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Administrative Task Force - Embrace and Achieve a Culture that is Committed to Excellence, Service, and Continuous Improvement

The goal of the culture task force is to define and communicate a university culture that supports its aspirations to become one of the best public research universities in the world.  Cultural transformation is at the heart of the strategic positioning initiative and has applications for the entire University of Minnesota system.  Working in concert with the faculty culture, people, and other task forces, this group will seek to build a sense of unity and common purpose around the university's core mission: education, research and public service.  It will seek to identify what makes the university unique and find ways to celebrate that as part of the institution’s culture.

This task force will begin its work by attempting to define the university's current culture and how key stakeholders view its strengths and weaknesses, as well as barriers to cultural change.  The cultures of other top public research universities will be assessed and benchmarked.  That process will provide insights and information that will help define the university's desired culture, including values, behaviors and aspirations.  What, for example, is a common thread that touches everyone in the university and unites us as a community?  Finally, communications strategies, human resource policies, and other systems needed to spread and induce cultural transformation will be developed.

Projects include: a system-wide survey; focus groups; benchmarking, and a comprehensive communication plan.  In collaboration with other task forces, the group will seek to identify and develop human resource processes that support cultural expectations (training, job descriptions, performance evaluations, rewards and merit systems) and budget and other administrative policies that support administrative efficiency, a customer service orientation, interdisciplinary collaboration and continuous improvement.

Implementation Plan due: January 1, 2006
Progress on "foundational" work efforts expected by: March 15, 2006

Task force charge letter from Kathleen O'Brien, Vice President, University Services

Task Force Chair Linda Thrane, Vice President, U Relations Task Force Members Name Position, Department, College Beth Zemsky Coordinator, OHR Dana Donatucci Facilities Support Supervisor, OFM Diana Harvey Communications Director, SPH Jan Batt Human Resources Director, CHE Jessica Philips External Lynn Casey External Regina Sullivan Senior Associate Athletics Director, Intercollegiate Athletics Nancy Hugg Associate to the Dean and HR Director, General College John Adams Professor, Geography, CLA Scott Martens Director, OSCI Theresa Glomb Associate Professor, Industrial Relations Center, CSOM Charles M. Denny, Jr. External Vince Magnuson Vice Chancellor, UMD Tom Zearley Student, IT Wokie Grigsby Technology Manager, University Relations Maria Pabon Graduate student, Social Psychology, CEHD Maggie Towle Director, Twin Cities Student Unions and Activities Amy Anderson External

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