UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS FACE RESTRUCTURING CHALLENGE

Kala Stroup, president of Southeast Missouri State University, has her work cut out for her. The school is looking to fill several high-level administrative positions. While this will pose an immediate workload dilemma in the higher reaches of the school's administration, the situation provides the president with a unique opportunity to shape the university's executive arm to her liking. Such a restructuring could set a reasonable and lean tone at the institution for many years to come.

Departures have left Southeast with the unfilled positions of provost, assistant provost and vice president of student affairs. The death of Edward Spicer last October left the university short a presidential assistant. An institution of higher learning is not necessarily the sort of place where fires burn out of control when positions remain vacant for a time. And, obviously, leaving positions temporarily empty in these fiscally difficult times doesn't hurt the budget. Still, some attention must be given to establishing an acceptable line of authority and getting qualified people to satisfy it. We believe the university is moving at a satisfactory pace to accomplish both of these goals.

For the last academic year, the university operated its student affairs division with an interim vice president. During this time and through the guidance of the interim executive, a restructuring of that division was initiated to streamline the operation as well as more effectively serve students. While this approach (using tem~por~ary appointments while pon~dering long-term organizational changes) might not suffice for all position vacancies, it demonstrates the university's willingness not to hurry into decisions. Making well-reasoned, not desperate, choices appears foremost in the Academic Hall deliberations.

One trick to successful management is adaptation to circumstances. Any institution knows the inefficiency of losing gifted employees and the difficulty of finding suitable replacements. In this case, circumstances offer an opportunity for reevaluating the school's organizational structure within the framework of filling job vacancies. In the deal, the university can capitalize on fresh ideas, different viewpoints. Stroup faces a challenge in developing an administration that reflects her vision and the economic times. It should not, however, be viewed as an obstacle to smooth operation of the university.