Trustees approve UI Health reorganization, begin presidential search

Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin/UIC Photo Services

University trustees approved a health care reorganization plan that will join UIC’s clinical enterprise with the academic health science colleges by early 2015.

At their meeting Thursday on the Urbana-Champaign campus, trustees also laid the groundwork for the search for a new university president.

Under the health care reorganization, a vice chancellor for health affairs will direct clinical and health-related programs and report to the chancellor.

Previously, the health sciences colleges reported to the UIC provost, while the Chicago hospital and clinics were administered by a university-level vice president for health affairs.

The university president will continue a leadership role in health affairs through regular meetings with the new vice chancellor, UIC chancellor and provost and the university’s chief financial officer, officials said.

“The system has single, unified leadership but is not overly centralized,” said Avijit Ghosh, senior adviser to University President Bob Easter.

The reorganization will be fully implemented when the new vice chancellor is hired, expected by early 2015. Until then, clinical and academic units will maintain current lines of authority.

Also at the meeting, trustees called for a three-campus committee to help guide a nationwide search for a new president.

The 19-member committee will develop job qualifications and expectations, then identify and screen potential candidates to replace Easter, who will retire when his term ends June 30, 2015.

Trustees hope to name a replacement by January, which would allow the new president to start before Easter retires to ensure a smooth transition.

Search committee members will include three trustees; eight faculty members from the three campuses; a student from each campus; one representative each from the Alumni Association and the U of I Foundation; an administrative officer; an academic professional; and a civil service representative.

Easter became the university’s 19th president on July 1, 2012, after 36 years as a faculty member and top administrator on the Urbana campus.