Ainslie updates campus on the status of workforce planning effort

The following update is from Carolyn Ainslie, vice president for planning and budget:

"It has been approximately two months since implementation of the universitywide hiring freeze and formation of the Workforce Planning Team. The Workforce Planning Team has been meeting regularly to define objectives and to develop a plan for a comprehensive review of non-academic staffing requirements across the university. The team has established the following three objectives for the workforce planning effort:

• Clearly define roles, responsibilities, standards of performance, and accountabilities within each major administrative area and function throughout the university;
• Realize substantial and on-going financial savings as well as increased effectiveness and efficiency in support services across campus; and,
• Improve competitive market-pay position for staff.

"The major functional areas identified for review include human resources, financial management, alumni affairs and development, student services, information technology and facilities.

"A team will be established to lead each review. The specific structure of the review team for each area will likely vary to best fit the needs of each review. We expect that reviews of each major administrative function will be conducted through either an internal or external review process, or possibly a combination of both in some areas. We are still developing a plan for how an external review process might be conducted in particular areas but, in general, we expect that external reviews will follow a format similar to external academic program reviews. We will keep you informed as reviews in each area are initiated.

"President Rawlings, Provost Martin and Vice President for Administration and CFO Craft have accepted our recommendation to begin the workforce planning review in the area of human resources. Vice President Mary Opperman has been asked to lead the human resources functional review. The review team will develop planning scenarios that would enable a reduction of resources in this area campus-wide. The planning scenarios will focus on work definition, organization structure and position responsibilities. This review is to be completed by June 30, 2002.

"The Workforce Planning Team is currently developing the charge for two additional functional reviews to be initiated within the next month. We will advise you of these reviews once the direction is finalized.

"Implementation of the hiring freeze and initiation of the workforce planning effort have no doubt raised significant challenges for you in each of your units. I expect that some of you may be wondering what the overall target of this effort is in terms of budget savings. We have not yet established any overall targets. Staffing objectives are likely to vary by functional area, as necessary to support the overall mission of the university. However, it is clear that there are significant budget pressures facing the university. They challenge us to take a hard look at how non-academic support functions are performed, in an effort to reduce the resource commitment in these areas.

"Please do not hesitate to contact me or other members of the Workforce Planning Team if you have questions or concerns as the workforce planning effort moves forward."

The members of the Workforce Planning Team are:

Vice President Carolyn Ainslie, Vice Provost Walter Cohen, Dean Susan Henry, Dean Philip Lewis, Vice President Inge Reichenbach, Dean Robert Swieringa and University Budget Office Senior Project Director Paul Streeter.