President Steven Leath announced a university-wide reconstruction plan for major administrative offices in an email sent out to the ISU community Thursday morning.

Two of the major changes Leath announced include reconstruction of the Office of the Senior Vice President for Business and Finance — the office from which longtime Vice President Warren Madden announced his retirement.

The office will be split into two new divisions: The Division of Finance and the Division of University Services. These changes will be effective July 1. 

As for the necessity of the switch, Leath cited Iowa State’s 50 percent growth in enrollment and the swelling of the university budget to $1.4 billion during Madden’s tenure.

“I recognize it would be very difficult to find someone as capable as Warren [Madden] to manage all of the components of what has become a very large, diverse and complex office,” Leath wrote in the email. 

Miles Lackey, currently chief of staff for the Office of the President, will also take on the role of chief financial officer to oversee the Division of Finance. 

In this role, Lackey will oversee University Relations, Ombuds Office and Internal Audit.

The senior vice president for University Services — who has yet to be selected — will oversee facilities, planning and management; environmental health and safety; business services; public safety; University Museums; Reiman Gardens; and the WOI Radio Group.

Campus interviews in the search for the new senior vice president for University Services will take place in early May, in order to fill the position before Madden’s retirement June 30.

Leath also announced in his campus-wide email that a review will be conducted of the Division of Student Affairs. Tom Hill, former vice president for Student Affairs now in advisor role, has been tasked with creating a report “on enhancing the overall student experience,” Leath said.

Following the report, Martino Harmon, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs, will work with Leath “to determine if any organizational changes are needed,” Leath said.

Several other offices within the university will be restructured, Leath said. Because of Lackey’s new responsibilities, the Chief of Staff’s current direct reports will be redirected to other offices. 

Jim Kurtenbach, who has been serving as interim Chief Information Officer at Iowa State, has had the “interim” removed from his title, installing him into the position in full on July 1. His office will also report to the Office of the President.

Effective April 25, the director of the Office of Equal Opportunity will report to the vice president for diversity and inclusion.

The Office of University Marketing will restructure to report to the Office of University Relations, which is effective July 1.

Also effective July 1, the state relations officer will assume the role of government relations officer, whose position will manage federal and state relations as well as oversee the assistant director of federal relations.

ISU Research Park will report to the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations, as of July 1.

The outline of the full reconstruction can be found online.

In his announcement, Leath said that the changes “result from the fact that Iowa State is experiencing a time of unprecedented change in senior leadership,” citing the recent retirements of Madden and Hill.

Leath wrote in the email that these changes will help enhance Iowa’s States transparency and operational effectiveness.

“I am confident these changes will allow us to become even more efficient and transparent as we strive to capture and invest maximum resources in our core academic mission,” Leath said.