By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
Fort Hays State University’s Re-Engineering Task Force is presenting recommendations on improving efficiencies at Fort Hays State University from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Memorial Union Ball Room.

In October, FHSU President Mirta Martin charged two task forces to examine operations at the institution. One task force is focusing on academic programs, and the other task force is focusing on overall operations.

According to Director of University Relations Kent Steward, when Martin became president in July she didn’t want to just “come here and start changing things,” but wanted to create a process with “grassroots participation.”

Steward said Thursday’s meeting includes the merged reports from both task forces and is “not an announcement of what will come” but are only recommendations the task force will present.

“The point of (Thursday’s meeting) is to say ‘Here are the kinds of things we found based on previous surveys and what the task force thinks might be good to change’ and then say ‘Now, what do the rest of you think?’ ”

Steward said the next step in the process will involve input and the completion of a comprehensive survey to garner input from university staff and faculty.

Addressing concerns over job instability, Steward said fear of change is understandable. He said reductions are not expected, but some faculty and staff could be assigned new duties or positions.

Steward said re-engineering process should will be complete by June, in time to issue contracts that reflect changes in personnel assignments and duties.