FGCU has endured plenty of changes this year, and President Michael Martin warned in early October there were more to come.
The newest changes as of Monday, Oct. 30 reveals the dismissal of six positions in the Academic Budget and Management Services in the provost office, according to The News-Press.
The dismissed employees will have the opportunity to apply for other positions at the university.
According to The News- Press, Martin said the provost office and Finance and Administrative Services often carry out similar functions and sometimes contradict one another.
The newest changes come shortly after an email sent by President Martin on Oct. 2, announcing “key personnel and organizational changes” and Provost Ron Toll’s resignation.
Toll had worked at FGCU for nine years prior, and according to Martin, will take a year of paid sabbatical with the opportunity to return to campus as a staff member.
“None of these changes in any way should imply past failure or shortcoming,” Martin said. “They are intended to improve effectiveness and efficiency as FGCU matures into a major university.”
In an email sent on Oct. 18, Martin expressed his intention to adopt a “distributed responsibility administrative model,” as opposed to using the centralized model to fi t the needs of a growing college.
According to Martin, this translates to a shift in responsibility, authority and accountability to academic deans and their respective offices.
Academic budget decisions, according to Martin, would be made at the college level to help the University’s strategic plan.
In an Lee Legistlative Delegation on Oct. 28, Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto quizzed Martin on the school’s 23 percent graduation rate.
Martin attributed the low-rate to students transferring after their sophomore year and money constraints. Martin offered solutions, which include providing more financial aid to students, better advising to assist students in transitioning into new majors and adding amenities.
According to Martin, the university’s goal is to reach at least a 30 percent four-year graduation rate.
