Organizational changes made to university offices, programs
By Caroline Haviland
The university has begun prudent efforts to restructure its operations by consolidating numerous offices into bigger divisions, Rider President John Loyack said in an Oct. 17 universitywide email.
Effective immediately, the departments of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management and the Division of Community Engagement and Belonging will obtain services previously spread throughout campus, with a goal of strengthening the university in a financially trying time.
“These organizational changes are part of a broader effort to ensure Rider is structured to best support its mission and the needs of our students,” Vice President of External Affairs Kristine Brown said in an email to The Rider News.
The announcement comes weeks after Loyack informed the campus community of Rider’s worsening financial situation in a Sept. 19 universitywide email, concluding the university’s next steps must be toward rebuilding its foundation.
Moving university parts
After years of serving as individual university programs, the Educational Opportunity Program, Rider Resource Pantry and Meals on Wheels have moved under the Division of Community Engagement and Belonging, adding onto its current five centers and programs.
Academic Affairs acquired the Registrar’s Office, which maintains records and provides academic, registration and statistical information, according to the university website. Student Affairs now oversees Dining Services and Residence Life, and the Office of International Education moved under Enrollment Management.
Along with the new departmental additions, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management will be undergoing a “strategic reorganization” led by Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff for Student Experience Mary-Alice Ozechoski, to streamline services and strengthen the student experience, according to Loyack’s email.
“The goal is to create a more seamless, student-focused experience that supports engagement and success both inside and outside the classroom,” Brown’s email said. “This work is only just beginning, there are no additional details to share at the moment.”
Vice President of Student Affairs Nick Barbati said in an email to The Rider News that he has no further details to share on what will come of this restructuring.
Aside from the reorganization of university offices and programs, the email said Vice President of University Operations Mike Reca had been appointed to lead the Department of Public Safety. College of Arts and Sciences Senior Associate Dean Jason Vodicka was appointed to lead the Westminster Conversatory, Rider’s community music school.
Initially founded on Westminster Choir College’s former Princeton campus in 1970, the conservatory offers music classes for people of all ages, adding a valuable touch to “the Westminster ecosystem,” Vodicka said.
Rider obtained the conservatory in its merger with WCC in 1991, and Vodicka said in 2007 the conservatory fell under the former Westminster College of the Arts, an integration of WCC and the School of Fine and Performing Arts. It has since been renamed to the School of Communication, Media and Performing Arts.
The conservatory has been under the leadership of Reca in the Office of Auxiliary Services and Programs for the past three years, Vodicka said, but Reca will continue to manage the conservatory’s facility going forward.
“Both Mike and I felt like having him handle the logistics and having me handle the programming just made the most sense and would make the best out of our strengths moving forward,” Vodicka said.
With his new appointment to lead the music school, Vodicka said he will work toward connecting the students at the conservatory with programs at WCC to make the transition “more apparent.”
“I’m really excited because we have an opportunity here to expand the reach of the conservatory and to continue to deepen our tie to the Princeton community,” Vodicka said.
