Simeone to direct merged residential dep't

As a part of the University's large-scale administrative restructuring plan, the departments of Residential Living and Residential Maintenance will officially merge this July. Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone confirmed the change yesterday, adding that she will direct the resulting Department of Housing and Residence Life, which will combine all the functions of the two separate departments. She added that Lynn Horner, who now directs the Residential Maintenance Department, will be the new department's deputy director. The Residential Living Department oversees room assignments, academic programs in residence and mail services, while Residential Maintenance is in charge of residential facility upkeep. Officials hope the mergers will reduce administrative costs and increase departmental efficiency, making it easier for students to solve residential problems. "We're taking the two [departments] and finding the places to glue them together," Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said. According to Moneta, who directed the Residential Restructuring Committee, the merger has been in the planning stages for months. He said in January that "redundancies and gaps will go away" after restructuring takes place. He explained that the merger will save the University a significant amount of money. Moneta added that "no one currently employed will lose their jobs" in the first phase of residential restructuring, which will begin July 1. But according to Simeone, the new department will gradually reduce its total employment. "At this point, we are looking at not filling vacancies," she said. "We are making shifts of personnel." Moneta said the current heads of the departments have hesitated to fill the positions of people who have left their jobs within the past year. "When there are vacancies, we will think long and hard about what to do about them," he said. Simeone said these broad administrative changes will not directly impact students. But students should notice added efficiency in the merged department, she said. "When students have called 3-DORM, we have then called maintenance; now students will get maintenance," she said. Residential Advisory Board Vice-Chairperson Josh Rockoff agreed that students should find it easier to report maintenance problems. "Instead of going through three people, you're only going through one," the College sophomore said. "By eliminating the middleman, you'll have problem solved faster." Moneta said students should begin noticing these differences as soon as they return to school for the fall term. "Even as early as this fall, students will have one-stop shopping by phone," he said. Moneta added that RAB members have taken part in the restructuring planning process and hopes that students will not be negatively affected by the restructuring. Further restructuring changes will take place next year. Simeone said adjustments will still need to be made after the merger in July in order to streamline the new structure. "We have such a large and complex organization that we will take the first several months to figure out what makes sense," she said.