PHASE I

If you read our last issue (Serving State), went to the Kickoff Meeting or one of the three Town Hall meetings held in October, or visited this website that went up in November, you already know we’re well into Phase I of the Division’s new Strategic Plan – the Visioning Phase. People are getting involved, and we are moving forward!

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

Town Hall Meetings were held three times in October at three different locations: Shaw Hall, Food Stores, and the MSU Union. Invitations were sent to everyone in the Division, and several hundred people attended. Most people viewed these meetings as a great way to get informed about and involved in the upcoming changes.

Taking advantage of available technology, we created a survey to obtain feedback about the meetings, and we put it on our new Strategic Planning website. Of those who attended the Town Hall Meetings and took the online survey, 88% plan to get involved in the Strategic Planning process in some way. Comments were also recorded at the Town Hall meetings, and you can hear them by visiting the site.

WEBSITE

The new Strategic Planning website has attracted a lot of visitors, as well as considerable positive response. Resources available on the site include the nine values important to the Division’s future, the H&FS Vision and the Strategic Planning PowerPoint presentations, and a description of each of the seven Divisional Work Groups.

Surveys are available on this site for three different topics: the Divisional Kick-Off meeting, Divisional Values, and the Town Hall meetings. You can now view the results of all three on the site. Comments range from complimentary to critical, and all results are presented, so check it out.

You can also read the interview with Vennie Gore or read about the Values Workshops held in November. Finally, you can get involved by filling out our volunteer form. We want your feedback, and here’s your chance to be heard. Be sure to visit this site often, as it changes regularly. We will soon be adding a blog, as well as current information about Human Resources and the Division.

WORK GROUPS

Seven Divisional Work Groups have been formed, and most have met at least once. You can find membership lists for each group on the website. Thanks to the chairs of each group, we have a short summary of what’s happening in their respective areas:

Organization Development (chaired by Denise Zieleniewski)

The first meeting of this "dual purpose" group will be in January. In addition to their work on organization development, this group will also be an advisory work group for the Boldness By Design Initiative of "Creating a More Inclusive Work Environment." To help accomplish their task, they have added Organizational Development Consultant Lew Dotterer and AFSCME Local 1585 Chief Steward Lou Sutfin to their work group.

New Business Opportunity (chaired by Joel Heberlein)

This group is off and running. Their initial meeting fostered a great deal of new ideas "outside the traditional box." Over the next year, they will expand many of the concepts to see how they can bring life to these various ideas. Ideas were organized into four categories: web-based, on-campus outreach, marketing, and commercial. If you have an idea on any of these areas, Joel would be happy to hear from you. Feel free to email him at heberle2@mail.hfs.msu.edu.

Finance & Budget (chaired by Mike Rice & Angela Brown)

At their first meeting, this group discussed ways to implement the four goals for the group: Financial Policies, Financial Goals and Targets, Structured Monthly Meetings to Review Unit Financial Performance, and Financial Information Communication. The new H&FS chief financial officer, Bob Patterson, will be a vital member of this work group, and he will be assisted by the group in maintaining consistent financial policies, establishing benchmark data and setting targets for unit financial performance, developing pricing strategies for goods and services, helping prioritize financial goals resulting from the H&FS Strategic Plan, and communicating financial-based information to appropriate staff.

Information Technology Advisory (chaired by Dick Sigelko)

This group has met three times to date. With all units submitting 41 account requests for new equipment and technologies, funding was discussed. In addition, policies and procedures relating to technology were also reviewed. The group meets next in January.

Marketing & Communication (chaired by Tony Frewen)

At their first meeting in mid-November, this group spent time reviewing the proposed values for the Division. In late November, Values Workshops were held, with people who volunteered through the Strategic Planning website. These groups focused on simplifying the values, so they could be more easily put into practice. Read more about this on the Strategic Planning website. A primary focus of this workgroup will be Divisional internal communication.

Environmental Stewardship (chaired by Sharri Margraves)

The ten members of this work group met in mid-November to review upcoming initiatives, including the potential campus recycling facility, the residence halls recycling movement, and other efforts toward overall campus sustainability. This group will work together with other campus groups to meet the challenging sustainability objectives that MSU must meet over the next few years, including lowering our greenhouse gases by 9% by 2010. It will take all of us working together, and toward that end, each unit will develop an Environmental Stewardship Team. This could be your chance to get involved. If you have ideas, pass them along! For more info, visit www.bespartangreen.msu.edu.

Virtual Sales Work Group (chaired by Nick Aune)

No report at this time.

CONSULTANT GROUP

Hanbury, Evans, Wright, Vlattas + Company is the firm that was selected to work on our Divisional Strategic Plan. Established in 1979, they have offices in Norfolk, Virginia; Wytheville, Virginia and Tampa, Florida. Jane Cady Wright, AIA, is president and CEO of HEWV, which has a staff of over eighty employees.

Hanbury Evans is a national leader in the field of planning and design of college and university student residential communities. They have worked with over ninety campuses across the country, planning or designing housing for over 160,000 students. Their first MSU visit is planned for early January. We look forward to working together with such an impressive firm, and we’re very excited about the possibilities! For more information about the firm, visit www.hewv.com.

STAY TUNED!

As you can see, we’re moving full-speed ahead toward our Preferred Future. In February, we began Phase II: Data Collection and Analysis. This is another opportunity for you to voice your opinions and ideas.

Stay informed and involved by reading Divisional communications, including Serving State and the Strategic Planning website. Volunteer for a focus group. Offer your ideas. It will take all of us to accomplish the goals we have in mind, so everyone is important. You can help shape the future of our Division. Don’t miss this opportunity!