FAYETTEVILLE -- Charles Robinson has been named the top student affairs administrator at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville after serving as interim leader of student affairs since last year.
Robinson steps away from a role as UA's main diversity officer as he begins his appointment, which took effect Sunday, UA announced Monday. He leads the division of UA that oversees most nonacademic departments involving student life. He replaces Danny Pugh, who left last year for a similar job at Texas A&M University.
Chancellor Joe Steinmetz, UA's top leader since Jan. 1, made the appointment, said Laura Jacobs, Steinmetz' chief of staff. No external advertising for the position was done, nor any internal postings for the job.
"I think he felt that he has the best person in place," Jacobs said of Steinmetz, who did not respond to a request for an interview made through Jacobs.
"We couldn't ask for a better fit than Charles Robinson to oversee this important division, one that impacts every one of our students," Steinmetz said in a statement released by UA. "The reach of the office of diversity and community for our students has grown steadily under his direction. He will continue all of those initiatives in his new role while expanding efforts to increase retention and graduation and enhance the overall student experience at the U of A."
Other schools such as Texas A&M had finalists for similar jobs attend public forums before making any hire. Steinmetz relied on informal discussions to gather feedback about Robinson and also met with a committee, which included some students, to discuss the university's student affairs division and diversity goals, Jacobs said.
Robinson, 50, joined UA's faculty in 1999 and is a history professor.
He formerly served as director of UA's African and African American studies program. He has held the position of vice chancellor for diversity and community since 2013 and before that did similar work under the title of vice provost for diversity affairs.
Tanner Bone, president of UA's Associated Student Government, praised the hire and described how student leaders have already worked with Robinson.
"I don't have an issue with the process because we in ASG work with Dr. Robinson on a weekly basis," Bone wrote in an email. "Dr. Robinson has my full support, and I can't think of a better person for the role."
Robinson earns $242,000 in his new role, up from his previous salary of $232,000, UA spokesman Steve Voorhies said, with $2,830 coming from private funds. Pugh made $197,498 annually at UA before Texas A&M hired him at a salary of $292,000.
Experience as a faculty member will help in leading student affairs, Robinson said.
"I think we have to figure out even more ways that, outside of the classroom, we can support what's taking place within the classroom," Robinson said.
Earlier this year Robinson interviewed for the provost position at the University of Toledo, but the school -- led by former UA provost Sharon Gaber -- instead hired a dean from San Jose State University.
His appointment to vice chancellor comes as the university restructures its student affairs division, UA announced. Pugh formerly held a title of vice provost.
The university's main diversity programs, including UA's multicultural center, will move under student affairs after previously reporting to vice chancellor for diversity, a position held by Robinson.
The university will still have a top diversity officer, to be known as vice provost for diversity, who will lead inclusiveness efforts while also "increasing the academic study of diversity," UA said in a statement. The person filling this role has not been announced.
Also, the leader of UA's Pat Walker Health Center, UA's dean of students and a third associate vice chancellor, over university housing, business services and assessment and strategic planning, will form a core group of leaders to manage key functions within student affairs, the university announced.
Jacobs said UA followed its policy guidelines for internal promotions in Robinson's appointment, first announced by Steinmetz on Friday in Little Rock at UA's Silas Hunt Legacy Award celebration.
The internal promotions policy states that "in exceptional circumstances a current employee may be promoted, transferred or demoted to a position without a search," provided the employee meets minimum qualifications and top administrators sign off on it.
A separate UA policy on the advertising of university positions states that "as a general rule, academic departments and administrative units at the University of Arkansas must advertise vacancies and conduct a search for all appointed faculty or staff positions unless the appointment is for one year or less."
The purpose of the advertising policy is "to provide the strongest possible pool of qualified candidates" and also to be "consistent with principles of equal employment opportunity and the University's Affirmative Action plan."
But the advertising policy states that it does not apply to internal promotions. UA also has a policy that states that a variance may be granted from posting a position opening based on several criteria, including whether the position is a senior management level position.
Metro on 05/03/2016