CSCU seeking to streamline management structure

The Board of Regents is looking to private consultants to evaluate the duties of 296 Connecticut State College and University system employees in an effort to steamline job classifications.

Spokesman Michael Kozlowski said there are 42 different classifications for management-level positions, and the duties of many of those positions overlap. The CSCU system includes the four regional state universities and 12 community colleges.

In 2013 the Board of Regents contracted with Sibson Consulting, a human resources firm, to survey management organization at university systems nationwide and make recommendations to CSCU on job classifications and salary levels.

The Regents’ Human Resources and Administration Committee agreed at a meeting on Wednesday to have the system’s presidents gather within the next 60 days to discuss the Sibson survey.

Kozlowski denied the Mirror’s request for documents relating to Sibson’s findings, saying they were considered a draft and not subject to disclosure.

Kozlowski said that, depending on Sibson’s final report, positions could be reclassified, but the position count would not be reduced.

State legislators and faculty have grown increasingly frustrated over the last year with how much the system spends on administrative costs. In the adopted state budget, legislators capped the percent of the system’s budget that can be spent on administrative costs.

One goal of the study, Kozlowski said, is that the responsibilities and pay for management positions will be more uniform across the system. For example, although some deans from different schools hold similar titles, their responsibilities and pay can be different.

“The goal here is academic primacy. We want academic achievement and rigor at the forefront,” Kozlowski said.

Mirror education reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas contributed to this report.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said the job classification study could lead to job reductions, but the CSCU spokesman says position count will not be reduced as a result.