August 20, 2001

WKU Announces Restructuring
University Begins Searches For Director of Legislative Relations and Assistant Vice President for University Relations

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University has started searching for two administrators as part of a university restructuring.

The University is returning to an institutional advancement model and will be opening searches for a director of Legislative Relations and an assistant vice president for University Relations after Fred Hensley, chief public affairs officer, announced his retirement at the end of August.

The director of Legislative Relations, who will be responsible for maintaining legislative contacts on behalf of the University at the state and federal level, will report to Dr. Ransdell.

"This is an extremely important position for Western," Dr. Ransdell said. "Especially given the state's limited resources, it is essential that legislators remain aware of our needs and of how pending legislation might affect the University."

The director will also play a major role at the federal level where Western has become a full partner with the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville in a Kentucky office in Washington, D.C., that is scheduled to open in October.

The Public Affairs offices of media relations, publications, university communications and special events will join Development and Alumni Relations in the new Institutional Advancement division at the end of August, Dr. Ransdell said. The change takes effect following the retirement of Hensley, a 21-year WKU employee.

Public Affairs, Development and Alumni Relations will report to Tom Hiles, whose title will change from vice president of Development and Alumni Relations to vice president of Institutional Advancement. Hiles will continue to serve as executive director of the WKU Foundation. The assistant vice president will report to Hiles and will lead the Department of University Relations.

"This is the organizational model typically found at universities," Dr. Ransdell said. "This will allow us to best utilize our existing resources to continue, and even enhance, our current public affairs programs."

Hiles said he looks forward to the opportunities the new organizational structure will provide.

"We plan to capitalize on the synergies that will be created by the closer alignment of our external relations programs," he said. "We already have a good working relationship that will make this a smooth transition."

Hensley, who began his career at WKU in 1980, will retire from Western and become the senior vice president for advancement and marketing at Michigan Technological University in Houghton.