University President Michael Lovell announced the implementation of a new leadership structure, which will require the Department of Public Safety to report to the Division of Student Affairs.
This change could involve creating a Marquette police department, which would depend on community feedback both online and through a faculty staff meeting Oct. 22, a student meeting led by Marquette Student Government Oct. 27, the university announced in a news release Monday.
“We at DPS pride ourselves on our student-centered approach to this responsibility,” Paul Mascari, chief and director of DPS, said in an email. “This change in reporting structure formalizes that approach and our already excellent working relationship with colleagues in Student Affairs. I know Dr. Miller has a deep understanding of Public Safety and I firmly believe this structure will enable Public Safety to achieve our goals in new and exciting ways under his leadership.”
L. Christopher Miller, vice president of Student Affairs, said he looks forward to this new relationship between the two departments.
“I think initially this new leadership structure provides us with better opportunities to serve students,” Miller said. “The majority of issues associated with DPS are associated with students, and to connect it with Student Affairs, it’s a perfect fit.”
Miller also said he believes this new partnership means that the university will be in a position to offer students programs and services regarding the safety and well-being of students from a student development prospective. It will also give Student Affairs an opportunity for increased presence in DPS policy and programs.
“There will definitely be more opportunities for synergistic programming endeavors,” Miller said. “It gives us the opportunity to engage students on a much more comprehensive level. We will be able to utilize DPS in a way that will work towards the student mission. I feel it will make DPS more apt to protect and serve students.”
This new structure is due to Tom Ganey’s retirement, according to a letter from Lovell to the Marquette community.
Under this new structure, DPS will report to the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of Marketing and the Communication Office of Public Affairs will report to the president, Information Technology Services will report to the provost and the Childcare Center will report to vice president of human resources.
The university will also hire an associate vice president to lead the planning and management of university facilities, according to a news release. The department of facilities and parking services will report to the new associate vice president once the position is filled.
The new leadership structure is fostering excitement among the involved departments.
“We are excited about the prospect and possibilities because we believe they are endless,” Miller said. “Safety and security in a thoughtful way that is connected to students is something that can have a great impact on the whole student experience.”
