UB has hired Chance Management Advisors Inc. (CMA), a firm that has
performed similar services for universities, medical centers, special
events centers and municipalities, says James Nadbrzuch, assistant vice
president for student affairs.
CMA will address a number of items in its study, Nadbrzuch says, including
data and service review, consumer need and satisfaction reviews, benchmarking
against peer institutions, operations and facilities audits, and analysis
of management structures.
The evaluation is intended to help UB provide the highest quality and
most cost-effective services possible to students, faculty and staff,
he says, adding it also will guide campus planning as the university
tries to maintain and improve its parking and transportation services.
CMA representatives conducted stakeholder meetings during their initial
visit to campus in September. During a visit last week, they conducted
operational reviews, as well as focus groups with students and faculty
members from both North and South campuses, student leaders, commuter
students, students residing in the residence halls and apartments, and
staff from the Office of Conferences and Special Events, Nadbrzuch says.
The consultant also has contracted with Student Voice—a marketing
research company composed of UB students and graduates—to survey
students on campus about the parking situation. Representatives of Student
Voice, whose founders won the first Henry A. Panasci Jr. Entrepreneurship
Awards competition last year, are using personal digital assistants
(PDAs) to collect data from students, says Matthew Worden, director
of project management for Student Voice who received his MBA from UB
in May.
The surveys, which are based on questions supplied by CMA, are done
"in a more conversational style," when students have a few moments of
downtime during their day, in an attempt to "capitalize on the peer
relationship," Worden says.
"Our objective," he says, "is not be intrusive, but to get the necessary
information."
In addition to the survey information collected by Student Voice, CMA
is developing a Web-based survey that will be open for input from all
members of the university community at www.chancemanagement.com/ubsurvey
from Monday through Dec. 18.
Nadbrzuch says CMA is expected to produce its findings by the end of
the semester.
"Based on the consultant's findings and suggested implementation strategies,
we will formulate a plan to offer parking and transportation services
that will work together to be responsive to the university's needs,"
he says.
