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Improving performance
Institute focuses on new projects designed to improve quality
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
As it wraps up its third year of operation, the Institute for Administrative Quality Improvement (IAQI) continues to focus its efforts on improving the quality of administrative functions, processes and services at UB.
A joint venture between University Services and Student Affairs, IAQI concentrates on "overarching university issues and opportunities," says Robert J. Wagner, senior counselor to the president and executive director of the institute. "Our objective is to look at cross-unit and institutional issues."
The institute operates with an executive committee and a board that includes both permanent and rotating members representing member areas and the Administrative Systems Advisory Board (ASAB).
The institute's initial projects were On Campus Jobs, which links students seeking on-campus employment with university hiring units, and NEW (New Employee Welcome), designed to enable campus departments to provide newly hired employees with quick access to various campus services, including UB Card, UB IT name for email/Web access, parking tag, library access, payroll information and benefits information.
The institute has several more projects under way. They are:
UB Pride. The goals of this initiative, says Barbara Ricotta, associate vice president for student affairs, are to increase a sense of pride about UB among students and staff; introduce incoming students and staff to the history, traditions and accomplishments of the university; highlight accomplishments of outstanding alumni, and start new traditions focused on UB Pride.
Among the individual projects planned under the initiative are the production of a 10-minute video on the history of UB featuring famous alumni offering 30-second testimonials about their experiences at the university; providing new students and employees with a UB traditions handbook introducing them to the fight song, alma mater and a listing of current traditions and famous campus locations, such as Baird Point or Hayes Hall; giving new students and employees a UB gift during their orientation programs, and coordinating a "UB Day" during the Fall semester featuring such activities as a pep rally for the weekend football game and open houses with tours and displays highlighting departmental accomplishments.
Roll out of MyUB to staff members. While MyUB—the Web-based, personal portal that allows access to all of UB's Web resources through one convenient URL—has been available to all students and faculty since last fall, this initiative will bring that service to all staff members as well. According to the project's charter, MyUB is designed to provide a "one-stop, online environment for all university employees that contains the online tools and resources necessary to 'de-hassle' the university."
"Our goal is to provide a personalized/customized portal for UB students, faculty and staff based on their role and responsibilities on campus," adds Elias Eldayrie, associate CIO, noting that while there will be features common to all MyUB sites, staff members will be able to customize their individual sites to include features that may be unique to their job or personal interests.
The project is targeted for a full roll out to staff this fall, Eldayrie says.
Hiring Process Redesign. The goal of this project is to move the professional staff hiring process to an electronic format, according to a presentation on the project by Nancy Kielar, assistant vice president in the CIO Administrative Operations Office. Under the plan, hiring units would submit Authorization to Recruit (ATR) forms and Search Procedure Reports (SPR) electronically, and candidates would submit resumes via email. An online Toolkit would be developed to bring information about the entire recruitment process to one central site and guiding hiring units in conducting an effective affirmative action search. An interactive Web site also would be developed that would manage the hiring process from "needs assessment" to "appoint to payroll."
Kieler says she hopes that the first phase of the project—electronic submission of forms and resumes and development of the Toolkit, can be completed by this fall. Phase 2—the interactive Web site—is scheduled to be up and running by Fall 2004.
E-Procurement WebReq (Web Requisition). The goal of this initiative is to deliver a Web interface to the campus that supports the entry of all State, Research Foundation and UB Foundation purchase requisitions into the system, says Joe Kerr, assistant vice president for technology services, University Business Services. The project would automate the processing of purchase requisitions from the person who creates the order, to the approver, to Procurement, up to the generation of the final purchase order, he says. The goal is to have a pilot system in place by the end of the summer, he adds.
Paperless Administration. The UB administration operates in both the electronic and paper worlds, notes Wagner. The goal of this project is to cut back on the amount of paperwork generated across the campus and continue to move toward a "more paperless administration" in which more functions are accomplished online, he says. A paperless administration not only would use less institutional resources and provide more environmental benefits, but would be a more efficient and effective method of doing business in most cases, he adds.
For further information on these projects and on IAQI, visit the institute's Web site at http://iaqi.buffalo.edu/.