Carolina Counts efficiency projects stalled

Two University projects aimed at increasing efficiency have been stalled for months by a lack of funding and an administrative search.

One of the projects sought to evaluate a proposed merger of the Office of Research Development and the Office of Information and Communications. The other sought space for a common location of research support offices.

The deadline for the projects — both Carolina Counts initiatives to improve efficiency— was March 31, but there is no new target date for either project.

The merger project was held back primarily by the search for a new vice chancellor for research.

“All this predates me,” said Karen Regan, associate vice chancellor for research and team leader for both projects. “So when (former Associate Vice Chancellor for Research) Neil (Caudle) left, I got assigned two Carolina Counts initiatives.”

Caudle retired in April 2010, Regan said. She took over that summer with a target date of July 1, 2010 for the merger evaluation. She pushed the date back to March 31 after the search for a new vice chancellor for research began when Tony Waldrop — then-vice chancellor for research — left.

Barbara Entwisle took over as interim vice chancellor for research and was recently selected to fill the position permanently.

“I should have pushed it out further given the duration of the vice chancellor for research search process,” Regan said in an email, adding that she is not in a position to select a new target date for completion.

Regan added that she has not discussed a time frame for completion with Entwisle.

The search for new offices in the same location has been indefinitely postponed, she added.

Bob Lowman, associate vice chancellor for research and a member of the team searching for new office space, said the project is necessary because there are offices based all over campus that all report back to Entwisle’s office, which is inefficient.

But budget cuts have hampered the progress, he said.

“I know that the economic downturn has resulted in our inability to do anything new,” he said.

“We may not be able to do anything because of a lack of funding.”

Several years ago, putting offices for the vice chancellor for research and economic development in a new Campus Health Services building was discussed, Regan said.

But the planning for that facility has stopped, and the project has been indefinitely postponed.

“It’s obviously very hard to find space on campus that isn’t used,” said Jo Ann Gustafson, director of operations for the vice chancellor for research.

“It’s not the highest thing on our priority list. There are a lot of issues facing us.”

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