance with university policies, federal and state legislation, and Board of Regents policies. Over time, the portfolio of responsibilities has grown, ranging from providing universitywide advice, consultation, communication and training on personnel matters related to both faculty and unclassified professionals to ensuring on-going maintenance of the University Handbook to administering academic policies, such as textbook reporting.
We are currently working within our office and with HCS to begin transitioning those HR-related functions that will transfer to HCS and those functions, which will remain within the Office of the Provost. The basic rule of thumb is that any HR-related function that applies universitywide will move to HCS. Any HR-related functions or activities that apply only to faculty or to the academic organization reporting to the provost will remain within the provost’s office. Communications and Marketing is working with both HCS and our office on communications to facilitate the transition, including new websites to be launched this summer with useful information and links so you know where to go for each service.
We plan to complete the transition in June. In the meantime, you should continue to contact Susana Valdovinos in the Office of Academic Personnel for services as you have in the past. As we work out the details of the changes, we will communicate them to the university community.
If you have questions regarding the transition planning itself, please contact Lynn Carlin in my office at lcarlin@k-state.edu or Charlotte Self in HCS at charlott@k-state.edu. The Office of the Provost and HCS appreciate your patience as we work through the details of this transition.
Susana Valdovinos is retiring with the closing of the Office of Academic Personnel in June. I want to take this opportunity to thank Susana Valdovinos for her years of service here at Kansas State University in both the Office of Affirmative Action and as Director of Academic Personnel. Please join me in thanking her and wishing her the best.
April Mason