Phase II

From now through June, we’ll be involved in collecting and analyzing data. Our employees, customers, and stakeholders will be involved in focus groups. We’ll do market research and surveys to see what the private sector and similar markets can tell us.

January
We’ve wrapped up the Visioning Phase, and we’re headed into Phase II – the Data Collection and Analysis Phase. All units were represented in meetings with our consultants in early January. These meetings helped to outline concerns and challenges as well as cast a vision for the next decade.

February
Early in the month, a work session at the MSU Union was held to really begin developing a framework for our next steps. More than fifty people from throughout the Division, as well as the Department of Residence Life, split into three groups to brainstorm three important themes: Living, Learning, and Community; Organizational Synergies in Retail, Catering and Conferences; and Partnership and Collaboration.

These sessions were highly collaborative, generating valuable discussion about the core of our mission and real threats to our success, as well as identifying unlocked potential that lies within our Division. Detailed results of the sessions have been posted to the strategic planning website. Take some time to review the information and add your feedback. During the last week of February, the consultant group returned to campus for another two days of fact-finding, facility tours, and meetings with Divisional unit staff, as well as University leaders including President Lou Anna Simon.

March
March 18 and 19 were important days as the consultant group, with assistance from H&FS staff, facilitated twenty-three different focus group sessions with many of our customer groups, including students (on- and off-campus, graduate, international, families), faculty and staff, conference planners, Kellogg Center customers, and more.

These intense two days of information gathering will help to identify essential information such as market trends and customer wants, needs, and buying habits. This information will be critical in mapping the direction for a successful future.

April: Report of Initial Findings

May: Consultant Visit – Ideal Model Development / Situational Analysis

June: Presentation of Findings, Draft of Financial Plan

July: Consultant Visit – Conceptual Workshop, Opportunity Analysis

August: Steering Committee Video Conference – Draft Report Presentation and Review

September: Consultant Visit – Final Report and Recommendations

WEBSITE

We continue to update our website to keep you informed of the latest news regarding the Strategic Plan. Most recently, we posted a short article describing the Visioning Sessions and Town Hall meetings held in January. We’ve added the outcomes of the February work session. We continue to post questions and answers, but if you have a question that hasn’t yet been answered, please submit it through the form available on the website.

EXECUTIVE WORK GROUPS

All work groups continue to meet and work toward their individual goals. Here’s a brief summary of what’s happened since the December issue of Serving State.

Organizational Development / Inclusive Work Environment (chaired by Denise Zieleniewski)

The group’s kickoff meeting was held on January 10. We reviewed the mission, goals, and deliverables expected to result from our efforts. Discussion included a variety of initiatives for our group to work together on including an annual performance appraisal document based on the H&FS Values, a merit pay program with defined criteria, and a reward program for H&FS staff members who “Deliver Outstanding Spartan Experiences” to our customers and/ or guests.

New Business Opportunity (chaired by Joel Heberlein)

The New Business Work Group is beginning to develop an exciting list of potential revenue growth areas. In order to research these opportunities and define them even further, we have broken down into smaller work groups. We will then determine how to best approach their development. The group meets monthly.

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

The work group met for its second time on February 1 and introduced Bob Patterson, the CFO for H&FS, as our newest member. Bob’s leadership will assist us in defining policies, providing a financial overview, reviewing pricing strategies, and facilitating financial communications to employees. We agreed to revise the H&FS Manual of Business Procedures to help define responsibilities and maintain consistent financial practices. The H&FS Strategic Plan will assist us in identifying a long-range capital improvement plan and financial needs for the future. The group will begin meeting monthly, on the first Friday of each month beginning at 9 am and alternate meeting locations with work group members. Unit managers will be invited to present unit pricing strategies to the work group beginning later this spring. Bob Patterson will recommend a means to review unit/department financial performance on an ongoing basis. Future meeting topics include a review of financial trends and guest speakers to talk about University or related financial practices.

Information Technology Advisory (chaired by Dick Sigelko)

We have completed the 41-account request, and we’re now working on our policy documents and guidelines. One of the items in this area was addressed recently in a Division-wide email regarding the password policy and the screen saver policy. Other minor updates will occur over the next several months to reflect changes in how we operate and possible changes in technology. We were meeting monthly, but will soon reduce that to every two-three months.

Environmental Stewardship (chaired by Sharri Margraves)

The H&FS ES group has been focused on the Phase I recommendations now approved by Vice President Poston and Provost Wilcox. Since they are approved, they are no longer just recommendations. They are goals and expectations with real deadlines. We’ve got some real work to do in order to meet both the spirit and the intent of our sustainability goals. We will be formulating policies that will cover everything from day lighting to how long HVAC systems need to run, strategizing operationally, and reviewing our business practices.

One major challenge is to communicate this important information to the Division as well as Residence Life and all the other people who have offices in H&FS buildings. A forum will be held on April 11 for Housing & Food Services and Residence Life staff, where the recommendations will be rolled out, along with other relevant environmental information.

Marketing and Communications (chaired by Tony Frewen)

The group has begun the first phase of a communications audit by gathering information on current communications practices within the Division. Next steps include focus groups with various staff to determine, among other things, communications effectiveness, preferences, roadblocks, and challenges. Information gathered will be used to develop an effective strategic communications plan for the Division that ensures we deliver on our value of effective organizational communication.

OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES

The strategic planning process is as important if not more important than the planning document. The planning process is not fixed, but should modify and morph as input and data are interjected into the discussion.

The strategic master plan will seek input from a broad spectrum of individuals.

The team will use all avenues available to communicate the vision, the plan, and the process to stakeholders, obtaining consensus and avoiding implementation roadblocks.

The plan will align with Michigan State University’s Boldness by Design strategic imperatives.

The plan will integrate with the campus master plan.

The plan will support the Division’s overall mission first and the individual units second.

The planning effort will support the Division’s core values.

The planning effort will be one of collaboration among all parties.

The plan will seek to find the optimal balance between the elements of system size, competition for students, and fiscal stability.

Ultimately, the plan will synthesize a shared vision for the Division of Housing & Food Services for the next 15–20 years.

The strategic plan will be uniquely Michigan State.