Administrative Staff Restructuring

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 and have been 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: Academic Service Coordinators (5 positions) were hired in Spring 2025. The coordinators can be reached at a shared service account, clasasc@pdx.edu.

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

The Student Services Coordinator (SSC) 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 Services Coordinators (3 positions) will begin in Spring 2026.

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 will move forward in a future phase as resources allow.

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

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 Unit Managers. After training, individuals will be assigned to teams based on unit needs and preferences.

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.