JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times

Michael Dunn (left) packs up after being fired last week from Radford University's New Student Programs and Services Office.

Radford University President Penelope Kyle has asked two popular administrators to return to their jobs in the New Student Programs and Services Office, which was dissolved last week by Vice President for Student Affairs Norleen Pomerantz.

Michael Dunn, director of New Student Programs and Services, and assistant director Marc Jacobsen were put on administrative leave for six months, pending the termination of their contracts as part of budget cuts. Staff and programming for new students were then assigned to other offices within student affairs.

Pomerantz said the layoffs and restructuring would help offset a $6.4 million cut to Radford's state funding announced recently by Gov. Tim Kaine. All state-supported colleges and universities have been asked to cut their budgets by up to 15 percent.

Kyle asked the administrators to return Thursday. Dunn could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. Jacobsen said he had not decided if he would accept the offer of re-employment.

It's unclear if any employment agreement would protect the men from future layoffs. University spokesman Jeff Douglas said he could not speculate on future staff-reduction strategies.

The sudden terminations and the manner in which the men were dismissed caused widespread discontent among faculty, students and alumni. Dunn and Jacobsen were given a few hours to pack their belongings. Their keys were taken and their computer accounts frozen.

Students and faculty protested the decision. Alumni threatened to discontinue donations. The faculty senate voted last week to condemn the layoffs and called for top administrators and the board of visitors to take unspecified action to address the situation.

Applause broke out at Thursday's faculty senate meeting when the reversal of Pomerantz's decision was announced.

Provost Wil Stanton told faculty the New Student Programs and Services Office would be reconstituted under his division of academic affairs.

"It's a more logical organization for what they do," Douglas said of the reorganization.

"We'll have recruiting, admitting, retention and graduating within the purview of the same area of the university."

"The senate appreciates the administration's prompt action pertaining to the office of new student programs," faculty senate President Steve Owen said Friday.

Owen said he's "pleased the decision is being addressed in this positive manner."

Pomerantz apologized last week for the layoffs, saying her timing and the manner of the terminations were mistakes.

Kyle had earlier promised that layoffs would be done only after a detailed analysis of the budget and further pledged all reductions would be done with compassion and respect. She told faculty last week the layoffs came as a complete surprise to her and should not have happened.

Other layoffs and position eliminations have been conducted at both Radford and Virginia Tech over the past two years as state budgets and education funding have continued to shrink. None has garnered as much attention or caused such a public backlash as the layoffs of Dunn and Jacobsen.