Cecily McAlpine
Cecily McAlpine, senior business officer for the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, puts her talents to work daily, assisting numerous departments and individual staff members.
“My job is like a special project,” says Cecily, who monitors division-wide spending, provides financial projections for Vice President Michael Jackson and oversees payroll and human resources issues within the division. “I learn new things about the budget daily.”
Cecily, who has worked at USC for more than eight years, was promoted to senior business officer in September 2006. In her new role, Cecily recently led Student Affairs employees through a reclassification transition implemented by the Office of Compensation.
“Because of Cecily’s leadership skills, the transition ran smoothly and in a timely manner,” says Judy Mar, budget/payroll analyst and home department coordinator for the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. “She continuously faces budgetary deadlines and always manages to be prepared well before the preauthorized timeline.”
Cecily earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the University of Redlands and a certificate in human resource management from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She is a member of Professionals In Human Resources Associations (PIHRA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
“I enjoy working at USC because of its unique culture,” says Cecily. “Unlike the private sector, where you get lost in the day-to-day, working here keeps me in tune to the latest goings-on. I get a free boost off the students’ energy at the beginning of each semester to keep me going.”