University of Missouri curators hear ideas for reorganizing management
A consultant presented several options for reorganizing the management structure of the University of Missouri System on Friday.
Terry McTaggart, a consultant for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, outlined six models for reorganizing the management of the UM System before the UM Board of Curators.
These models are used at other universities including the University of Georgia and the University of Wisconsin, McTaggart said.
The report compiled by McTaggart's company says reorganizing will be even more important as universities continue to struggle with revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Among the choices presented were sticking with the current structure in which campus chancellors report to the UM System president and keeping that structure but with "substantial integration" of academic and administrative functions.
Other options would make more sweeping changes, including one to combine the UM System president's and MU campus chancellor's jobs. UM System President Mun Choi is currently also serving as the interim chancellor of the Columbia campus.
Curator Michael A. Williams of Kansas City said if the UM System is going to restructure its management there should be buy in from all four campuses.
"We want this to be a university system where we all work together and not separate entities where we collaborate on some things," he said.
McTaggart said UM should consolidate academia.
"We need something that makes sense for the state and the system as a whole," he said. "We could have a dean for several departments."
Some models have ways to reduce costs, create unity and add support for system presidents and chancellors, McTaggart said.
But McTaggart said this could come along with negative effects including one person taking on two jobs and a shift in attention from academic excellence to administration.
The board said once a model is picked, the next step is figuring out the cost of transitioning.
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