University Registrar Tom Black recently announced his decision to leave the University by mid-July for the post of Director of Student Information Systems and University Registrar at the University of California–Irvine. Black’s successor has not yet been chosen, according to U of C administration officials.
Black, who became registrar in 2002, has worked closely with the provost’s office, NSIT, and the office of the vice president and dean of students to integrate Internet technology with registration, grades, and transcripts, according to Steve Klass, vice president and dean of students in the University
“Tom Black has been a terrific colleague and has offered excellent leadership in bringing a number of changes to the University,” said Susan Art, dean of students in the College.
Art noted that during Black’s tenure at the University, Web-based resources such as cMore were implemented and that course scheduling was improved in order to maximize the use of classrooms.
“[Black] has always been responsive to College concerns,” Art added. “We will miss him very much, but we recognize that he is leaving us with a good legacy of all his efforts.”
“I am very sorry to see Tom Black leave,” said Richard Saller, University provost. “In his few years here he has played a pivotal role in bringing a new software system to the Registrar’s Office.”
Klass said that Irvine is expanding and attempting to further integrate into the UC system, which necessitates hiring experts.
“[Irvine has] asked Tom to play a leadership role in the development and implementation of their future student systems infrastructure,” said Klass, adding that this is “a core element in operating their long-range vision.”
Brent Yunek, the interim registrar and director of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Irvine, said that Black stood out during the search to fill this position.
“He brings a wealth of ideas from a career in both public and private institutions,” Yunek said.
This is an “exciting time in the school’s history” because it of its rapid expansion, Yunek added.
Black said that he looks forward to applying his experience to a bigger scale and that the move is the best thing for his family.
“I leave with a conflicted heart, having grown emotionally and intellectually, met wonderful people—many now are my friends for life—and having experienced some of the greatest successes in my career,” Black said.
“Tom’s vision for system design and organizational transformation has always been driven by his desire to simplify and improve service to faculty and students, to streamline real-time access to accurate data, and to coordinate these efforts effectively with his colleagues across the University,” Klass said.
Black said that one of his fondest memories of the U of C was “listening to Professor Andrew Abbott, during his Aims of Education speech in 2002, expound on what it means to be an educated person. It is out of that speech [that] cMore was born.”
Before serving as registrar at the U of C, Black was associate university registrar at Duke University from 1997 until 2002. He also worked as associate university registrar for system and plans at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill for 12 years.
