3rd Draft
Finance and
Administration
Goals to Assist with
the University Strategic Plan
August 30, 2004
Strategic
Direction #1: Enhance the University’s
reputation, visibility, and influence.
- Grants
and Contracts office will prepare a long form indirect cost calculation
that will enhance the revenue ability through maximum recovery of indirect
cost.
- Internal
Audit (IA) will evaluate the University’s fiscal integrity, compliance
with applicable state, governmental, and University policies to strengthen
the control environment.
- IA
will provide accurate, factual, and timely reporting to administration
that is clearly written and concise.
- IA
will make advisory recommendations for improvement when applicable.
- Athletic
Finance Control (AFC) will provide support to the Athletic Department and
to the ASU Indian Club to ensure that sufficient and comprehensive data,
records and reports are available for timely completion of audits by the
external audit firm.
- Finance
and Administration (F&A) will continue to develop electronic
communication tools to enhance the quality and speed of information
sharing with the university community.
- F&A
will participate in any way requested in preparation for the Centennial
Celebration.
- Facilities
Management (FM) will continue staff development efforts to create an
organization that is effective and efficient and recognized as a leader in
facilities management that provides opportunities for advancement.
- Human
Resources (HR) will stay apprised of classification/compensation systems
nationwide and position this office to make sound recommendations to the
President and others concerning ASU salary administration.
- HR
will stay apprised of benefit offerings nationwide and will continue to
explore feasibility of expanding current offerings to include the addition
of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), etc.
- Information
Technology Services (ITS) will develop a Web communications strategy in
concert with the University Advancement division.
- ITS
will develop connectivity relationships with regional K-12 schools to
provide advanced voice, video, and data services/content to all locations
throughout the Delta region.
- As a
University System, ASU will join or create a regional educational digital
library consortium to both reduce costs and increase resources available
to faculty, students, and staff of the ASU System.
- Business
Services always strives for visibility of excellence, and will continue to
develop and offer new services that will improve the reputation of the
University.
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Strategic
Direction #2: Enhance learning by
focusing on the institution’s priorities – teaching, research, and service.
- The
Quality and Efficiency Support Team (QUEST) will provide consultation to
areas upon request to enhance operational efficiency and adherence to
University Operating Policy and Procedures.
- FM
will maintain the teaching and learning environments at a high level to
minimize distractions to education.
- F&A
will continue to provide education and training opportunities for staff
skill enhancement.
- F&A
will continue to support the renewed research efforts of the University.
- FM
will provide accurate facility and infrastructure data via electronic
means.
- HR
will expand the training and development campus initiatives to include a
Center for the improvement of teaching.
- ITS
will create an “Information Commons” as a multi-media support location for
faculty.
- ITS
will create a Shared Learning Objects Repository that will serve as a
multi-institution resource for faculty to re-use electronic learning objects
in teaching and research.
- ITS
will develop a more significant in-house expertise in technology skills
that are required to actively promote and support a research-intensive
environment.
- Business
Services will continue to provide the appropriate infrastructure to
support student and faculty needs in order to enhance teaching, research,
and service.
Strategic
Direction #3: Develop a cohesive campus
community based on strong shared governance, excellent communication, and
mutual respect.
- F&A
will seek input from its various customers prior to implementing policy
and procedural changes, and communicate regularly with customers on needs
satisfaction.
- F&A
will continue to practice management principles that lead to sound
University administration as follows: Customer Focused; Continuous
Improvement, Effective Communication, Effective Leadership, and
Empowerment and Accountability.
- The
Department of Administrative Services will support shared governance
committee efforts by participating in the governing bodies of the
university.
- IA and
AFC staff will provide campus-wide training to ensure operating practices
are understood and to help ensure compliance with policies, laws, and
regulations.
- FM
will continue to provide a safe, collaborative and pleasant working
environment that encourages staff participation in problem solving.
- F&A
will continue efforts to develop mentors that will share their knowledge
and abilities with developing staff members.
- HR
will strive to become more Web based for customer services.
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- Business
Services will support and encourage communication, shared governance, and
develop good working relations with all departments.
- The
Budget Office will continue to ensure that all changes in policies and
procedures related to budget issues will be documented and maintained for
future reference. Open
communication will continue to be of utmost importance to the Budget
Office staff.
- ITS
will develop a holistic model for the delivery of information technology
resources and support services defined by user needs.
- ITS
will establish a hierarchical information technology support structure
which is institutionally planned to meet user needs.
Strategic
Direction #4: Develop a culture of
assessment to enhance institutional outcomes.
- F&A
will continue Peer reviews for input into organizational
effectiveness. F&A will
continue to improve benchmarking opportunities with peer institutions.
- IA
will gather data for established benchmark criteria to determine the
variation in activity from baseline information. A comparison of information will be
performed and reported.
- IA
will perform risk assessment analysis to identify areas of greatest
concern to the University to allow IA review to be prioritized.
- F&A
will use assessment tools to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of
services provided to the university community and the data will be used to
implement continuous improvement activities, e.g., an institutional
administrative information architecture accessible to and usable by the
University’s planners and decision makers.
- ITS
will explore the feasibility of developing a data warehouse for
institutional data storage and use for planning, decision making, and
advisement.
- ITS
will establish an institutional framework for information technology
leadership and planning.
- Business
Services continuously reviews and assesses all services for enhancements
of operations.
Strategic
Direction #5: Increase enrollment,
retention rate, and graduation rate of both undergraduate and graduate
students.
- Personal
development of staff through pursuit of University degrees will be
included in the Goals and Objectives of the Administrative Services staff.
- The
Administrative Services (AS) and Budget Planning and Development office staffs
will participate in University mentoring programs.
- F&A
will continue to encourage and facilitate opportunities for staff that
wish to attend classes.
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- FM
will develop at least one graduate assistantship within FM and continue
educational outreach activities to other facility operation staffs.
- HR
will enhance the effectiveness of the part time student worker program,
and ensure that the opportunities present themselves in an equitable
manner.
- ITS
will develop a virtual marketing plan to better market the University to
potential and current students.
This will be accomplished in concert with the Web Communications
Team, University Communications, and the Enrollment Management Committee.
- Business
Services will work diligently with all departments and students to support
and encourage retention, graduation, and enrollment growth.
Strategic
Direction #6: Enhance the diversity and
inclusiveness of students, faculty, staff, and curriculum.
- F&A
will continue to provide employment opportunities for females and
minorities, particularly in those categories for which the University has
specific goals. F&A will
continue to be sensitive to the cultural differences of all employees and
continue to finds ways to recruit more people from underrepresented groups. Each Unit manager will include diversity
in her/his annual goals and will be reviewed annually on those goals.
- The AS
staff will demonstrate sensitivity to affirmative action and equal
opportunity hiring by increasing knowledge of diversity related issues
through attending trainings and diversifying staff whenever new hiring
opportunities occur where possible.
- HR
will participate in diversity initiatives other than Craighead
County, e.g., West Memphis,
Blytheville, Earle, and
Osceola.
- HR
will stress that committees have student and minority representation.
- HR
will promote that diversity enhancement should be a part of the evaluation
of administrators.
- Diversity
will be an ongoing goal for Business Services.
Strategic
Direction #7: Increase resources to the
university.
- The AS
area will continuously seek opportunities where University departments may
increase revenues or decrease expenses and will communicate suggestions to
University administration and management when appropriate.
- FM
will continue to sponsor on-campus educational opportunities for the
public that, at a minimum, cover the cost for training ASU staff.
- FM
will continue to implement cost avoidance activities relative to facility
operations in order to keep operations cost as low as possible, e.g.,
utility savings annually.
- HR
will continue to research additional tax sheltered services, such as IRS
section 125 and section 132 services.
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- The
Budget Office will provide advice and expertise where necessary to assist
in developing programs geared toward entrepreneurship.
- ITS
will collaborate with faculty to seek corporate relationships and/or
consortia involvement to take advantage of available technology.
- Grants
and Contracts office will prepare a long form indirect cost calculation
that will enhance the revenue capability through maximum recovery of
indirect cost.
- Finding
new revenue resources and cost containment is an on-going goal for
Business Services.
Strategic
Direction #8: Strategically manage
resources among divisions and colleges based on institutional priorities.
- The F&A
units will manage staff and budgeted funds effectively and efficiently.
- The IA
and AFC areas will ensure that University organizational units are
functioning efficiently and effectively with adequate internal controls.
- The
Budget Office will develop alternate budget methodologies that will assist
ASU-J in restructuring its resource allocation process. The project will assure that existing
and future resources are appropriately invested to meet the University’s
mission and goals. The process will
establish principles and criteria for reallocation in the event of reduced
revenues. A draft document should
be completed by November, 2004 for discussion during the 2005-2006 University
Planning Council meeting.
- Business
Services will assist departments in maximizing purchasing power within
their budgets, e.g., MailMasters postal savings.
Filename: F&A Goals for Strategic Plan Aug-04
Date Prepared: August 30, 2004