Budget Head To Fill New Faculty Post

One of the University's most-versatile bureaucrats will fill a new position on the Faculty created to provide more administrative support for Dean of the Faculty A. Michael Spence.

Robert A. Rotner, who currently manages Harvard's budgets for the central administration, is expected to move into his new position as associate dean of the Faculty for administration in January, pending routine Corporation approval, Harvard officials said yesterday.

In his new job, Rotner will be responsible for the administration of all non-academic aspects of the Faculty, including financial planning, libraries, computer operations, facilities, and research grants.

While all these tasks already come under formal purview of other officials in University Hall, Rotner will apparently be working directly to lighten the workload of Spence, who is responsible for all financial, academic, and administrative decisions in the Faculty.

Righthand Man

"I will help the dean do the administrative part," said Rotner. "While in central administration, I have been able to understand that Harvard is all about teaching and research. I want to support these a much as about teaching and research. I want to support these as much as I can.

In a prepared Statements Spence, now in his first year in office, said the creation of the new post effected the increasing size of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which is comprised of about 6600 undergraduates, 2350 graduate students, and more than 800 faculty, members and assistants.

"To meet the needs of those people, our budget and physical plant have grown considerably in recent years. Spence said, "Bob Rotner is a professional manager with a superior record of performance here at Harvard," and his experience will serve the Faculty well in dealing with its problems, he added.

Since coming to the University in 1977, Rotner has gained a reputation as one of Harvard's top administrative troubleshooter.

Rescue Mission

His first rescue operation was that of Harvard Magazine, the University's alumni magazine, which had had a history of poor financial management. Officials with the magazine attributed the magazine's recent recovery to Rotner's business acumen and ability to hire sound managers.

"Bob is an exceptional problem solver and incredibly bright," said Alan G. Fine, the magazine's publisher. "He will find consensus among all the disparate views."

Officials at the Fogg Art Museum, for which Rotner serves as associate director, said that Rotner played a similar role in helping the museum overcome many of its widely publicized difficulties in funding and managing the building of its extension.

As budget director, Rotner has assisted Financial Vice President Thomas O'Brien in coordinating the budgets of all the different faculties and departments that make up Harvard's decentralized financial structure.

He also served concurrently as the University Publisher, who runs Harvard's printing office, as well as director of the Office of Allied Institutions, which oversees the administration of museums and research institutes.

Rotner will give up his job as budget director and publisher in January, but he will continue in his other administrative positions for the time being.

"I could give him any problem and he would solve it," O'Brien said of Rotner, calling him one of his three top aides.

"Losing him will be like losing my right arm," O'Brien added. "The budget office has a tradition of strong directors. I was one."