In order to identify how well UNM is doing in the area of operations and management systems, the Committee reviewed the revised mission, vision and value statements; “Environmental Scan”; brainstorming session results; and previous UNM reports. These documents were also valuable in helping to identify gaps in operations and analyze to what extent processes and systems are integrated across departments, branch campuses, and the University as a whole.
OPERATIONS
UNM’s current operational structure, which
is somewhat decentralized, has allowed for creativity, flexibility, and
specialization resulting in areas of excellence. The increase in
research dollars and national recognition of UNM’s programs are testimony
to the great things that are being done at UNM. Credit for these
accomplishments goes to University faculty and staff who are dedicated,
hard-working, talented individuals. They have developed expertise
in working processes and systems to enable things to happen in their respective
areas. However, the downside to this structure is that functional
“silos” develop which can impede collaboration and cause a breakdown of
the “one university” concept. Things that work well within silos,
become somewhat dysfunctional when cross-departmental activities are tried
or required.
The “Environmental Scan” made it clear that UNM faces a changing environment with continued limited funding. In addition, UNM faces political pressure for higher education accountability, urgent physical infrastructure needs, and rapid information technology changes. The brainstorming sessions provided insight on the following operational concerns. UNM needs to streamline bureaucracy, improve customer service, encourage collaboration, and focus on accountability.
To stretch available funds, UNM should adopt a strategic initiative to encourage collaboration. UNM and other higher-ed institutions should actively search for opportunities for collaboration, while working with the CHE and other state entities to remove impediments to collaboration such as formula funding which encourages competition and discourages collaboration and economies of scale. UNM should also work towards more collaboration within the University and consolidation of services. A working example of collaboration between departments is the various networking groups that have been developed by employees to help them understand how colleagues are doing things. The University has made recent progress in the consolidation of services: Auxiliary Enterprises consolidated food services on campus. These positive approaches need to be encouraged.
The increased challenges identified in the “ Environmental Scan” coupled with limited funding will require UNM to re-evaluate the way it operates. The current approach where departments implement department-specific solutions may be cost-effective for the department, but is expensive for the institution. Solutions are re-created and paid for many times over, and the results may not be aligned with the overall goals of the institution. Likewise, central administrative systems have typically been developed to meet the compliance and reporting needs of central units without analyzing the effect on departments and users. UNM must approach operations and management systems with an institution-wide focus using integrated processes and information systems that talk to each other and work together with a focus on the needs of our customers.
The Electronic Management Information Systems (EMIS) project operates on this premise and has identified key principles in its re-engineering processes that will serve UNM well in process design and re-evaluation in the future. These principles focus on user and customer needs and involvement, decision-making and authority at the point where the action takes place, and adaptability to a changing environment. A constantly changing environment requires systematic, regular review of UNM’s processes to identify and evaluate effectiveness and efficiency with a goal of growth and improvement, not fault finding. The Committee identified some major areas that should be looked at first.
Student Service
UNM has dedicated, hard-working employees
in the student service area, but UNM is still operating under the traditional
processes of requiring students to physically come to the campus and go
from one department to another between 8 – 5, Monday through Friday.
The ITEL phone and web interfaces to the Student Information System have
gone a long way in changing this by allowing students to register, add,
and drop classes and to check class availability and grades without coming
to campus. UNM needs to build on these successes. In this competitive
environment students will look for the best education that meets their
needs, so UNM must analyze student expectations, goals, and cultures.
Why are we here? Many organizations are changing their hours; even
traditional “bankers’ hours” have changed. While maintaining standards,
UNM needs to make it easier for students to apply, be admitted, register,
and receive advisement. There are some good models on campus that have
achieved success in this area.
The Staff-as-Students program helps 200 to 300 students each semester through the process using a one-stop shopping concept. The program enables students to be admitted, receive advisement, and register for classes in approximately twenty minutes. This process is possible through the concerted effort of experts who have the authority to take action on the spot. The Executive MBA program uses a similar one-stop shopping approach. The EMBA also re-designs courses based on feedback from students.
Academic Advisement
Advisement plays a critical role in the
success of students at UNM and is an area that causes students considerable
frustration. Sometimes students are told at a late date that they
are short hours and will not graduate as planned. Staff members refer
to this notification as a “B-52” letter. UNM needs to help students avoid
such a situation. Advisors are dedicated and hard-working but staffing
levels have not changed even though enrollment has increased by a third.
Advisement problems are due to limited staffing, lack of shared information,
inconsistency in application, and processes that do not focus on student
needs. Much of an advisor’s time is spent on gathering information.
Better coordination, training, communication, and consistency in job descriptions
between departments and campuses would greatly enhance this process without
a significant increase in staffing.
A computerized system “Project Progress” was recently developed to reduce the clerical aspects of advisement. Unfortunately the system did not have institution-wide commitment and advisors were not encouraged by their respective departments to participate in the development of the system. This resulted in a lack of understanding and buy-in. With participation by advisors, the system could be enhanced to free up their time to support student academic success.
Academic Planning
UNM needs to focus on learner-centered
education and change how we schedule classes. Required classes are held
concurrently or at a time when non-traditional students cannot attend.
Instead of scheduling classes for the convenience of the University, we
need to schedule classes so that students can take needed classes, when
they can attend, and with proper spacing to help ensure a student’s success.
This scheduling approach will also allow UNM to better manage classroom
space. The Anderson School of Management does a great job with academic
planning and could be used as a model for other departments and colleges.
With a shift in emphasis to learner-centered education, incorporating more electronic processes, and looking at non-traditional work scheduling, UNM may be able to improve student service without requiring a permanent FTE increase.
Administrative Processes
Administrative processes at UNM need to
be improved with an emphasis on customer service. The University
Hospital developed the Quality Service Everytime (QSE) program, which HSC
has implemented with some success. The program focuses on customer
service, employee involvement, and system and process improvement.
This approach develops a partnership with the customer to identify customer
needs and agree on what services UNM will try to provide. This program
could be modeled throughout UNM.
EMIS is analyzing the various administrative processes with the perspective of re-engineering them and developing information systems to automate them. These systems include procurement, hiring, and employee reimbursements. Analysis of procurement has been completed and is ready for system development. This re-engineering analysis has already resulted in some preliminary improvements and the remainder of UNM’s administrative systems should be evaluated in the same way.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS
Dedicated information technology (IT)
personnel have worked hard over the past decade to develop student and
business systems and provide UNM with communication networks that have
enabled considerable accomplishments in this highly technical age.
Over the past decade, systems have been developed to address department-specific
or central-office needs resulting in systems and data that do not effectively
serve the end user. Many of these problems are caused by the lack of operating
under a common IT infrastructure with integrated information systems that
allow departments to share information. Administrative systems must
be integrated and provide information in comprehensible formats.
Institution-wide decision-making and priority-setting needs to be formalized.
Information technology has moved from the back office to the front office. It pervades the University and needs to be represented and discussed at the highest level. One way other organizations have accomplished this is by adding the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO). If UNM decides to pursue this option, the position should be carefully defined to keep expectations reasonable and provide strong support to ensure success. A possible alternative to a single CIO position is a group approach. UNM needs to look closely at what has and has not worked at other organizations and develop an information technology strategy for the next ten to twenty years.
Computer Support
As information technology becomes an integral
part of day-to-day operations at UNM the issue of departmental computer
support becomes more critical and costly. UNM should recognize and
enhance the IT support provided by front-line staff in departments, by
providing professional development, strong support from CIRT, and compensation.
This method could facilitate "staff-sharing" between smaller departments.
Computer support costs can also be reduced by standardizing equipment and
applications across campus. This would allow computer support staff
to develop deeper expertise and provide quick, efficient support.
Other universities and local organizations can provide models for UNM in
this area.
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
The organization must lead from the top,
manage from the middle, and make decisions as close to the customer as
possible. A healthy, functional management structure is built on
trust, with multiple levels of input and feedback, where individuals feel
safe to question processes, make decisions, and fail. An organization
the size and complexity of UNM requires a well-defined management structure
with clear roles and responsibilities. Within this structure individuals
must be well-trained, provided with the resources and tools to succeed,
and be recognized, rewarded, and held accountable for their actions.
Leadership
There needs to be constant, clear communication
of UNM’s vision, mission, and values with emphasis on decisions being based
on institution-wide concerns. The President’s Executive Cabinet has
begun this process by valuing collaboration, cooperation, and input.
This philosophy of “one university” should be officially adopted throughout
UNM. It is critical that these messages reach all levels of management,
from deans and directors, to mid-management, to supervisors on the front
line. Without this clear communication, well-intentioned decisions will
be made for the wrong reasons. Examples include the multiple systems
for email, ID cards, and calendaring. Each system was implemented
for good reasons when viewed from a unit perspective, but together they
add cost and confusion.
UNM’s leaders need to require each level of the University to set goals that are in alignment with institutional goals. They also need to model expected behavior by establishing expectations, rating the performance of those that report to them, and holding all faculty and staff accountable. The philosophy at UNM should be to hire good people, give them goals, provide boundaries, give them tools and resources, and support them in carrying out their job.
Management
Upper administration must work to build
a more effective, strong, well-trained middle management tier in the organization.
Over time, because of heightened concern about public scrutiny and compliance
with regulations and legal requirements, decisions that should be made
by middle management have been delegated up. This has happened out
of a “fear” of making mistakes. Management by upward delegation (MUD)
does not work. MUD requires the few to do everything, whereas teamwork
releases the energy of the many. An institution the size of UNM cannot
be managed from the top down; management of day-to-day operations must
take place at the mid-management level.
UNM needs to foster an environment in which respect for mistakes and failures are accepted as normal in the learning and improving process. Managing people in these litigious and chaotic times requires a higher level of emotional and personal risk-taking than in decades past. Managers will take appropriate risk (i.e. new projects, disciplinary actions) if they believe the University will stand behind them. There needs to be a focus on resolving problems rather than “identify and crucify” or “identify and ignore.” Both of these approaches may lead to short-term benefits, but long-term results are destructive. The University needs to support the decisions made by managers. If the decisions are poor, the University should address the manager’s judgment as a personnel issue.
At UNM managers must have knowledge and expertise in personnel management, finances, information systems, policies, project management, and ethics. The University must take the stance that managers are required to have intensive training at the start of their management career at UNM and continuous professional training throughout their career. This requirement needs to apply up through the vice president level to demonstrate a commitment to the value of training and model desired behavior. If senior management does not buy in, no one else will. To ensure such training takes place, there should be a formal professional education requirement with annual reporting.
For middle management to be the strong force needed at UNM, they must be well-trained, supported, informed, and given the tools necessary for success. This requires a formal support structure to enable managers to make good institution-wide decisions consistent with UNM’s philosophy, mission, vision, and goals. This support structure needs to provide training, communication avenues, and a safe environment to try new ideas without fear of failure.
COMMUNICATION
UNM must improve and increase communication
with particular emphasis on communication between the branches and departments.
Communication must be encouraged up and down the hierarchy and across departments
and campuses. To encourage real communication, senior administration
must solicit and accept feedback. When they show a willingness to
listen, learn, and change, especially in a formal way, they will increase
trust and their own effectiveness. There must be focus on University
values and philosophy, not just the dissemination of news. UNM needs
to provide a centralized, formal structure to facilitate communication
that is readily available for use by managers.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The University Business Policies and Procedures
Manual has become the definitive policy resource on campus. Many
employees depend on it to help them do their job. However, the brainstorming
sessions indicate that policies and procedures need to be consistently
applied across campuses and departments while not being rigor-bound and
inflexible. There needs to be an on-going review of policies
and procedures to ensure effectiveness. What appears to be a major
conflict between employees wanting policies and procedures to be consistent
University-wide and yet flexible is actually the result of trying to manage
via policies and procedures. In absence of a strong management training
program and an effective communication network, policies and procedures
have been used to fill that void. Currently, policies not only set
the boundaries for making decisions, they provide instruction on how to
accomplish a task, and communicate critical information to the institution.
For policies to accomplish this multi-faceted task they must become long
and cumbersome. As UNM develops strength in the management and communication
arenas, policies should be thoroughly reviewed and rewritten to ensure
the University’s mission, vision, goals, and fiscal responsibilities are
met while allowing flexibility for decision-making by strong, effective
management.
To be effective policies must be enforced and individuals who violate them held accountable at all levels. Accountability is a key to enabling UNM to delegate authority and responsibility to the lowest level. Before we can hold individuals accountable we must provide them with the tools, training, and support they need to do their job. To provide this guidance the University should develop a policy that reflects this philosophy.
CONCLUSION
The “Environmental Scan” makes it clear
that the days of sitting back and doing business as usual are over.
If UNM is to thrive in the coming years, it must take a close look not
only at the current effectiveness of its operations and management systems,
but also their ability to be effective in the changing environment of higher
education. UNM must foster a climate of “one University” with
institutional goals incorporated in every decision made at UNM while working
to understand, accept, and value the differences between branches, colleges,
departments, faculty, staff, and students. Operations must be designed
to meet the needs of our customers and those we hope to have as customers.
UNM must develop an information technology strategy that is committed to
integrated systems, prioritizes system development, develops proposals
for funding development, addresses basic standardization of information
technology, and provides front-line support. The management structure
of the University needs strong leadership from the top, well-trained management
from the middle, and informed decision-making at the lowest levels, with
all these individuals operating in a safe environment that encourages initiative
and creativity. UNM must continue to improve communication throughout
the institution with people providing input and feedback. Policies
and procedures need to provide the necessary boundaries to ensure responsibility
and accountability, while remaining flexible enough to allow employees
to adapt to a changing environment. UNM needs to constantly evaluate
its operations and management systems with a focus on UNM’s mission and
meeting the changing needs of our varied customers, from students to patients
to the community.
Summary of Working Paper
Operations
UNM’s decentralized structure can impede
collaboration, cross-departmental activities, and a sense of being part
of a greater picture. UNM needs: