Baker University’s Judy Smrha, associate professor of business and economics, will use her business skills in a new way next year as she switches from teaching to administration work.

Her main task will be increasing integration of the institution research and assessment.

“For me, it’s an opportunity to work on a day-to-day basis with the records office,” Smrha said.

The move will allow Assistant Dean of Student Academic Services Lisa Johnston and Smrha to make changes in the department.

“(The changes are) putting together functions that are usually put together,” Johnston said.?”It will benefit students in the long run, which is what it’s all about.”

Smrha will continue the oversight of the institutional research and assessment field. Johnston will retain supervision of the learning resource center, advising in the records office and the study abroad program.

“It’s putting strength to strength,” said Kevin McCarthy, professor of business and economics. “She has enormous strengths to make important contributions in those areas for us.”

When Interim Vice President Rand Ziegler moved to the dean’s office, it needed more help. Consequently, Smrha got the opportunity to start doing institutional research.

“Historically, research was done everywhere around campus without a lot of coordination,” Smrha said.

The integration mainly deals with data that concerns information about students “She has analytical and organizational skills for compiling information and working with data,” McCarthy said.

Though she was originally hired to help teach statistics, Smrha said she has taught business and economics at Baker since 1995. Since then, she has been involved in First Year Experience, student senate and Students In Free Enterprise. In addition, she has been a Student Activities Council faculty adviser and a freshman adviser.?She has also been a chapter coordinator for Phi Beta Delta.

Smrha said she feels the move will help the university.

“It’s a logical step for all campuses,” Smrha said.?”When a person interacts with an organization, you are interacting with only a small part of what made that interaction occur, but there is so much more that has to happen behind the scenes.”

The process involves getting the faculty and students in the classroom. Smrha said the faculty refer to it as “herding the cats.”

Smrha recognized there are both positives and drawbacks to changing positions. ?Grading papers is one of the aspects of teaching she didn’t always enjoy.

“The thing I joke about is that students say that they hate doing homework, but we have to grade it,” Smrha said.

Smrha said she cut back on teaching in 2004, which was hard for her.

“You meet so many different kinds of students,” Smrha said. ?”I felt very connected to the student body.”