Title: Enhancing Collaboration and Efficiency in Administrative Processes (Student Gift Cards)
Members: Rosa Bravo, Ariana Canales, Jennifer Conkwright, Jason Miller, and Ryan Murphy (team leader)
About: Our team investigated critical challenges in administrative processes and the role of administrative staff within the HR (Human Resources frame) framework in student research gift cards. Two key areas of focus include improving the efficiency of administrative processes across the institution and addressing the needs and challenges faced by administrative staff in their roles.
Summary of Findings:
- The current policies and practices lack transparency, requiring administrative units to navigate through unclear processes where documentation is not available or non-existent.
- Administrative processes involve multiple offices and complex forms, causing inefficiencies and delays.
- The burden of liability falls on the administrative support without proper authority to approve or reject the requests.
- The current process involves multiple offices and Adobe sign forms, causing inefficiencies.
- Administrative staff lack adequate training in university policies and regulations, exacerbating challenges performing their duties and service the needs of their department.
Summary of Recommendations:
- Invite Procurement to engage in a consultation to expand and elaborate on any future
plans, such as the implementation of initiatives like 鈥淭ango Card.鈥 Evaluate whether
this proposed process eliminates liability applicable to Administrative Support.
- Status Update: Procurement has provided an update that Tango has already been tested on campus, with success. Associated processes and guidelines are under final review and, once approved, will be shared with the campus community.
- Extend invitations to Financial Aid for specialized consultations, specifically about 1) reporting gift cards as financial aid and 2) about the authority
of Financial Aid to use professional judgment to increase students鈥 COA if they participate
in research. Assess whether this process minimizes the impact on student鈥檚 financial
aid award and what flexibility, if any, exists within the overall process.
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Status Update: (1) Financial Aid has been an ongoing partner at the table when working to fully understand any implications related to the use of gift cards, including how cost of attendance may be impacted and any appropriate options available to the students. (2) Professional judgement is guided by Federal regulations, and it allows the Financial Aid & Scholarships office to review a student's individual circumstances to determine if there is a reason to adjust a student's cost of attendance. This requires a student to demonstrate an increase in their educational expenses in alignment with the criteria outlined within the regulations.
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- Offer administrative staff the opportunity to collaborate in the process, ensuring
their voices are heard in reviewing and refining procedures. Evaluate the effectiveness
of these collaborative spaces in improving knowledge and professional development.
- Status Update: In progress.
- Advocate for development of universal 鈥淧OEC form鈥 that integrates the framework and
the 4-Frame Analysis Cheat Sheet (, 179 KB). This form should be accessible to all members of the campus community.
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Status Update: An evaluation of how the POEC form can be utilized moving forward to increase the campus鈥 efficiencies and output is underway by Organizational Effectiveness.
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- Incorporate a dedicated section on the campus website with operational processes that
can be reviewed and further developed for clarity and transparency. Step-by-step workflow
library available to all staff. Prevent guarding of information by promoting transparency
and inclusivity in decision-making processes. Cultivate a culture of openness and
trust, enabling circulation of knowledge among all stakeholders.
- Status Update: In progress.