Content Type: Expert Insight
Higher ed Facilities unionization rates across North America
We polled Facilities leaders across higher ed institutions in the United States and Canada about the unionization rates of their teams
What the Senate’s foreign interference report means for higher ed
Discover the implications the Senate’s report on foreign interference could have for how universities monitor and support faculty-driven research.
Assess market ROI for an effective strategic enrollment management plan
Learn how community colleges can assess potential student segments to determine the ROI of enrollment efforts.
How an applicant tracking system can help support a recruitment mindset
Shifting to a recruitment mindset can help you create a more robust candidate pool and reach previously untapped talent. But connecting with candidates year-round raises an important question: How do you manage all of the new applications?
3 ways CROs can proactively guard against the threat of foreign interference in research
To help higher education leaders prepare for potential foreign interference in research, we share three recommendations for CROs.
Target high-volume, high-frustration processes for initial shared services migration
Shared services units are designed to reduce inefficiencies and improve the service quality of transactional business activities. As is the case with organizational models, one size does not fit all when it comes to selecting a portfolio of activities to deliver via shared services. Some institutions have adopted an aggressive approach, consolidating all transactional administrative […]
5 defining challenges of the next decade
Across over a hundred interviews with chief advancement officers, associate vice presidents, and director-level staff, my colleagues and I identified the five defining challenges that advancement will face across the coming decade.
Provide transition support to both department-based and shared services staff
Administrative staff who remain in units and those who transition to the shared services center may feel equally anxious about stepping into the unknown. Uncertainty about changing roles and responsibilities can minimize buy-in and spark damaging rumors about what is waiting at the other side of implementation.
Introduce shared services incrementally, rather than with a “big bang”
Shared services developed a bad reputation in higher education in part because many early movers followed the private sector lift and shift model, “lifting” administrative personnel from units and “shifting” them to the new shared services organization all at once. In most cases, top-down mandates and mass migrations to shared services are neither desirable nor practical.
Engage shared services customers in the conversation around service expectations and ongoing performance
Faculty often equate physical proximity of support staff with service quality. Consequently, they fear that “distant” shared services will prioritize central projects, controls, and costs over academic unit needs.
