The University of Texas System appointed Tonya Moten Brown, vice president and chief of staff at the University of Minnesota, to the newly created position of vice chancellor for administration for the UT System Thursday.
Outgoing Chancellor Dan Burck created the new executive position in consultation with Mark Yudof, who will become the new chancellor of the UT System Aug. 1.
"This is a new position Mr. Yudof finds important," Burck said.
Burck said restructuring of management often takes place when chief executives assume office.
In her new position, Brown will represent the chancellor's office in governmental committees and will direct analysis and evaluation of System activities. She will also be the primary contact from the chancellor's office for the System's operations and planning.
Brown's move back to Austin marks the second time she has accompanied Yudof on an institutional change. Brown left the University in 1997 to take the position as Yudof's chief of staff at the University of Minnesota.
UM expanded Brown's job in 2000 to include a vice presidency position, which was unprecedented, said Katherine Peloquin, a UM public relations representative.
While at UM, Brown led a high-profile investigation of a cheating scandal among men's basketball players.
While dean of the UT law school, Yudof hired Brown, who was practicing law in Houston with the firm Wickliff and Hall at the time, as an assistant dean of admissions in 1993. The two worked closely together at UT from 1993 to 1997, when Yudof accepted the presidency at UM.
Brown said the idea of working in higher education enticed her to leave private legal practice.
She said the challenges of working in higher education in Texas will be a balancing act, as the UT System faces falling revenues from the state and rising population rates.
"We need to ensure access to those who will be first-generation [college students]," Brown said.
Burck, who reviewed all applicants for the job, said Brown's outstanding record at UM and at UT impressed him.
"She's an outstanding candidate and has an outstanding record," Burck said. "She's effective in the evaluation of system activities and has a broad skill set," Burck said.
As vice chancellor for administration, Brown will command a salary of $210,000, in addition to a car allowance of $8,400.
Brown will also be the first black woman to hold an executive position within the UT System.
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