Here is the status of all projects facilitated by the Office of Organizational Excellence. Listed first are those where action planning is complete and the areas have begun implementing the improvements.
Improvement plans being implemented by areas
Business Affairs developed an action plan to improve the student experience of changing meal plans through a project that also will help achieve administrative efficiencies and increase communication between areas. (Project facilitation completed in October 2024.)
Read the reports • See presentation slides • Watch the presentation
Project Sponsor: Joe Fortune, Business Affairs and Contract Management
A project team developed plans for an improved process for planning IT purchases – to ensure collaboration, consultation, and coordination well before the point of a purchase request. A more responsive process will enable units to move more quickly in meeting their IT business needs, and it will more readily uncover available solutions that can easily be leveraged. (Project facilitation completed in July 2024.)
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Project Sponsors: Donna Arnett, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; Brice Bible, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer; Ed Walton, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
A team from the Student Disability Resource Center and Office of Civil Rights and Title IX partnered to streamline the registration process for course-related accommodations. The improvements will make the process easier to navigate and more responsive to students, faculty, and staff – while allowing SDRC staff to devote more time to the value-adding work of advising and guiding students. (Project facilitation completed in May 2024.)
Read the report • See presentation slides • Watch the presentation
Project Sponsors: J. Rex Tolliver, Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Support; Donna Arnett, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
The Academic Financial Planning Optimization team came together to coordinate, standardize, and enhance academic financial reporting and analysis. This report outlines the team’s plan to partner with academic financial managers to improve decision making and reduce time spent accessing, manipulating and validating data. (Project facilitation completed in February 2024.)
Read the report • See presentation slides • Watch the presentation
Project Sponsors: Donna Arnett, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; Ed Walton, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
A Purchasing Improvement Team developed an action set to make the purchasing process more user-friendly and efficient for the Purchasing Department’s many customers. (Project facilitation completed in August 2023.)
Read the report • See presentation slides • Watch the presentation
Project Sponsor: Venis Manigo, Associate Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer
Project facilitation underway
With a new grants management system on the horizon, and significant growth in research expenditures over the past few years, the Controller's Office and Sponsored Awards Management are teaming up to improve before they automate. A project team, including grants management partners from various colleges/schools, will refine the process to strengthen service, increase understanding, and reduce errors.
Project Sponsors: Mandy Kibler, University Controller; Tommy Coggins, Executive Director, Office of Research Administration
Student athletes must meet “progress toward degree” requirements to maintain eligibility for competition. The current eligibility certification process complies with NCAA standards, but the university wants to do more than merely check the box. A project team involving Athletics, the Registrar, and Academic Advising is working to make the process easier, faster, and better for everyone.
Project Sponsors: Aaron Marterer, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and University System Registrar; Maria Hickman, Executive Associate AD/SWA/Director of Inclusive Excellence; Lara Lomicka Anderson, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Parking and Transportation Services is working to shorten the parking ticket appeal process time while ensuring the fairness, equity, and sustainability of the process. The project team met in the fall to analyze key data, review the current process, and generate ideas for improvement. They're now finalizing a prioritized action plan before beginning to implement it later this semester.
Project Sponsors: Brian Favela, Director of Parking and Transportation, and Patton Byars, Student Body President
The Graduate School has embarked on an initiative to optimize the admissions system. The project is designed to position the university for the changing demands of future students and the need for an agile, responsive admissions process. The project began with a review of the current application process, followed by a survey that heard from 700 applicants, graduate students, and partners.
Project Sponsor: Ann Vail, Dean, The Graduate School
Support for operational strategy
The Office of Organizational Excellence supported the Quality of Teaching Committee, established by Provost Donna Arnett in May 2024 to define and promote high-quality teaching at USC. The committee was composed of 17 faculty and administrators and five students, including representatives from Faculty Senate and Student Government. Findings and recommendations have been compiled in a report for the Provost, to advance teaching excellence and student success.
Sponsor: Donna Arnett, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Members of the President’s cabinet engaged in a blitz session in early February 2024. The aim: to identify a focused set of actions the President’s cabinet could take to maintain or enhance quality during a time of growth. With guidance from the Office of Organizational Excellence, cabinet members submitted structured input in advance, to hit the ground running during their time together. They left the session with consensus on three high-priority actions – and are working together to move those plans forward.
Sponsor: President Michael Amiridis
The CIO organized a collaborative working session with leaders of our various enterprise systems (PeopleSoft Finance, PeopleSoft HCM, Banner). With guidance from the Office of Organizational Excellence, the group used a future-focused lens to assess system capabilities, with a close-in look at analytics and reporting platforms. The group reached consensus on the immediate path forward as well as long-term strategies to create a coordinated, high-quality, and sustainable analytics infrastructure.
Sponsor: Brice Bible, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer