There are some changes in store for the 2012-2013 school year at Baker University.

At the annual State of the University address Sept. 8, University President Pat Long announced a restructuring of administration starting in July.

This restructuring includes the new Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who will report directly to Long.

Long said over the next year, Baker University will start to look at different areas that could allow for funding for this new position.

“What we’ll be looking for throughout the year is identifying sources for the new position … Quite honestly, I don’t think we can afford not to do this,” she said.

Long said it is important for her, as the president, to be out traveling, talking to alumni and donors and raising funds.

“Our deans do a really good job right now without a provost,” she said. “But by putting in one person in that position, it will assure that what is going on, if there are issues going on, they can communicate those … I do think that we need one person designated with that title so that if there are issues, it’s going to run through one person.”

With this change, the current Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Rand Ziegler, will begin work July 1 as the Dean of Institutional and Faculty Development, which is also a new position for Baker.

Through this position, Ziegler will focus on faculty development and helping new faculty at Baker learn and adjust to the culture of the university.

“I am looking forward to my new responsibilities as the president and I are conceptualizing them, but most all of the details still need to be worked out,” Ziegler said via email.

Interim Assistant Dean for Liberal Studies Erin Joyce has worked with Ziegler for a number of years.

Joyce said while she is excited Ziegler will take on a new role, she is sad he will no longer be the dean.

“I could not ask for a better mentor,” Joyce said. “With this new liberal studies program, the faculty designed it and he stood out of it. But once we were done, he’s supported it 100 percent. He’s done so much to help me get it implemented … I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Joyce hopes the search committee will keep a few things in mind as it begins looking for the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“I would definitely pick someone that has experience being a dean at a small liberal arts college, someone that knows our culture,” Joyce said. “And knows how things work … I would also want somebody with a really, really thorough understanding of academics in general.”

While there are changes expected to take place next year, Long feels confident that these changes are good ones for the university as a whole.

“It is exciting,” Long said. “I think this will help us have more in-depth conversations about decision-making. Better decision-making.”