As Oberlin attends to its growing budget deficit, staff cuts have become an increasingly common topic of conversation. However, despite announcements of the elimination of 25 intern positions, there has been almost no discussion of eliminating administrative positions, many of which have only been created in the last decade.
One College official likened the elimination of the intern positions to “throwing deck chairs off the Titanic.” The official went on to describe an administration that could be better run if thought of as a “business,” with more concern for the bottom line.

At the beginning of the last decade, Oberlin’s administration was comprised of the President, the Provost (a position eliminated after the arrival of President Nancy Dye), the Vice President for Development and Alumni, and the Vice President for Operations.
Although some consolidation occurred — particularly when Vice President for Finance Andrew Evans assumed responsibilities that formerly belonged to the Vice President for Operations — Oberlin’s current administration includes four Vice Presidents, one Associate Vice President and other positions that did not exist before.
One such position, Associate Vice President of Finance, is currently filled by Ronald R. Watts, a former controller. Promoted to Associate Vice President during the 2000-01 academic year, the position switch temporarily left Oberlin without a controller.

“We used to have a Director of Investments and Assistant Director of Investments,” Evans said, calling the addition of an Associate Vice President a “net reduction of one.” Another position that is relatively new to Oberlin’s top administration is Vice President for College Relations. The position was created for the 1997-1998 academic year, when former Director of Communications Al Moran was given the new title.
Oberlin’s administrative growth isn’t limited to Vice and Associate Vice Presidencies. Since her arrival in the fall of 1994, President Nancy Dye’s staff has doubled. At that time, President Dye employed one Secretary to the President, Linda Losneck, and one Assistant to the President, Betsy Young, though Ms. Young soon departed.
Now, Dye’s staff is comprised of one Secretary to the President, Losneck, as well as three Assistants to the President — Molly Johnson, Diana Roose and Kathryn Stuart. Dye’s predecessor, Frederick Starr, made do with much less, relying heavily on temporary assistants and other College employees.
According to Roose, Starr “used [College Secretary] Bob Haslun much more as an assistant. We have gradually added people [to the President’s office] to do the work, but I think we’re there, now.”
Asked if the College is currently considering any major structural changes to the College administration, Roose said, “The answer is yes, but I can’t be specific, because those decisions haven’t been made."