Eric Monday, associate vice chancellor for the Office of Finance and Administrative Services, will assume the position of interim vice chancellor for Student Life and Academic Services on March 3, filling the position left by Neil Mathews. Acting Chancellor William Jenkins said Mathew’s relinquishing of the position was a joint decision between Mathews and University officials. “That was a mutual decision,” Jenkins told The Daily Reveille in a Feb. 27 interview. Monday said University officials announced the decision to SLAS department heads Feb. 26. “There was a meeting on Monday where the acting chancellor and executive vice chancellor and provost [Astrid Merget] addressed the department heads within the division and introduced me as the interim vice chancellor effective March 3,” Monday said. Jenkins said he recommended Monday because of his previous experiences working at the University. Jenkins said Monday worked in SLAS prior to moving to the Office of Finance and Administrative Services. Monday is also a former Student Government president. “He knows the institution, and he seems a very natural fit as an interim,” Jenkins said. Monday said he is organizing meetings with each of the departments within SLAS to talk about a course of action for the coming months. “We want to make sure there’s a better coordination across Student Life of the services we’re providing,” Monday said. Monday said there are no plans at this time for a search committee to find a permanent vice chancellor. “The length of my appointment will be defined by the time it will take to produce the vision that is outlined,” Monday said. Monday said the collective vision of SLAS includes a “renewed focus on more of a student-centered philosophy of services.” “Our goal is to set a new foundation where we can reconnect with our students to ensure that we’re providing the services and developmental opportunities that students want and need,” Monday said. Monday went on to say the department will pay special attention to what they call the “first year experience.” “We want to ensure that that first year integrates academics, integrates student life and provides developmental opportunities for students to be comfortable and successful in this environment,” Monday said. “It’s going to take some time for us to accomplish that.” Also effective March 3, the University College will move from the jurisdiction of SLAS to the Office of Academic Affairs. “We want to ensure that the Student Life department is more closely aligned with enrollment management in the University College,” Monday said. “Additionally the functions in Student Life and the current organizational structure that’s in place may change, but I don’t know that at this point.”
—-Contact Katie Kennedy at [email protected]