Pictured above: The new vice president of executive affairs and chief of staff to USF system President Steve Currall will “play a pivotal leadership role,” according to the job posting. Courtesy of Inside Higher Ed
By Nancy McCann
Without fanfare, the USF administration in Tampa has created two new vice president positions.
Cindy Visot, who had been chief of staff to the president and assistant corporate secretary to the Board of Trustees since 2001, became vice president of university affairs in February, university spokesman Adam Freeman told The Crow’s Nest.
“The university affairs role works to support USF’s consolidation implementation efforts, working in close collaboration with the provost, the SACSCOC accreditation teams within the Provost’s Office, the senior vice president for business and finance and the chief financial officer,” Freeman said in an email last week.
In a notice posted on April 3 to fill the job vacated by Visot, the title of vice president of executive affairs has been put in front of the chief of staff designation. The dual position reports directly to USF system President Steve Currall.
“The Vice President (of executive affairs) will have a rare opportunity to play a pivotal leadership role through a transformational phase in a national research university’s history,” says the posting, which details a long list of important duties. (See the job posting here.)
The deadline to apply was April 16.
“There is not a press release forthcoming and it is not a matter that would appear as an agenda item for the board of trustees,” Freeman said about the posting to fill Visot’s old job.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Visot came to USF as director of orientation in June 1990.
She had a part-time role as a graduate assistant and director of special projects between September 1997 and May 2001, when she became chief of staff to then-President Judy Genshaft.
She earned a doctorate in adult and continuing education administration from USF in 2000, according to her profile.
“This (Visot’s new) position also works with other university leaders to facilitate shared structures, policies, procedures and programs that will enable units from across the university to perform most effectively as one university starting on July 1,” Freeman said.
He said Visot’s annual salary, which includes keeping her role as assistant corporate secretary to the trustees, is $249,999.
The salary for the vice president of executive affairs and chief of staff is “negotiable,” according to the job posting.The USF organization chart dated March 2020 includes Visot’s new position but not the second vice president post.
