President David Hodge confirmed Monday that the dean positions at Miami University-Hamilton (MUH) and Miami University-Middletown (MUM) could be consolidated into a single position under a new director.

"We're collapsing those two positions down into a single position and that position will be the dean of the regional campuses plus the person will be an associate or assistant provost," Hodge said.

Provost Jeffrey Herbst previously released a message Aug. 31 explaining the discussion of Miami's regional campuses and their relationships between each other as well as their relationships to the Oxford campus.

"President Hodge and I have recommended to the board of trustees that the position of dean of the regional campuses and associate provost be created," Herbst said.  "The board will consider this proposal Sept. 18."

The Benson Committee, which filed its report and recommendations in March 2009, addressed the question, "Currently the VOA (Voice of America Learning Center) and multiple regional campus units report to both regional campus deans, and then to the provost. Could there be a better arrangement and what would it be?"

In answering this question, the committee recommended that MUH, MUM and the Voice of America Learning Center (VOALC) should be re-envisioned and viewed as one administrative unit.

Robert Benson, the committee chair and a professor of architecture and interior design, clarified that the committee is not officially implementing any such position but is recommending the new position.

"What the provost and the committee recommends is that the two dean positions that currently

are being the administrative head of Hamilton and Middletown will disappear because there will only be one administrator for all three sites," Benson said.

In the report of the Regional Campus Committee, the Regional Campus administrator would report to the provost. Benson also said the committee was very specific when recommending the position of the dean of regional campuses and associate provost because, according to the report, differences were expressed regarding the titles and responsibilities the administrator would take on.

"We did not make the recommendation about the name of the administrator," Benson said. "We thought that that was not important to us, it was only important to the person who would be in charge of all three sites."

Herbst said Miami Hamilton, Middletown, and the Voice of America center would fund this position.

"The position would be funded from the regional campuses." Herbst said. "It is likely that this position will cost less than funding the two current regional campus deans."

According to Benson, this means the regional campuses dean positions would be cut.

"They will be reducing the number of administrators and there will then be the one administrator, the dean, who is in charge of one regional campus that consists of three different sites," Benson said.

In the search for someone prepared for this specific position, Herbst explained his enthusiasm and hope for the right person for the dean of regional campuses and associate provost.

"Getting the best person is always a challenge but we believe that this will be a very attractive position," Herbst said.

Benson explained the search will consider candidates from Miami as well as across the country.

"We haven't denied anyone the right to apply, in other words, if someone was the dean now, they could apply for it," Benson said. "But there will be a national search for this position so that if there is someone who is internal, that personal will be evaluated against candidates from all around the country."