New administrative structure for special programs, conferences and events
Last May, a comprehensive multi-year review of the programs and initiatives of the Office of Special Programs resulted in the elimination of the position of Dean of Special Programs. Since then, the Office of Special Programs has been reporting on an interim basis to Michael Orr, dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, and Donna Ng, vice president for finance and administration and treasurer.
Throughout the summer and fall, opportunities for greater integration and collaboration with other divisions and offices of the College were explored, with a particular focus on examining how the non-academic operations of Special Programs could be more closely aligned with the Finance and Administration division.
As a result of this work, the President’s Cabinet has approved a plan to restructure the Office of Special Programs and create a new Office of Conferences and Events within the Finance and Administration division. This new office will be directed by Wendy LeBlanc and will oversee all of the revenue-producing outside conferences and events, administer the College’s reservation system, coordinate summer operations, and manage the Surrey-Williamson Inn. It will report to Donna Ng. A reconfigured Office of Special Programs, under the leadership of Auden Thomas, will continue to administer academic-related programs, residencies, institutes, and community-based programs, and will report through Academic Affairs to Michael Orr. In addition, some responsibilities have been moved to departments within the Finance and Administration area while summer housing for students will now be managed by the Student Affairs division.
As part of this review, the financial sustainability of all of our summer programs was examined, with the result that some summer institutes will be discontinued. The Decoda Skidmore Chamber Music Institute and Summer Dance Workshop will offer programs next summer, after which they will be discontinued. The NYS Summer Young Writers Institute will no longer be offered. It became clear that even with generous donor and community support, the long-term sustainability of these particular programs could not be ensured. Staff assignments have been adjusted and one vacant position will not be replaced.
Suspending these programs will allow us to better focus institutional support on our other academic and artistic initiatives. To that end, we remain strongly committed to offering an array of arts programming for both the campus and the wider Saratoga Springs community. In particular, we anticipate that the Summer Jazz Institute, the NYS Summer Writers Institute, the SITI Theater Workshop, and the Summer Studio Art Program will continue to offer strong programs of great interest within the community.
We also remain committed to maintaining our long-standing partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, including housing members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and NYC Ballet during their summer residencies in Saratoga Springs. In addition, the McCormack Endowed Visiting Artist-Scholar Residency will maintain the tradition of extending our rich artistic summer programming into the academic year by bringing a leading artist to campus to engage deeply with faculty, students, and community members. Finally, the College deeply values our longstanding partnership with Carnegie Hall through Ensemble Connect’s biannual residency each fall and spring semester and will continue this program, currently in its 13th year.