Administrative Task Force Recommendations
March 30, 2005
The University of Minnesota is recognized for its professional management, but to carry out the strategies outlined above, will require a coherent institutional focus and a fundamental transformation of administrative operations and cultural expectations across all University campuses and operations. Of the over 100 strategies identified, will advance the University’s commitment to improve services and achieve a more productive workforce; many will create real savings. At this time, the task force has identified four strategies that recognize potential savings in the range of $15 million annually. These are an indication of the kind of saving the University could achieve.
The administrative strategic planning task force recommendations include:
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Recognize the University of Minnesota, its campuses, colleges, departments, and units as a single enterprise. Establishing uniform standards and systems will help reduce duplication of administrative processes and their associated support structures.
- Embrace and achieve a culture that is committed to excellence, service, and continuous improvement. A culture which is aligned with and encourages transformational behavior and outcomes is essential for the University to achieve its strategic vision.
- Transform the “centralized vs. decentralized” administrative structure. A new model of how we organize and structure administrative support to the academic enterprise must be created so we can make the best use of all of our resources
- Adopt best-practice management tools throughout the University. Providing better information will support fact-based decision-making and will demonstrate successes, target areas for improvement and maximize the effective use of resources.
- Focus administrative support on serving students, faculty, and academic units. Strengthening our understanding of the people we serve will allow administrative and support units to provide excellent services in alignment with their needs.
- Maximize opportunities for the people of the University to grow, develop, and contribute. The University of Minnesota must transform its human resource system to foster creativity and innovation while enhancing effective, accountable administration. This means not only recruiting individuals at the top of their disciplines, but also providing individuals the means to develop new skills, once hired.
- Optimize the use of the University’s physical, financial, and technological resources. Strategic resource acquisition, management, and redeployment are essential if the University is to achieve its long-term goals and advance academic quality.
These seven recommendations and associated strategies are comprehensive and far-reaching. All seven recommendations are inter-related and therefore must be advanced together in order for transformational change to be possible. Substantial progress on these recommendations will take three to five years and will require focus, persistence, and a considerable commitment of human and financial resources, but will ultimately avoid costs and achieve savings. The University has the support, commitment, and resolve among its administrative and support unit leaders to achieve this agenda.
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