Dear colleagues,
Welcome to the Fast Five with Finance and Administration! In this special calendar year-end edition, we’re highlighting some of our greatest divisional achievements. Here are the five things you need to know about F&A from 2023:
1. F&A Reorganization
When the Finance and Administration Organization was created, it joined two organizations with 19 units. F&A has streamlined its service offerings and structure through a strategic reorganization process. The redesigned structure and the organization charts for each reporting unit are all available on F&A’s website.
2. F&A Strategic Plan Launch
This fall, the F&A Strategic Plan process launched with a dedicated working group of staff members from each unit within the division. The working group heard feedback from students, faculty and researchers, administrators, executive leadership, board members, new hires, and F&A employees. The feedback resulted in ambitious and thoughtful drafts for F&A’s mission statement, vision statement, goals, and objectives. The finalized strategic plan for F&A will be unveiled in the spring semester.
3. Strategic Initiatives
As part of F&A’s Culture Transformation, six portfolios have been identified to cultivate an environment of excellence, innovation, and inclusion. The six portfolios of work will serve as a framework for F&A’s growth and progress over the next five years, with programs and projects being continuously identified and implemented within the areas of Human Resources, Information Technology, Budget & Finance, Campus Services & Sustainability, Real Estate & Capital, and Risk Management.
4. Commitment to Community of Care
- Implemented the new parental leave policy, which allows both parents to take up to six weeks of 100% paid leave after a child's birth, adoption, or foster placement.
- Began an assessment of Rice’s Total Rewards (compensation structure and benefits package), which includes benchmarking Rice’s current state with other higher education institutions and the Houston job market.
- Committed to a comprehensive view of sustainability to ensure a holistic approach.
- Launched a new F&A Employee Award and Recognition program with the Above and Beyond Award already recognizing the round-the-clock service of the Rice University Police Department (RUPD), and the Humanities Dean has specially recognized the Learning Environment team for their unwavering dedication and commitment to providing technology support in classroom spaces and for their exceptional contributions to high-level presentations and meetings."
- Hosted a campus-wide “Food for Fines” event through RUPD, where donations were made to The Pantry in exchange for cleared parking fines.
5. The Ways We Engaged
- F&A hosted 8 Admin Forum sessions with over 200 participants in attendance at each session.
- Hosted 11 Lunch and Listen sessions where Kelly Fox heard feedback and addressed questions. Over 75 people from across the campus community attended.
- Published 8 Fast Five newsletters with an average readership of about 3,600 (30%.)
- Completed 11 stakeholder panel interviews with students, faculty, staff, campus leaders, and board members to solicit feedback for the F&A Strategic Plan.
- Launched a casual meet-up opportunity, Coffee with Kelly, during the fall semester.
- To learn more about these interactions, be sure to review F&A’s engagement guide.
All my best to you,
Kelly Fox, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration