October 26, 2001

WKU Regents Approve Restructuring

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University's Board of Regents today approved a restructuring of its development, alumni and university relations offices.

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

The Public Affairs offices of media relations, publications and university communications have been combined with Development and Alumni Relations in the new Institutional Advancement division, WKU President Gary Ransdell said.

Public Affairs, Development and Alumni Relations will report to Tom Hiles, whose title is now vice president for 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, retired from Western to become the senior vice president for advancement and marketing at Michigan Technological University in Houghton.

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