VA. TECH TO REORGANIZE ITS NONACADEMIC ASPECTS

BLACKSBURG, VA., JAN. 9 -- Virginia Tech officials say they are planning a major reorganization

of the management of the nonacademic side of the university and will

implement formal reviews of top and mid-level university executives.

Minnis Ridenour, executive vice president and chief business officer

for the school, plans to announce next week the appointment of three

people to oversee a revamped administrative structure.

Ridenour will not replace Vice President William Van Dresser, who has

resigned, but plans instead to appoint a vice president for facilities,

an associate vice president for business affairs and an associate vice

president for personnel and personnel planning.

Last week Van Dresser moved to a faculty position in Tech's

veterinary school. During his tenure as vice president he had broad

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administrative responsibilities, including oversight over purchasing,

payroll and employee relations.

Ridenour plans to divide Van Dresser's many responsibilities among

Associate Vice President Raymond Smoot and two still-to-be-named

administrators.

Interim President Paul Torgersen has called for rigorous evaluation

of Tech executives by the people they serve at the university.

He said he wants to see executives evaluated in the same way deans

and department heads are evaluated.

Ridenour said his reorganization would be designed to improve

services in support of the academic functions of the university. "That's

why we're all here," he said.

He said Smoot would serve as head of a business affairs group and

begin a formal search for a vice president for business affairs.

Smoot would supervisor purchasing, controller's office, treasury,

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treasury management, the airport and other university services, and the

business functions of auxiliary enterprises such as the Continuing

Education Center.

Ridenour said he plans to appoint someone to serve a one-year

appointment as an associate vice president for facilities. That person

will oversee maintenance and operation of the physical plant, capital

construction projects, health and safety offices and university police.

Another associate vice president will deal with hiring and training

people as well as anticipating needs for certain types of employees.

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