Transcript Slide 1
Mining Administrative Gold: Collaborating Cross-Campus to Find, Organize, and Share Resources Mining Administrative Gold Panel of Presenters John McBride – Texas State University Human Resources Director Suzanne White – Organization Development &Training Consultant Patricia Prado – Executive Assistant: VP for Finance and Support Services Mark Leamons – Texas State HR Information Systems Specialist What are we going to show you today? A Simple but Extremely Powerful Concept You Can Use to Increase the Effectiveness and Efficiency of your Administrative Support Staff We Suggest…. Capture your “Aha’s!” Jot down your questions for Q&A Note the acronyms and other information Considered Conditions Impacting Customer Service Implemented new Financial & HR System Decentralized support staff used resources inconsistently, ineffectively, inefficiently Some staff reluctant to use new resources No centralized, targeted training Resources not apparent or easily accessible Back office resource providers frustrated with front office users First Thoughts... Find a way to develop and implement a comprehensive training program Use North Carolina State’s model: A 4-day program that addressed critical business processes, such as – – – – – HR Accounting Budgeting IT Security Police & Parking Had Some Overwhelming Constraints Limited budget No professional trainers on staff Extremely lean staff with heavy workloads A Possible Solution… Appeal to the President’s Cabinet to fund a training program If funded, retain a consultant to develop and implement the program Gained Support & Assistance Gained President’s Cabinet support Retained Consultant Suzanne White to develop and implement an Administrative Support Staff Program Clarified Expectations 4-day comprehensive training program on University’s Business Processes/Services Research & Use NCSU’s model: QuickStart: University Business Practices Program Divide Project into Four Phases Project’s Four Phases Phase 1 Lay Groundwork Phase 2 Collect & Analyze Data Phase 3 Design Program Phase 4 Produce and Evaluate Program Phase 1: Laid Groundwork for Program Drafted the Project’s… – Vision – Mission – Goals – Desired Outcomes Vision Informed, Resourceful Texas State University Support Staff Mission Provide support staff information about the business processes, electronic applications, and other tools available on campus Project’s Primary Goal Identify the most cost-effective means to identify, organize, and share Support Staff Resources Desired Outcomes…. University’s Support Staff will Have access to information and processes they need to do exemplary work Know when and how to use resources effectively and efficiently Establish better working relationships with other staff, campus-wide Increase customer satisfaction Compared Texas State University to North Carolina State University Texas State Funding Sources Training/OD Departments Systems in Place 1. Legislative General Revenue Appropriations 2. Tuition & Fees 3. Endowments NCSU 1. State Appropriations 2. Tuition and Fees 3. Endowments (56%) $1.3 BILLION!!! in 2009 *No Training Department *Sophisticated T&D Dept. *Decentralized: Individual *Cost-Recovery System departments provide *5 fulltime T&D consultants Training & Development Professional Dev’t Office provides help with registration and logistics 1. Program Development 2. Registration/Attendance 3. Certification Programs Interviewed Key Players Director of Institutional Effectiveness – What tools were available for surveying administrative assistants? AVP for Instructional Technologies Support and AVP for Academic Affairs – What resources were available for presenters? The Six Executive Assistants – What were their insights? Executive Assistant’s Advice… 1-day in length, 3 times a year Each Division would provide an overview of its departments and operations Various departments would produce the program – HR- Set agenda/Coordinate presenters – Professional Development- Handle Logistics – Student Affairs- Moderate/Facilitate Events Texas State’s Constraints Skeletal Staffing – – – – Unlikely to get Managerial/Supervisory support Unlikely to get Department Reps to present Staff unlikely to attend a 4-day program Cost prohibitive to hire temps $10/hour x 8 hours = $80 x 4days = $320/temp/admin $320 x 25 admins attending each 4 day program = $8000 End of Phase 1 Presented rationale why NCSU’s 4-Day program may not be feasible Drafted Vision, Mission, Goals, Desired Outcomes for Program Phase 2: Collect & Analyze Data: What do the admins want? Surveyed All Support Staff Drafted a survey & EA’s edited it Institutional Effectiveness Office formated, administered, collected data Analyzed and summarized data Support Staff Provided Feedback 70% of the support staff responded to the survey! Why such a response high rate? 1. EA’s emailed their Division’s Admins 2. Support Staff wanted provisions Support Staff Reported Need for a Website with Links to Resources 48% reported they search online for the resources they need, but, as one person suggested, “From a new employee standpoint, a single link on the front page of the university website that told you where to find information would be great.” Others suggested… “One website that lists all the items an AA might require, listed alphabetically or by category and then (linked) to the particular department or office which owns the process.” and “Is there a possibility of an A-Z index being added to the Texas State homepage for easy access for locating specific items or information?” Support Staff Confirmed Their Need to Learn about the Wide Array of Resources One person pointed out, “…each (admin) has to learn different tasks for different situations with different priorities…. Whatever emerges should accommodate all these differences….” Half or More Respondents Indicated the Same Topics of Interest Division of Finance and Support Services – – – – – – Financial Services – accounts payable, travel, purchasing, payroll, moves and events Auxiliary Services – IDs, catering, printing, mail, vending, Bobcat tram Budget Office – budget development, budget reports Facilities – work requests, construction projects, recycling Environmental Health Safety and Risk Management – safety, insurance, Workers Compensation Human Resource – Master Data Center, employment, classification/compensation, benefits, leave and time, retirement work/life, dispute resolution, employee assistance program Division of Information Technology – – – – Reporting/resolving problems with computers, network connections, phones, classroom technology Software training, including SAP (the online Finance & Human Resource related services) TRACS: the online teaching, research, and collaboration system IT Security Topics of Interest, Continued Office of the President – Audits and Analysis – ethics, compliance – Equity and Access – hiring process, EEO Training – University Attorney – compliance, legal matters Office of the Provost/ Division of Academic Affairs – Registrar – class scheduling, grade rosters, administrative change forms – Marketing – logos and developing brochures Division of Student Affairs – Career Services – student employment services, career planning services. – University Police Department – criminal activity, safety and crime prevention programs, parking facilities and services and university keys. University Advancement – (None in top 17) The Big Question: How can we address such varied needs effectively with the university’s constraints? HR Director and Consultant Renegotiated/Redefined Project’s Deliverables Recommended New Products A Support Staff Resource Website: All resources at a single location and A Support Staff Resource Fair: Staff & Dept. Reps Networking Opportunities Began Developing Resource Website: Each Executive Assistant Collected Her Division’s Resources Resource URL Office/Dept Phone # Resulted in a 7-page, 10 point-font, single-spaced List of Resources Training Information In the meantime, Consultant Attended university’s website design class Discussed creating the website with the University’s Webmaster Followed his advice: Asked HR Director to identify staff to develop and maintain the website HR staff identified to develop the Support Staff Resources Website The 3 HR Site Developers Met with HR Director and Consultant to learn the site’s purpose Used EA’s list of resources to create site’s main page, arranging the resources by Division Later, created site’s page arranging the resources A-Z Developing the Other Initiative: The 1st Support Staff Resource Fair Needed a Cross-Campus Committee to Participate in Development and Prepare to Oversee Recurring SSR Fairs Getting Support for an Administrative Support Staff Committee to Oversee Resource Fairs Consultant wrote rationale for an ASSC HR Director advocated for establishing the ASSC to his Vice President VP recommended chartering the Committee to President’s Cabinet EA’s recommended members: 1 or 2 from each Division including Admins I to Admins IV President’s Cabinet chartered the Committee The Administrative Support Staff Committee chartered to ♦ Organize Resource Sharing Events ♦ ♦ Oversee the Website ♦ ASSC Executive Sponsor Bill Nance ASSC Co-Leaders John McBride Floyd Quinn ASSC Members Bret Adams Lisha Barker Sue Hall Linda Arredondo Dixie Burge Melinda Olivo Ethel Banks Cynthia Darling Ana Webb Facilitator – Suzanne White The Administrative Support Staff Committee Organizing the ASSC Began with a Team Building Meeting and shared mission Consultant facilitated weekly ASSC meetings with agendas to ensured timely progress producing 1st Fair Engaged Website Developers with ASSC Consultant’s Role in Phase 4 Orchestrated & Created Systems/Templates for The 1st SSR Fair Created Systems – – – – Presenter/Department Rep selection process Communications systems Assigning/Tracking ASSC roles/responsibilities Registration process Consultant’s Role in Phase 4 Orchestrated & Created Systems/Templates for The 1st SSR Fair Created Templates, Documents … – Fair Agenda – Presenters’ & Dept. Reps’ Logistics – Exercises & Job Aids for Participants – PowerPoints Consultant’s Role in Phase 4 After the 1st SSR Fair Administered, analyzed a Post-Fair Survey with the Institutional Effectiveness Office Prepared Report from SSR Fair Participant Feedback Facilitated a Post-Fair ASSC meeting Passed the Torch to ASSC Consultant’s Keys for Any Organization-Wide Endeavor Ensure Executive Support Base Decisions on Data Identify & Engage Key Players Empower Players Patricia Prado Executive Assistant/ASSC Liaison Serves as connection between ASSC and all Divisions’ Executive Assistants Oversees activities of the Administrative Support Staff Committee Texas State University Administrative Support Staff Over 500 Administrative Assistants Six Executive Assistants – – – – – – President’s Office Provost and VP for Academic Affairs VP for Finance and Support Services VP for Information Technology VP for Student Affairs VP for University Advancement Purpose of SSR Fairs Provide Support Staff Opportunities Network with Department Reps Attend “Hot Topic” Presentations Explore the SSR website Three Fairs Produced to Date * October 2010 * * April 2011 * * November 2011 * 350 Admins Have Participated Producing an SSR Fair Initial Planning – When? • Dates • Timeframes – Where? – Assign ASSC Roles/Responsibilities Producing an SSR Fair Determine – Workshop Topics – Departments Reps for Networking Producing an SSR Fair Arrange for – Location/AV equipment – Refreshments – Supplies – Give-Aways – Door Prizes Producing an SSR Fair Communicate with – Executive Assistants – Workshop Presenters – Department Reps – Potential Attendees Producing an SSR Fair Prepare… – Fair Agenda and Map – Nametags • ASSC members & Volunteers • Workshop Presenters • Department Reps – Feedback Forms for • Attendees • Department Reps Logistics for one SSR@TXSTATE Fair November 2011: LBJ Ballroom 25 Departments Represented 2 Presentations – TRAVELTracks/ Rental Car Billing – Student Info System SSR Website: Opportunities to – Explore the Site – Provide Feedback Producing an SSR Fair Follow up Activities – Collect and Summarize Feedback – Use Feedback for Improvements – Begin Planning Next Fair Mark Leamons HR Information Systems Specialist Will tell you about the SSR Website Worked with 3-member HR technical team to develop the SSR Website Maintains the SSR website The SSR Website WENT LIVE! At the 1st SSR Fair October 27, 2010 The website provides links to… Offices, Divisions, Departments – Contact Information – Org Charts Business Processes Services Electronic Forms Training Opportunities SSR Fair Participants Explore the Website at the Fairs Take hands-on tour of site Discuss it with developers Provide feedback Tour the Site Access the Resources Website from the Texas State Homepage Click on “Expand Navigation” ↑ Click on “Support Staff Resources” under “Faculty and Staff” ↑ Search for Resources on the SSR Website Main Page, arranged by Division Note the Divisions listed across the page – Click on a Division to see its Resources ↑ President │Academic Affairs │Athletics │Finance and Support Services │Information Technology │Student Affairs │University Advancement Note the tabs near the top of the page – Click on the “Resources A to Z” tab to access the alphabetized list of Resources ↑ Search the Support Staff Resources “A to Z” Page Click on the 1st letter of the resource you seek on the “A-Z quick link” bar ↑ Or, Scroll Down With Your Mouse ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ We Ask Users to…. Provide Feedback at http://ssr.hr.txstate.edu Click on the “Feedback” tab to access the feedback form ↑ Fill in the Form and Submit Your Ideas ↑ SSR Website Usage to Date Number of “Main Page” Visits: 18,775 Number of “A-Z Page” Visits: 3,243 Number of Page Views: 22,267 Unique Visitors: 3,282 Total Visits: 13,335 Average Time on Site: 5:07 minutes % New Visitors: 23.88% SSR Website Top Traffic Sources by Keywords Procurement Card: 732 Visits Dean of Students: 670 Visits Leave Request: 453 Visits Payment Request: 419 Visits Travel Tracks: 372 Visits New Student Worker: 324 Visits Departmental Deposit Form: 201 Visits I-9: 190 Visits Back to John McBride…. Staff’s Comments on the SSR Website “I love the SSR Website… a valuable and time saving resource. Thank you! Thank you!” “…I have found it quite helpful and it’s a site I frequent. I love the layman’s terms and the less than two click accessibility…. I don’t know why it’s taken so long to come up with this for Support Staff! Thank you bunches!” “I only recently discovered the resources page and think it’s great…. THANKS! Keep up the good work!” SSR Fair Participants’ Feedback Support Staff Say They Like Associating faces with names and voices Mingling with knowledgeable staff Gathering a variety of info in one place Asking specific reps specific questions Freedom to come and go as their individual schedule permits Cross-Campus Impact Resources are apparent, understood, and easily accessed Support staff use resources more consistently, efficiently, effectively Improved communications between resource providers and users These improvements have raised the quality of customer service Looking to The Future: Continuous Improvement Forms Guides Manuals Checklists Handbooks The Beauty of Support Staff Resource Websites and Fairs Applicable to any size institution Cost effective Needed information is already on-hand No need for additional staff Dynamic and easily updated Mark will demo the website before we have a discussion Thank You! for attending Mining Administrative Gold!