Sandra K. Woodley Appointed Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives

AUSTIN – Sandra K. Woodley, chief financial officer for the Arizona Board of Regents, has been appointed vice chancellor for strategic initiatives for The University of Texas System, effective March 1.

“The University of Texas System continues to be a national leader in the areas of accountability and strategic planning, and I believe Sandra brings a wealth of skills and knowledge to this key executive position,” said UT System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D. “Sandra understands the importance of accountability, performance and transparency and her institutional research and finance expertise will help us formulate the best recommendations to our institutions and the Board of Regents in our goal of enhancing excellence,” he added.

As vice chancellor for strategic initiatives, Woodley will oversee the UT System offices of Strategic Management and Institutional Studies and Policy Analysis. The offices provide leadership to coordinate key System initiatives, streamline reporting requirements and track the progress and impact of the UT System strategic plan and related administrative and institutional activities.

Woodley will also oversee the development and production of the annual UT System Accountability and Performance Report, which includes information on the nine academic and six health institutions’ academic, health care and service missions. The report, which is regarded as one of the top models for accountability in the country, emphasizes measures such as student outcomes, research collaborations, faculty productivity, clinical care and community impact.

“The UT System and its institutions believe it is very important to be transparent in all endeavors, and, more importantly, to strive for and demonstrate continuous improvement,” Cigarroa said.

As the chief financial officer and strategic planner for the Arizona Board of Regents, Woodley is the state’s top higher education finance official, providing leadership and direction of the board’s business, strategic planning and capital construction programs. Previously, she has held a series of higher education positions in finance, institutional research and economic forecasting in Alabama and Kentucky.

Woodley received a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Auburn University and a doctoral degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University. She succeeds Geri H. Malandra, who held a similar post at the UT System from 2002 until 2009.

About The University of Texas System

Serving the educational and health care needs of Texans for more than 125 years, The University of Texas System is one of the nation’s largest higher education systems, with nine academic campuses and six health institutions. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $11.9 billion (FY 2010) including $2.5 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. Preliminary student enrollment exceeded 202,000 in the 2009 academic year. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates nearly three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually. With more than 84,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.