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Last November, Chancellor Scott presented a retrospective report on the University's progress toward the goals of Strategic Action. With the conclusion of the period governed by Strategic Action, the Striving for Excellence (SFE) initiative is also being brought to a formal conclusion.
Introduced in the fall of 1997, shortly after the introduction of Strategic Action, Striving for Excellence was the University's catalyst for restructuring. SFE evolved from administrative redesign efforts at the system level ("Administrative Excellence") and was designed to be sensitive to the organizational complexities of the Amherst campus.
Striving for Excellence involved a cross-section of the University community. The initiative was guided by the Campus Committee for Organizational Restructuring (CCOR), a group of academic and administrative leaders chaired by Deputy Chancellor Marcellette Williams. CCOR members met regularly to help identify University functions or processes that would benefit from review. Once a process had been identified and approved for review, project sponsors formed project teams. These teams gathered data, discussed the mechanics of the process and alternative approaches with the people involved, and formulated proposals for change, according to the rigorous methodology of the SFE Workplan.
According to Williams, "A complex undertaking, Striving for Excellence required the vision and dedication of CCOR and many members of the University community. I am grateful for their efforts over the past four years, as we have worked together to improve services on campus and learned to manage change more effectively."
With its comprehensive approach to systems analysis, Striving for Excellence has enabled the University to improve key institutional processes. Five project teams, involving more than 50 faculty and staff members, have employed the SFE methodology and produced change proposals which are currently being implemented across campus.
In Physical Plant, for example, following an SFE project team change proposal, a new Alterations Department has been formed to complete small-scale construction and renovation projects more quickly, efficiently, and effectively. In the Graduate School, the process of appointing graduate assistants has been streamlined, and planning is underway for the on-line processing of appointments in PeopleSoft.
A model for predicting the first-semester GPA's of incoming students has been developed as part of another SFE project. The model enables the University to identify students likely to experience academic difficulties in their first semester and target advising support to assist them more effectively. This "early warning" service will go into regular operation in the Fall of 2001.
Since its inception in 1997, Strategic Action was intended to make the University more integrative and resilient as it undertook the difficult work of ongoing change. As an organ of Strategic Action, SFE has strengthened the University's capacity to manage change in a thorough and thoughtful manner. The SFE methodology has complemented other change-related initiatives, including that of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and the work of the Training and Development staff within Human Resources.
Concluding the Striving for Excellence initiative does not imply that the University will relax its commitment to excellence, according to Williams. Process review and change efforts will continue to develop as systemic dimensions of work at the University.
Williams notes, "SFE may be concluding as a University initiative, but the University will continue to strive for excellence in all that it does. In the end, SFE refers to a habit of being and working, a commitment to constructive change that we make every day. Our experience with SFE gives the University a new level of insight, expertise, and organizational maturity that will be invaluable as we continue shaping the future together."
In the coming months, even after the conclusion of the overarching initiative, several review projects begun under the aegis of SFE will advance at their own pace. One project will involve an evaluation of the management of chemical materials on campus over their entire life cycle, from ordering through disposal. Team members have been identified, and research on chemical purchasing and inventory tracking at other universities has been initiated.
Another project team focusing on the delivery of business services completed its report in May, recommending that business service centers be established on the Amherst campus. Such centers are expected to increase efficiency, improve the quality of business services, and provide cost savings by consolidating business services. Further analysis of resources and space considerations is necessary before action is taken.
Two other teams are exploring ground transportation and printing. The ground transportation team will analyze how departments make use of vehicles around the campus and the state, including issues of risk management, cost efficiency, suitability of vehicles, and centralization. The second team will look at printing and copying activities to identify the most cost-ffective technology as well as the optimal organizational structure to deliver these services to the campus community.
These and other projects initiated under SFE will move forward in a manner deemed most useful by the project sponsors, typically the Vice Chancellor responsible for the process or function under review. Having completed its work, the Campus Committee for Organizational Restructuring will no longer recommend new projects or review change proposals. Information about the prior work of CCOR and the outcomes of the Striving for Excellence initiative is available on the SFE website (www.umass.edu/sfe).
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Copyright © 1998
University of Massachusetts, Amherst. |
