Providing the highest-quality technological education and maintaining the most cost-effective operation requires ongoing evaluation of Georgia Tech’s organizational structure. “Relentlessly Pursue Institutional Effectiveness” is one of the five goals of our strategic plan, and much of that effort has borne fruit this year.
Since the arrival of President G. P. “Bud” Peterson in 2009, the Institute’s primary administrative units have examined their structures and realigned them in accordance with the strategic plan.
Last fall the Office of the Provost announced a structural realignment that eliminated a layer of senior management, reduced the number of vice provosts, created a new office dedicated to graduate student and faculty affairs, and grouped similar functions to create efficiencies. These actions have also resulted in substantial cost savings for the Office of the Provost.
Just a month later, the Division of Administration and Finance followed suit with the announcement of an updated structure. The position of senior vice president for Administration and Finance was expanded to oversee the Institute’s Office of Financial Services, Real Estate Development, and the Institute Strategic Resource Management Office (ISRM). Within this framework, Institute Budget and Planning, Institutional Research and Planning, Capital Planning and Space Management, Environmental Stewardship, and Organizational Development were organized into ISRM, enabling more efficient support of the Office of the President.
The Office of the Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR), established in 2010, now has central oversight of all Georgia Tech research units and activities, which consist of the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the Enterprise Innovation Institute, the interdisciplinary research centers, and the Georgia Tech Research Corporation.
The summer 2011 adoption of a task force report titled “Defining a Path Forward for Georgia Tech-Savannah” brought clarity not only for the Savannah campus, but also for the Atlanta unit formerly known as Distance Learning and Professional Education (recently renamed Georgia Tech Professional Education, or GTPE).
Ultimately, the Institute’s leadership opted to incorporate Georgia Tech-Savannah under the GTPE umbrella, led by GTPE Dean Nelson Baker. Earlier in the year, Baker had been charged with leading the transition and implementation process outlined in the task force report, which recommended creating a new academic and operational model for the Savannah campus while phasing out current degree programs.
“The Professional Education operation is in line with the vision we have for Savannah,” said Provost Rafael Bras. “Nelson and his team will bring their experience, vision, and leadership to our presence there.”
The new organization, designed to be viable and self-sustaining, includes a portfolio of programs ranging from co-curricular undergraduate activities to instruction for the military and executive and other non-credit education programs to professional master’s degrees. Recommendations also include the option of developing regional research opportunities.
Georgia Tech-Savannah began offering professional education classes in fall 2012 in the areas of OSHA, LEAN Healthcare, supply chain logistics, and project management, with additional programs to be scheduled in the future. The Savannah campus will also continue to deepen engagement with the community via partnerships with industry, other educational institutions, K-12 outreach, and the military.
“Industry and military organizations, along with the Georgia Tech enterprise, are expressing interest in this new model,” said Baker. “Initial program ideas already demonstrate how it will be beneficial to Savannah, the region, and beyond. More importantly, it is creating an open dialogue for participation, which will be essential for future success.” ■
