Like our higher education peers, the CSU is facing external constraints that require us to think strategically about our cost structures. We must continue to find ways to ensure we are good stewards of the CSU’s limited resources while supporting our students’ success and achieving our strategic priorities. The currently decentralized operations offer opportunities to collaborate and rethink how some of our work is performed. We believe that now is the time for the CSU to meaningfully unite in shaping our future as one CSU. Through this project, we expect increased collaboration to:
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Enhance the quality and efficiency of customer service
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Increase economies of scale
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Save or avoid costs and improve efficiency
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Streamline and simplify processes
Guiding Principles for this Initiative
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Given our significant financial challenges, we are looking at ways to significantly reduce costs at our 23 universities through collaborating on administrative processes.
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Streamlining and simplifying processes; standardizing where practical to reduce duplication and redundancy.
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Enhancing the quality and efficiency of customer service as delivered by a skilled workforce.
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Leveraging the size of the CSU system and its technology competencies and assets to increase economies of scale.
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Increasing opportunities for collaboration across the System while meeting university-specific needs.
Input from stakeholders across the CSU will be critical to the success of the Multi-University Collaboration Initiative. The Initiative’s steering committee will work with the CSU’s 23 universities over the next six months to design future state services in the three focus areas. Stakeholders may be asked to serve on governance committees, provide subject matter expertise—including participation in workshops to align future state design elements such as collaboration models, and joint accountability and accountability agreements—and serve as liaisons between design teams and campus communities.
Multi-University Collaboration Initiative Governance Structure
Executive Steering Committee
An important element of this work is providing transparency in how decisions will be made as well as clear opportunities to provide input across the universities. Key decisions related to recommendations will be made by the CSU Collaborative Services Steering Committee, which is chaired by Steve Relyea, Executive Vice Chancellor, Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Sponsor of the initiative. The CSU Collaborative Services Steering Committee is also responsible for defining the vision for multi-university collaboration, and, ultimately, serving as champions throughout the project.
Members: Scott Apel, Jeffrey Armstrong, Debbie
Astone, David Beaver, Ed Clark, Soraya Coley, Albert Liddicoat, Jamillah Moore, Dan Melchior, Richard Ogle, Robyn Pennington, Steve Relyea, Dilcie Perez, and Cathy Sandeen.
Advisory Groups
Advisory groups include existing leadership groups across the CSU such as Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs), and Chief Administrators and Business Officers (CABO) who can provide feedback where appropriate throughout the project. The CABO Advisory group comprises 23 university-level vice presidents of business and administration who provided insights into the current state, relevant past and current initiatives, and top opportunities. Guiding principles for the project were developed through discussions with the Steering Committee and the CABO group. For more information, see the CABO information page.
Core Project and Change Management Team
The CSU core project management team provides direction and support throughout this initiative, promoting transparent communication with stakeholders across the CSU. They will also support the tracking of the overall work plan, progress against key activities and milestones, risks, issues, and decisions, and project governance.
CSU Members: David Beaver, Robyn Pennington, Alexis Nalknimbalkar, and Dan Melchior.
Workstream Sponsors
Workstream Sponsors serve as “boots on the ground” messengers across the system, collaborating with Multi-University Collaboration Initiative leadership on communications and change management activities.
Members: Albert Liddicoat (Benefits Administration), Dave Beaver (Procurement), and Ed Clark (Information Security).
Workstream Leads & PMO
Workstream Lead & PMO owners take a leadership role in their respective workstream, helping establish and coordinate the implementation team and broader CSU’s efforts through activities such as supporting the development of detailed activity plans for execution and leading report-outs on workstream progress.
Members: Beth Ryan (Benefits Administration), Dave Beaver (Procurement), and Josh Callahan (Information Security).
Implementation Teams
Implementation teams are responsible for leading the planning, design, and implementation of their respective workstream, engaging regularly in workshops and providing feedback on the workstream area’s future state, and developing proposed key performance indicators and service level agreements for their respective areas.
Members: Membership to be confirmed, with each team anticipated to comprise one university-level functional representative and 10-12 representatives across the 23 universities and the Chancellor’s Office.
How Will Universities Be Involved?
Input from staff and faculty across the CSU will be critical to the success of these efforts. Stakeholders across our universities and the Chancellor’s Office may be asked to:
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Serve on Governance Committee(s) for this work
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Provide subject matter expertise into each opportunity, including participation in workshops to align on future state design elements such as collaboration models, service level agreements, and joint accountability agreements
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Serve as liaisons between the teams designing the future state and your university’s community, providing input to the project team, and making sure that your university is aware of project milestones
Stakeholder Engagement to Date:
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85+
stakeholders engaged in functional area focus groups
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60+ CSU advisors engaged
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57
Survey responses from CABO and CIO members across CSU
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10+
Future state workshops and interviews