After more than 30 years at this university, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Jim Osteen announced his intention to formally retire at the end of the school year.
The most recent vacancy in a string of administrative positions — including several college deans, Vice President for Research Mel Bernstein and university Provost Nariman Farvardin — Osteen has been planning to retire for the last year but just recently confirmed his departure, according to Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement.
Although she has known for some time Osteen was planning to leave the university, Clement said she was shocked nonetheless when it became official.
“It was a surprise because we work so well together and have such a great team in the vice president’s office that it’s going to be a change,” she said. “I didn’t know that it was coming (now).”
Osteen, who was not available for comment last night, is the second assistant vice president in the student affairs division to leave in the last year — Pat Mielke left the university a year ago and was replaced by Mary Hummel last semester. But Clement said while Osteen will leave big shoes to fill, the constant addition of new administrators fosters an ever-evolving division.
“I think [the retirements] represent change for people that work in the division,” she said. “The last time we lost an assistant vice president, we hired someone who had experience working at the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, so we have new perspectives and changes for the division.”
Clement said although adding a fresh face to the division can be a good thing, Osteen’s retirement can hardly be considered a celebratory occasion.
“I think losing Jim can’t be characterized as positive, but he’s had a long career and I do appreciate that he deserves to retire if that’s what he wants to do,” she said. “He’s intelligent and wise and thoughtful, and has a history of the place and the student affairs department that are very precious.”
The division will begin a search process to fill Osteen’s position by next week, Clement said, adding the position requires at least 16 years of “progressively responsible administrative experience.”
Clement said the next assistant vice president will need to possess qualities similar to Osteen in order to fulfill the job.
“I think we need a strong leader, a person who’s very experienced,” she said. “It needs to be a thoughtful person who’s had some experience working in different areas.”
And although Clement noted the division plans to find the best replacement possible, Osteen has left a permanent mark on the university.
“We’ve worked together for a long time; we were friends,” she said. “He’s a great person and a great guy and he will be missed.”
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