Office of Student Affairs adopt new structures, goals in response to changes in employment

Correction: The original version of this article contained multiple errors. The UCLA Office of Student Affairs strives to accommodate new students and administrators. The vice chancellor of enrollment planning will not be responsible for campus climate.

As the makeup of students and administrators changes over time, the UCLA Office of Student Affairs strives to change with them.

Next year, the office will take on a new look to meet goals of diversity and international outreach, said Janina Montero, vice chancellor of student affairs.

The past years have seen retirements and changes in employment, which has created an opportunity to re-evaluate the organization’s structure, she said.

Montero said the office has lost staff over the years and not all have been fully replaced. This has left resources available for new positions.

Beginning next year, an associate vice chancellor of enrollment planning will join the Student Affairs Office, focusing on undergraduate admissions and the Financial Aid Office and aiding with the recruitment of both California and nonresident students, said UCLA spokeswoman Claudia Luther.

Along with another newly created position focusing on campus climate, UCLA is planning to enroll an unprecedented number of international students in the fall.

“Given the kind of focused attention that institutionally we need to give to enrollment management in California as well as out of state and international recruitment, it was the appropriate moment to reorganize a position that will give greater attention to those issues,” Montero said.

In June, Tom Lifka, the associate vice chancellor of student academic services, announced his retirement after 29 years at UCLA. Montero then moved to create the new vice chancellor position, she said. Lifka played an integral role this year in the recruitment effort of nonresident students.

“He was an amazing source of information, especially on admissions, recruitment and in the financial aid area,” said Julie Sina, chief of staff of the College of Letters and Science.

Lifka’s retirement will also bring a structural change in student affairs. The Registrar’s Office, Student Loan Services and Collections and the Career Center, which he once managed, will now report to Monroe Gorden, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs administration.

The Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars, which also previously sat under Lifka, will be moved under the leadership of Bob Naples, associate vice chancellor for student and campus life.

Additionally, the positions of associate registrar, assistant dean of students and director of student services initiatives will need to be filled to accommodate retirements and changes in employment.

With reports by Flavia Casas, Bruin contributor.