College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Administrative Staff Restructuring

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is moving to a team-based model for our administrative staff structure — one that balances operational efficiency with greater staff retention, job satisfaction, and career development opportunities.

MODEL COMPARISON | TEAM POSITIONS | FIND YOUR TEAM | FAQS

Our historical staffing model relied heavily on Office Specialist 2s (OS2s), who were expected to know how to complete a vast variety of administrative tasks and use over 60 different processes and systems. Typically departments were supported by a single staff member. Our new model aligns with recommendations from both our staff-led ReImagine project, “Exploring Shared Services in PSU’s Largest Multidisciplinary College,” and the university-wide Huron Support Services & Operational Review. Developed with input and guidance from staff, department chairs, Human Resources, and Academic Affairs, it includes specialized positions based on functions and structured as teams to support multiple units.

This model is part of a greater effort in CLAS towards college-wide shared services to better serve our students and employees:

  • 2005: CLAS IT was our first college-level centralized services model.
  • 2016: Associate Dean positions were specialized by function rather than discipline.
  • 2018: All graduate assistant hiring was centralized in response to the GEU CBA.
  • 2021: All benefits-eligible faculty and staff hiring was centralized in response to the complexities of AAUP and SEIU CBAs. That year also saw the creation of a centralized program for recruiting, hiring, and training student employees in CLAS.
  • 2022: All post-award research grant support was brought back into the Dean’s Office.
  • 2024: All adjunct hiring was centralized to ensure compliance with the PSUFA CBA.

During the 2024-25 academic year, we began implementing the new staffing model, but due to budget constraints, we are required to have a phased rollout. We expect the initial filling of the roles to be completed in summer 2025, although this will not yet result in full teams. At that point, we will reassess the model to determine additional staffing needs.  

Questions about the staff restructuring and rollout may be directed to Angela Canton, Director of People & Culture, at psu12225@pdx.edu.

Challenges with Historical Staffing Model

  • Staff have been expected to know how to do everything.
  • When staff would leave a unit, everything would break.
  • There has been an absence of real coverage when staff are on leave or vacation.
  • Staff lack capacity to absorb additional work, which increasingly comes from central service units.
  • Staff have been expected to use and master an increasing number of processes and systems.
  • While waiting to refill staff positions, we’ve been limited to the temp pool as backfill.
  • Model has not kept up with changes in units.
  • There has been a lack of training on department-specific practices and procedures.
  • Staff have reported feeling isolated/siloed.
  • Staff have reported feeling unappreciated and neglected by university as a whole.

Benefits of New Staffing Model

  • Staff will have more focused job duties in their area of expertise and will perform those functions for multiple units.
  • Specialization will result in higher level of service, retention, and job satisfaction.
  • Higher compensation will result in higher retention of employees.
  • Staff will have support from working both on vertical teams (units served) and horizontal teams (functions performed).
  • Staff will report to team managers rather than department chairs and will have dotted line to function lead in Dean’s Office.
  • Teams will allow for smoother staff backfill during absences, leaves, or vacancies.
  • Teams will foster a better sense of community and belonging among staff.
  • Teams will be better able to adapt to changing needs of units.
  • Teams will allow for greater integration across the college, ensuring consistent practices and policies are followed.
  • Coordinated academic scheduling across units will provide a more student-centered schedule.
  • Campus partners will have fewer points of contact (Campus Accounting, Registrar’s Office, etc.).

Team Positions

Our staff restructuring introduces a team-based model with five specialized positions while recognizing that some teams may require unique positions based on the units they serve. Staff will work in both vertical teams (units served) and horizontal teams (functions performed). 

Vertical teams are made up of each specialized position that serves a cluster of units. Staff report to a Multi-Unit Manager (MUM), who reports to the Dean’s Office. Horizontal teams are made up of all individuals in the same position with a dotted reporting line to the Dean’s Office; for example, all of the Financial Services Coordinators will work closely with the Assistant Dean for Finance.

The Multi-Unit Manager (MUM) manages all aspects of the daily operations of multiple units, including supervising a team of staff members. 

  • Manages and oversees financial data, budgeting, procurement, and account reconciliation while ensuring compliance, coordinating with university financial services, and proactively addressing financial discrepancies.
  • Ensures departmental compliance, operational efficiency, and policy implementation while managing records, coordinating faculty searches, overseeing office procedures, and facilitating communication with university personnel and external vendors.
  • Provides leadership and support to team staff to help foster a collegial and service-oriented environment while overseeing staff professional development and performance evaluations.

Classification: Un/Un (Management 2)

Implementation: Multi-Unit Managers (6 positions) were hired in Fall 2025.

Dean’s Office Contact: Angela Canton, Director of People & Culture, psu12225@pdx.edu

The Financial Services Coordinator (FSC) oversees and manages fiscal processes for multiple units, providing budget and financial support across various fund types, including E&G, Foundation, Designated Operations, and others.

  • Serves as the primary fiscal contact for faculty and leadership, providing budget monitoring, fund analysis, procurement support, revenue tracking, and financial reconciliation to ensure accurate fiscal management and compliance with university deadlines.
  • Manages financial operations, procurement, vendor relations, reimbursements, and PCard administration while ensuring compliance with university and Foundation policies, reconciling financial transactions, and addressing accounting issues across multiple units.
  • Generates and analyzes financial reports, reconciles accounts, and corrects accounting discrepancies to ensure accurate and efficient financial management.
  • Collaborates with Dean’s Office Finance Team to provide policy-based financial guidance, respond to institutional inquiries, and perform additional duties as needed.

Classification: SEIU (Accountant 1)

Implementation: Financial Services Coordinators (4 positions) were hired in Winter 2025. Until they’re assigned to teams, the coordinators can be reached at a shared service account, clasfsc@pdx.edu.

Dean’s Office Contact: Diane Xiong, Assistant Dean for Finance, dxiong@pdx.edu

The Academic Services Coordinator (ASC) oversees course scheduling and curricular offerings for multiple units, manages course updates and planning tools, coordinates promotion and tenure dossiers, facilitates new course submissions, and oversees the course evaluation process.

  • Coordinates and manages course scheduling, room assignments, and academic planning for multiple units, ensuring accurate course listings, modality updates, and enrollment management while serving as a liaison with university offices and the PSU bookstore.
  • Oversees and manages the course evaluation process for multiple units, ensuring faculty communication, reviewing evaluation trends, and maintaining records.
  • Manages registration overrides, monitors academic trends, oversees faculty office and space coordination, serves as the technology coordinator, handles facilities and digital processes, maintains personnel records, and supports accreditation and program review for assigned units.

Classification: SEIU (Administrative Program Assistant)

Implementation: The search for Academic Service Coordinators (4 positions) is in-progress, and hires are expected to begin in Spring 2025.

Dean’s Office Contact: Matt Carlson, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, carlsonm@pdx.edu

The Student Coordinator (SC) serves as the first point of contact for prospective students, manages admissions for multiple graduate programs, updates the Slate database, liaises with the Graduate School, and supports graduate assistant hiring.

  • Serves as the first point of contact for students, manages inquiries and grievances, processes undergraduate exceptions, supports student experience improvements, advises on scholarships, coordinates graduate student orientation, and participates in CLAS graduate program meetings.
  • Leads new student and transfer orientations, develops and implements recruitment strategies, manages program publicity and stakeholder communication, monitors website inquiries, represents the program at events, builds partnerships, and supports student advising and course transfer evaluations.
  • Manages graduate admissions processes, communicates with prospective and current students, maintains records and databases, updates program materials, coordinates website updates, and collaborates with the Graduate School and review committees.
  • Coordinates graduate assistant hiring within budget, processes employment forms, ensures compliance with CLAS requirements, and manages work assignments and modifications in collaboration with the Graduate Assistant Program Administrator.
  • Manages graduate degree forms, processes degree exceptions, coordinates with the Graduate School on petitions and tuition remissions, supports retention funding requests, monitors academic standing, and assists students with GO form completion.

Classification: AAUP (Individual Contributor 1)

Implementation: The search for Student Coordinators (4 positions) is expected to begin in Spring 2025. 

Dean’s Office Contact: Heejun Chang, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, changh@pdx.edu

The Outreach & Engagement Coordinator (OEC) position description and classification is pending review and approval by HR’s Classification and Compensation team.

Implementation: The search for Outreach & Engagement Coordinators (4 positions) is expected to begin in Summer 2025. 

Dean’s Office Contact: Kristie Kolesnikov, Executive Director of Internal Affairs and Initiatives, kje2@pdx.edu

Find Your Team

As the teams are filled out with the new positions, we’ll add those points of contact to the table.

UnitMulti-Unit Manager
AnthropologyNoah Sharpsteen
Applied LinguisticsKelli Martin
BiologySarah Bartlett
Black StudiesJeff Brown
ChemistrySarah Bartlett
Chicanx/Latinx StudiesJeff Brown
Complex SystemsNoah Sharpsteen
Conflict ResolutionKelli Martin
CommunicationKelli Martin
EnglishDarrow Omar
Environmental Science & ManagementNoah Sharpsteen
GeographyNoah Sharpsteen
GeologyNoah Sharpsteen
HistoryJeff Brown
Indigenous Nations StudiesJeff Brown
Judaic StudiesKelli Martin
Mathematics + StatisticsDarrow Omar
PhilosophyKelli Martin
PhysicsSarah Bartlett
PsychologyJeff Brown
SociologyJeff Brown
Speech & Hearing SciencesKelli Martin
Women, Gender & Sexuality StudiesJeff Brown
World Languages & LiteraturesDarrow Omar
Other: Dean’s Office, CLASWorks Student Employees, CLAS Centers & InstitutesBahar Jaberi

Frequently Asked Questions

The five specialized positions that are part of the restructuring are new positions in different classifications, meaning current staff cannot be directly appointed or transferred into them. As the new positions are posted, current staff will be invited to apply.

We understand that some staff and faculty have concerns about the restructuring and may prefer that things stay as they are now. The reality is that our historical staffing model is no longer sustainable. The move to a team-based structure is being implemented for the purpose of better supporting our staff and better serving the needs of all units in the college.

While staff are not required to apply for the new positions and can choose to stay in their current classification (i.e. Office Specialist 2), minor modifications may be made to their positions, as the SEIU CBA allows. This will allow the college to redeploy staff to areas where they can add the most value and best support the current needs of the college.

Once a new position is posted, we will share it with current staff and invite them to apply. The initial positions will be advertised and hired as a cluster.

For each position, search committee members will, at a minimum, include a department chair, a multi-unit manager, and a campus partner whose work aligns with that position. The search committee will evaluate applicants, interview top applicants, and recommend finalists to the hiring manager.

Once individuals are hired into the new position, they will be onboarded as a team in collaboration with the Dean’s Office and Multi-Unit Managers. After training, individuals will be assigned to teams based on unit needs and preferences.

Staff will not lose their jobs as part of the restructuring. However, staff who remain in their current classification may receive a minor modification in job duties or responsibilities so as to help serve the collective needs of the college, rather than an individual unit.

Staff receive regular updates about the new staffing model during monthly staff meetings. Input from staff and department chairs will continue during this transition period and beyond. Once the new model is fully operational, we will put feedback mechanisms in place and collect data to know how the new structure is working for staff as well as departments.