Thursday, May 12, 2011

UVA names Michael Strine new CFO

What? What does that have to do with undergraduates? Hmm pretty much nothing.

Unless you consider the fact that Strine as the CFO will take responsibility for UVA's $2.4 billion budget. He'll be in charge of the finances of the University, including its schools and divisions like the Library System. This meant big things when Sandridge was CFO but who knows what the position will entail now.

By the way, Teresa Sullivan is looking to usher in a "new era at the University." Strine is part of President Teresa Sullivan's new team-on-the-top, as the Chief Financial Officer search comes to a close and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) position is still underway. Strine says "being on her team is a great honor, and I look forward to the challenges ahead."

We get a hint of his views when he says, "I realized that in the modern era, universities are the important engines of economic development, providing for jobs, research and health care innovations, community building and, of course, education." Why is it that education is the last on that list? And why is economic development the first? What are his priorities?

He continues to say, "Higher education has the ability to affect public policy issues that touch all of our lives." Clearly his eyes are on public... something.

By looking at quotes from his interview, we can see a lot of key terms being thrown around. The largest are "education," "great," and "public." One of these days, I'd like to see the words "preposterous," "zeitgeist," and "irenic" be the top three words used.




Here is full UVA Today's press release. Also, here is UVA's Operating Budget.