KU News Release

May 12, 2008
Contact: Lynn Bretz, University Communications, (785) 864-7100.

KU’s chief fiscal strategist to step down, teach full-time in Department of History

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas’ chief fiscal strategist for its Lawrence campus for more than 20 years today announced his plans to step down and teach full-time in the Department of History.

William L. (“Lindy”) Eakin, vice provost for administration and finance, started working at KU in 1979 as a budget officer and rose to become the university’s budget director in 1989 before being named associate executive vice chancellor for administration and finance in 1991. A reorganization in 1996 to a provost model added responsibilities and a title change.

A 1974 KU business graduate, Eakin also earned master’s and doctoral degrees in American history and on a part-time basis has taught classes for the past decade on the Spanish Borderlands, U.S. history, and historical methods. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration.

Diane Hoose Goddard, associate vice provost and comptroller, will serve as interim vice provost for administration and finance until the position is filled permanently.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Lariviere thanked Eakin for his years of dedication to KU.

“It is gratifying that our students will now benefit from the same dedication, insightful analysis and thoroughness that Lindy applied to the budget and its many complexities,” Lariviere said.

Lariviere noted Eakin’s key role in helping create the university’s innovative Four-Year Tuition Compact, which was introduced last year and provides incoming first-time freshman with fixed tuition rate for four years.

Eakin’s responsibilities have included oversight of the campus fiscal functions including the Comptrollers Office – purchasing, payroll, accounting, bursar and financial reporting – and the Budget Office. In addition, the KU Card, and Environmental Health and Safety have reported to Eakin.

Goddard has been associate vice provost and comptroller for the university since 2002.

Goddard joined the KU staff in 1984 as assistant director for administration at the Kansas Geological Survey. She was promoted to associate director of the Survey in 1991, a position she held until 1994, when she was named associate comptroller. She became acting director of purchasing in December 1995 and assumed the position permanently in 1996.

Goddard received her bachelor's degree in economics from Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, and her master of business administration degree from KU.

Her professional positions have included serving as chief accountant and controller for the Yale University health services and as business manager for the Yale University art gallery.

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