University of Florida administration restructured

March 14, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Because of the difficult economic conditions experienced by the University of Florida and in recognition of the limited resources available for many years, UF President Bernie Machen today announced an administrative restructuring that places all budget and financial operations under the vice president and chief financial officer.

Budget operations in the Office of the Provost as well as those in the Office of the Controller, now under the vice president for business affairs, will move to Matt Fajack, who began as chief financial officer in January. Fajack reports to Kyle Cavanaugh, the senior vice president for administration.

The provost will be the chief academic officer and retain academic leadership responsibilities. Similarly, financial management for the Health Science Center and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will be integrated with the chief financial officer. In all three cases, however, decisions about funding allocations for the colleges and centers will remain on the academic side.

“The new structure will place all financial information in one office so we can track costs, make better strategic decisions and identify efficiencies in this difficult budget period. The CFO can be especially helpful as we become more entrepreneurial and identify new revenue sources,” Machen said.

In addition, Senior Vice President and Provost Janie Fouke and Senior Vice President for Health Affairs Doug Barrett today announced their intentions to step down from their present positions effective June 30. After that, Fouke will serve a one-year appointment to review UF’s international programs and pursue alliances with universities in other parts of the world. Barrett will return to clinical practice and teaching on the pediatrics faculty in the College of Medicine.

Search committees to fill the positions of senior vice president and chief academic officer and senior vice president for health affairs will be formed immediately, and interim appointments will be announced soon, Machen said.

Finally, in an effort to enhance coordination across several groups, the person selected to become the new director of the Alumni Association will report not only to the vice president of Development and Alumni Affairs but also will have a reporting relationship to the vice president for University Relations.

Machen recognized Fouke and Barrett for their contributions to the university, saying they helped lead the university through a time of growth as well as the present difficult financial situation.

“We thank them for their dedication to UF and wish them well as they continue to serve our students,” Machen said.