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Printer-Friendly ModeInterim AD treating job as his own
August 25, 2006 —
George Eastland has been at SVSU since 1969, but right now, he says he's catching up.
In June, the longtime chemistry professor took over for Joe Vogl as the interim athletic director, a position that he may end up holding until this January or next June.
His first day on the job was June 6 and Eastland says he has been saddled with several staff departures and a budget to comprise since.
"What I'm really doing now is catching up," he says. "If I had been here for a few years, I'd be on the cutting edge of what's going on. As it is, I feel like I am constantly two to three steps behind where I'm supposed to be."
Despite his lack of familiarity with the job, Eastland is certainly not complaining.
"I'm enjoying this position because it's new," he explains. "I've been teaching for so long. It got me out of a rut."
Eastland has been the school's faculty representative to the GLIAC since the conference's inception in the early 1970s. He recalls attending meetings at Grand Valley State University, where there were plenty of debates about both minor issues and major ones, such as whether baseball should be a fall or winter sport.
Now, his responsibilities include representing SVSU at the national NCAA meetings every year and being involved in the process of rules changes. "In a very small sense," he says, he wrote the NCAA rules and policies. As a result, many questions regarding eligibility are directed to him.
According to Eastland and Robert Maurovich, vice president for Student Services and Enrollment Management, the position could be filled as soon as January 1 or as late as June.
"The people I've talked to thought that a search in September or October is not a successful one often because the candidate pool will not be as good," Eastland says.
Still, the two say that the plan is to advertise the position soon and have a permanent athletic director for the winter semester. If the candidate pool is not to their liking, a June date is more realistic.
While it could be easy for Eastland to simply keep the seat warm for his successor, he has other plans. He is working not as if he is interim AD but as if he is the permanent one. Doing so allows him to reach his goal.
"My goal is that when the new person comes in, they find a well-organized, well-run operation where everybody knows their roles, does what they are supposed to do and when they do it," he says.
To do this, Eastland has, among other things, been trying to make sure the steps and processes are followed for budgetary requests.
"Some people haven't really appreciated that yet, so I'm trying to get them to appreciate that process."
Additionally, Eastland says he is developing a specific system for handling minor NCAA infractions, which he says comes in bunches - not just for SVSU, but for all schools.
Depending on when a successor is found, Eastland may or may not be back to the chemistry department in time for the winter semester. Regardless, he will be back in the department eventually, as he says it was written in his letter of appointment that he will resume his duties when a candidate is selected.