Transforming administrative support operations at the University
December 9, 2005
To: The University Community
From: Vice President Kathleen O'Brien
Subject: Transforming administrative support operations at the University
This morning, as team leader of the Administrative Service and Productivity Steering Committee, I appeared in front of the Board of Regents to report on the goal, implementation structure, and progress of the administrative strategic positioning task forces. As a member of the University community, you are encouraged to review the presentation, available at http://www.umn.edu/systemwide/strategic_positioning/admin_update200512.html to better understand the direction administrative support operations will take at the University over the next few years. It is our aspiration to transform administrative support operations to provide maximum service and support for the academic enterprise.
For many years, we have been engaged in continuous improvement work within colleges and units. That work is to be commended as we would not be the great university we are today without the commitment and creativity of our support units and staff. President Bruininks has encouraged us to break down barriers that divide us, discover the best ideas for managing our operations, and transform into an integrated, aligned, service-focused, and performance based administrative service and support system. When our administrative service and support operations are maximized, academic leadership can better focus their creativity, energy, and effort on building the academic enterprise--a critical reality if we are to achieve our goal to become a top three public research university.
The 80-plus members of the administrative task forces have been hard at work since September to define the activities that need to occur over the next three to five years to transform administrative operations. In early January each task force will submit an initial implementation work plan to the Administrative Service and Productivity Steering Committee identifying the projects that they will coordinate in line with their particular administrative recommendation.
The Steering Committee will spend January examining these work plans, ensuring that the activities are aligned with the strategic positioning goals and are transformative in nature. On February 1, 2006, the task force work plans will be posted for review by the University community for 30 days.
I encourage you to review the administrative recommendations and send us your ideas about additional opportunities to maximize the effectiveness of administrative service and support operations. Each administrative task force is accepting suggestions via a Web form on the strategic positioning Web site https://www.myu.umn.edu/metadot/index.pl?id=546389 . Additionally, I hope you will take the time to review and provide your ideas on our implementation plans in February. Check your e-mail in late January for more information.
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