FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Colleen Briney, who has a 35 year career with the University of Arkansas, has been appointed to serve as vice provost for planning, effective Aug. 1. She is filling the postion that was held by Kathy Van Laningham, who retired at the end of May.

Briney is currently the associate vice chancellor for business affairs in the Office of Business Affairs. She was selected by Jim Coleman, provost and executive vice chancellor, following the recommendation of an internal search committee chaired by Terry Martin, vice provost for academic affairs.

Briney will report directly to Provost Coleman.

“The vice provost for planning plays a critical role in implementing the university’s strategic plan,” said Coleman. “The position requires a combined understanding of academic operations and goals, fiscal and administrative factors and ways to develop and use data to drive decision making.

“I thank the search committee for doing an outstanding job. Colleen Briney is clearly an excellent choice. Her 35 years with the university give her a depth and breadth of knowledge that is immensely valuable in her new position. I am very much looking forward to working with her in this vital role as we move forward building the future of the University of Arkansas.”

As vice provost for planning Briney will work with the provost to oversee academic resource planning; oversee and manage the development of the academic budget; oversee and manage fiscal operations and financial resources across academic affairs; provide leadership in implementating of the university’s strategic plan; help develop university policies that affect academic operations; and oversee the collection, prioritization and analysis of institutional data needed for academic planning needed by the campus, the provost and the chancellor.  

In addition, Briney will work with the vice provost for enrollment services and dean of admissions and all administrators involved in enrollment to continually update a strategic campus-wide enrollment plan.

She will also work closely with the associate vice chancellor for facilities management, the vice provost for research and innovation and the academic deans to meet the growing needs for academic space on campus. She will work closely with the provost’s team and the vice chancellor for finance and administration in leading the academic budget process and helping to align financial resources with goals and actions needed to implement the campus strategic plan. Briney will also play an important role as the university implements new enterprise resource planning software.

““I am honored to have been appointed by Provost Coleman to serve in the critical role of developing and implementing actions to meet the university's guiding priorities and ensure our recognition as a flagship, land-grant institution, known nationally and internationally for excellence in teaching and research,” said Briney. “This is an exciting time to be at the University of Arkansas. I'm looking forward to working with and providing strategic support to the academic leaders on our campus.”

Briney started at the University of Arkansas in 1983 in the Office of Financial Affairs as property accounting supervisor and associate controller, was later instrumental in developing the university’s BASIS system, and has held financial positions in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and the College of Engineering. She has served as associate vice chancellor for business affairs since 2015.

Briney has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA; did graduate work in urban planning at UCLA; and has a Master of Science in Accounting from Walton College.