Fonds uofc-1306 - Vice-President (Finance and Services) fonds

The University of Calgary's vice-presidents are appointed by its Board of Governors, which has been granted this power by The Universities Act as well as the authority to assign duties to the vice-presidents on the recommendation of the President. The Vice-President (Finance and Services) has been assigned overall responsiblity for the business affairs of the University: the implementation of approved operating and capital budgets and the supervision of financial control and reporting functions. With respect to capital projects, the VP(Finance and Services) works with both federal and provincial government officials regarding financial arrangements and has responsiblity for building projects once the construction contract has been approved. This position carries general responsibility for ancillary services including parking, the bookstore, food services University housing, and printing services; as well as the University's physical plant and employee relations. The VP(Finance and Services) is an ex officio member of the University Planning Committee and the Facilities and Services Planning Committee. Incumbents in the position of VP(Finance and Services) have been E.Brian Tinker (1985-1991), Keith Winter (1991-2002), Phyllis Heaphy (2002), Peter Valentine (Interim 2002-2003), and Michael W. McAdam (2003-). The position of VP(Finance and Services) was created with the merging of two vice-presidencies, Vice-President (Finance) and Vice-President (Services, Facilities and Physical Planning), in the summer of 1985. These vice-presidencies were established in the 1960s, although they underwent a number of changes in name and responsiblities. The origins of the position of Vice-President (Finance) can be traced back to the authority of The Universities Act, which provided for a Chief Business Officer. While a Business Officer had been appointed for the University of Alberta, Calgary in 1964, it appears that a Vice-President (Business) was not appointed at the University of Calgary until 1967. In 1969, a Review of Structures and Functions identified the problematic isssue of the financing of academic policy, and specifically the development of annual operating and capital budgets. It was recommended that a Business and Finance Policy Committee be established and that a vice-president be attached to it as its executive officer. The VP(Business) was renamed Vice-President (Business and Finance). This position was responsible for the supervision of business operations and services as Chief Business Officer and for recommending policies pertaining to these matters; the administration of departments and services other than academic or student affairs, such as Auxiliary Services; the development, implementation and supervision of procedures for budgeting; and participation in the preparation of annual estimates and budgets in association with the President and Vice-President (Academic). By 1971, the VP(Business and Finance) was the executive officer of the Business and Finance Policy Committee, the executive officer of the University Budget Committee, and supervised the annual operating and capital resources policy through the President's Executive Advisory Committee. In 1972, the name of this position was changed to Vice-President (Finance). Harvey W. Bliss was appointed Vice-President (Business) in 1967, and served as Vice-President (Business and Finance) and then Vice-President (Finance) until the position was discontinued in 1985 and merged with the Vice-President (Services, Facilities and Physical Planning). The position of Vice-President (Services, Facilities and Physical Planning) had its origins in the position of Vice-President (Capital Resources), created in 1969 in response to the Review of Administrative Structures and Functions. The Review pointed to the problems the University was having in translating academic policy into physical development. It was recommended that a Capital Resources Policy Committee be established and a Vice-President (Capital Resources) be attached to it as its executive officer. This position would be responsible for the provision of accomodation and its utilization, inventory of space and redistribution of space, Buildings and Grounds, Technical Services and Campus Planning; the translation of approved academic plans and programs into the required physical space and equipment; and the correlation of physical planning with academic and finance policy. The VP(Capital Resources) apparently prepared annual capital budget requests to the BOG, implemented and administered approved capital budgets, and liaised with officials of provincial and federal departments regarding capital funding of approved projects. In ca.1972, the name of VP(Capital Resources) was changed to Vice-President (Services), perhaps to reflect the responsiblity for ancillary services such as housing, food services, bookstore, and printing being added to the position. The name was again changed in 1974 to Vice-President (Services, Facilities and Physical Planning), although it appears to have been commonly referred to as Vice-President (Services). Finley Alexander Campbell was VP(Capital Resources) from 1970 to September 1971, and H.A.R. de Paiva served as Acting VP(Capital Resources), VP(Capital Resources), VP(Services) and VP(Services, Facilities and Physical Planning) from October 1971 until the position was discontinued in 1984 and its responsibilities merged with that of VP(Finance) into Vice-President (Finance and Services). The merging of these two vice-presidencies occurred as a result of a major review and restructuring of responsiblities at the vice-presidential level, and was approved by the BOG. The review committee recommended that the setting of University-wide priorities at the senior administrative level be strengthened and a mechanism for the more complete integration of academic and financial planning be established. The committee recommended that a Vice-President (Priorities and Planning) be appointed to be responsible for matters pertaining to academic and financial priorities and planning. Responsibility for allocation and distribution of space, and preparation of the capital budget which had formerly belonged to VP(Services) was transferred to the new VP(Priorities and Planning); and the development of operating budgets, the integration of financial policy with academic and services policy, and the supervision of Administrative Systems which had formerly been the responsibility of the VP(Finance) would also be transferred to the VP(Priorities and Planning).