TransformUS Support Service Transformation Task Force announces prioritization criteria
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 15, 2013 Saskatoon - The University of Saskatchewan TransformUS Support Service Transformation Task Force announced their final criteria and weightings in a letter to the campus community May 15.
By University Communications
The finalization of the criteria against which all support services will be prioritized, and the weightings associated with each criterion, follows a month-long consultation period with the campus community where feedback was collected online and through discussions held with on-campus groups, including University Council.
"We have appreciated all the comments and feedback the task force has received during this consultation period, assisting us in making this effort more complete," said Support Service Transformation Task Force co-chair Bob Tyler. "As a result, we have made some changes to the final criteria and their descriptors."
The next step in the process will involve finalizing a template to allow administrative and academic units to submit information in relation to these criteria.
"Our task force is currently focused on finalizing a template that will enable us to collect information for prioritizing programs based on these criteria," said Support Services Transformation Task Force co-chair Kevin Schneider.
Information collection is expected to begin in late June.
For more information and updates throughout the project, please visit www.usask.ca/finances.
For more information, contact:
Jennifer Robertson
Communications Officer
Institutional Planning and Assessment
306-966-7815
jennifer.robertson@usask.ca
-30-
About TransformUS
TransformUS, under the direction of President Ilene Busch-Vishniac, is a process in which all academic and support service programs supported by the operating budget will be reviewed simultaneously and equally against criteria that will be developed by two task forces. The Academic Program Transformation Task Force will set criteria and review all academic programs offered through the university. The Support Service Transformation Task Force will set criteria and review the administrative support programs within both the academic units and the administrative units. Both task forces will provide a prioritization report to the President's Office by November 30, 2013. Following receipt of the reports of the task forces, decisions will be made by the governing bodies of the university to invest resources, make no changes, or eliminate or reduce programs or activities that rank as having lower priority according to these criteria.
TransformUS is targeted to achieve $20-25 million in savings annually once fully implemented. Of this, a minimum of $5 million will be made available for new investments in the highest-ranking academic programs and administrative services.
Support Service Transformation Task Force
Final Criteria and Weightings
Importance to the University of Saskatchewan (26%):
This criterion will focus on the overall importance of the support service to the success of the institution.
Internal demand (17%):
This criterion will focus on factors related to the level of internal (inside the institution) need for the support service.
External demand (10%):
This criterion will focus on factors related to the level of external (outside of the institution) need for the support service, as well as external mandates influencing the support service's efforts.
Quality (16%):
This criterion will focus on the quality of the support service.
Cost effectiveness (21%):
This criterion will focus on the resources consumed and the revenues generated by the support service relative to its output.
Opportunity analysis (10%):
This criterion allows the support service to describe the additional contributions it could make with specified additional resources.
Based on results, support services will be placed in one of the following categories (quintiles):
1. Candidate for enhanced resourcing
2. Maintain with current resourcing
3. Retain with reduced resourcing
4. Reconfigure for efficiency/effectiveness
5. Candidate for phase out, subject to further review
"We have appreciated all the comments and feedback the task force has received during this consultation period, assisting us in making this effort more complete," said Support Service Transformation Task Force co-chair Bob Tyler. "As a result, we have made some changes to the final criteria and their descriptors."
The next step in the process will involve finalizing a template to allow administrative and academic units to submit information in relation to these criteria.
"Our task force is currently focused on finalizing a template that will enable us to collect information for prioritizing programs based on these criteria," said Support Services Transformation Task Force co-chair Kevin Schneider.
Information collection is expected to begin in late June.
For more information and updates throughout the project, please visit www.usask.ca/finances.
For more information, contact:
Jennifer Robertson
Communications Officer
Institutional Planning and Assessment
306-966-7815
jennifer.robertson@usask.ca
-30-
About TransformUS
TransformUS, under the direction of President Ilene Busch-Vishniac, is a process in which all academic and support service programs supported by the operating budget will be reviewed simultaneously and equally against criteria that will be developed by two task forces. The Academic Program Transformation Task Force will set criteria and review all academic programs offered through the university. The Support Service Transformation Task Force will set criteria and review the administrative support programs within both the academic units and the administrative units. Both task forces will provide a prioritization report to the President's Office by November 30, 2013. Following receipt of the reports of the task forces, decisions will be made by the governing bodies of the university to invest resources, make no changes, or eliminate or reduce programs or activities that rank as having lower priority according to these criteria.
TransformUS is targeted to achieve $20-25 million in savings annually once fully implemented. Of this, a minimum of $5 million will be made available for new investments in the highest-ranking academic programs and administrative services.
Support Service Transformation Task Force
Final Criteria and Weightings
Importance to the University of Saskatchewan (26%):
This criterion will focus on the overall importance of the support service to the success of the institution.
Internal demand (17%):
This criterion will focus on factors related to the level of internal (inside the institution) need for the support service.
External demand (10%):
This criterion will focus on factors related to the level of external (outside of the institution) need for the support service, as well as external mandates influencing the support service's efforts.
Quality (16%):
This criterion will focus on the quality of the support service.
Cost effectiveness (21%):
This criterion will focus on the resources consumed and the revenues generated by the support service relative to its output.
Opportunity analysis (10%):
This criterion allows the support service to describe the additional contributions it could make with specified additional resources.
Based on results, support services will be placed in one of the following categories (quintiles):
1. Candidate for enhanced resourcing
2. Maintain with current resourcing
3. Retain with reduced resourcing
4. Reconfigure for efficiency/effectiveness
5. Candidate for phase out, subject to further review