Efforts to develop a more automated process for the university’s travel and expense management needs have been underway for some time. As reported in On Campus News earlier this year, the University of Saskatchewan has selected UNIGLOBE as its preferred travel provider, following a request for proposal process last spring and board approval this past December. As well, we are in the early stages of implementing an online travel and expense tool with Concur Technologies Inc. aligned with UNIGLOBE’s travel management services.

With these arrangements, the university is on its way to a seamless online process for travel bookings and expense claims. The current manual, paper-heavy process was identified by the campus community as an opportunity for improvement during the Service and Process Enhancement Project (SPEP); the travel and expense management project is moving forward as part of the “Maximizing the Value of University Spend” area of Operating Budget Adjustments.

On Campus News sat down with the four co-chairs of the TransformUS taskforces - Beth Bilson and Lisa Kalynchuk on academic, and Kevin Schneider and Bob Tyler on support services - to talk about the past, present and future of program prioritization at the University of Saskatchewan.

Colleagues,

As promised in our March 20 memo, we now have a more detailed overview of the 2013-14 provincial budget and its implications for the University of Saskatchewan. The Province of Saskatchewan will provide our university with a total of $359.3 million in operating grant, capital funding and targeted funding for 2013-14, an increase of $35.8 million over 2012-13. Highlights regarding this 2013-14 increase in provincial funding are:

To all faculty, staff and students,

On March 18, 19 and 20, our TransformUS task forces participated in a series of workshops to learn more about the program prioritization process, determine task force co-chairs, and develop draft criteria, weightings and a categorization system for comment by the campus community. We are pleased to provide an update to the campus community on the progress they have made.

The task forces' initial thinking regarding the criteria, weightings and categorization system and directions for providing your input on these are outlined below. This will also be presented to University Council for consideration at its April 18 meeting. The task force co-chairs will be present at this University Council meeting to provide further information on how the draft criteria, weightings and categorization system were arrived at and the processes that will follow as the task forces move forward with finalizing these key elements.

Beginning in late April, once the criteria, weightings and categorization system have been finalized based on all input received, the task forces will begin their work with colleges, schools and units to collect data from the campus community regarding all programs and services.

Your comments and feedback on the criteria, weightings and categorization system will be gathered through a password protected web form. 

Read the full announcement from Provost Brett Fairbairn and Acting Vice-President Finance and Resources Greg Fowler.

The University of Saskatchewan's provincial operating grant for 2013-14 is close to what was expected but it does not alter the need to address projected budget shortfalls.

In its budget, released March 20, the provincial government announced an increase of $35.8 million to the U of S, including an increase of about 2.1 per cent to the annual operating grant, cash for building renewal and maintenance, and support for specific initiatives. While she expressed appreciation for the province's investment, President Ilene Busch-Vishniac said in a news release the university would continue to focus on adjusting its annual operating budget with the aim of achieving financial sustainability.

"Our attentions will still be focused on streamlining and seeking efficiencies in what we do and strengthening our focus on the areas we have identified as most important," she said. Speaking to Council March 21, Busch-Vishniac said that from her perspective, "the university did very well," particularly considering the seven-per-cent cut to post-secondary funding recently announced in Alberta and other financial challenges faced by institutions across the country. The grant increase "speaks volumes about the commitment of our government to our continued success."

With membership on the TransformUS task forces set, program prioritization expert Larry Goldstein was recently on campus talking with those involved to ensure the process got off to a good start.

"The way I've designed my consulting practice is to try to build institutional capacity with every engagement that I undertake," explained Goldstein, who worked with both task forces to establish operating principles, decision making protocols, draft criteria and weightings to be used during the academic and service program prioritization process.

"The whole idea here is that we want to start this well. We do all of the work that I'm directly involved in on campus over these few days and in all likelihood you won't see me again. I will have extensive telephone and email contact, but by and large they (the task forces) do the work by themselves now."