Last month, the Division of Operations, Finance & Support (OF&S) unveiled a new strategic plan along with a new name and fresh branding. The plan's launch marks an important milestone in the cultural transformation of the division.
The division's new name, slogan, mission, and vision were shared in last month's Fast Five. This month, the division offers a deeper dive into its goals, objectives, and strategic portfolios.)
Within the division’s plan, there are three strategic focus areas: Operational Excellence, Customer Experience, and Community of Care. Each focus area contains a goal and four objectives, offering a glimpse into future endeavors.
- Operational Excellence: Model operational excellence by innovatively enhancing service delivery, administrative efficiency, and financial performance.
- Optimize Performance: Implement practices that ensure cost-effectiveness, enhance transparency, and promote innovative strategies to strengthen performance and meet strategic priorities.
- Leverage Data and Technology: Utilize technological advancements and analytics to drive data-informed decision-making, leverage key performance indicators, implement automation, and bolster cybersecurity practices.
- Promote Continuous Improvement: Prioritize a people-centric approach while promoting a workplace culture that encourages innovative thinking and skill enhancement and continuously adapts to changing needs.
- Sustainable Operations: Deploy a sustainability strategy focusing on reducing the environmental footprint by increasing resource efficiency and promoting sustainable practices in services, operations, and resource allocation.
- Customer Experience: Deliver unparalleled customer experience within our diverse community by fostering a culture of empathy, transparency, and responsiveness while anticipating the evolving needs of our university.
- Promote Transparency: Utilize a balanced mix of communication channels, both digital and in-person, to ensure clear, simple, and convenient engagement with our campus community.
- Proactive Engagement: Provide seamless experiences to enhance efficiency and accountability while preserving meaningful human connections.
- Anticipatory Service: Collaboratively and proactively identify and address potential issues, anticipating the needs of our campus community to enhance customer satisfaction.
- Continuous Responsiveness: Regularly evaluate and adjust our customer experience practices to align with the evolving campus community needs.
- Community of Care: Cultivate an inclusive, equitable, and safe environment that promotes well-being and belonging for all campus community members.
- Prioritize Belonging: Encourage active engagement with the campus community by offering inclusive and meaningful programs while fostering a culture of participation, two-way communication, and collaboration.
- Champion Well-Being: Promote, inform, and empower campus community members to holistically care for themselves, others, and the environment by leading by example, providing education, and offering programs to address the physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of well-being.
- Welcoming Spaces: Champion inclusivity in our physical and digital landscape, creating a safe, universally welcoming space for collaboration, learning, and research.
- Foster Connections: Create events and opportunities to develop connections and enhance relationships across divisions, capitalizing on Rice’s culture and values to strengthen belonging and collaboration among the campus community.
To better align with the division’s focus, the cultural transformation portfolio has also been revamped. The updated portfolio more accurately reflects the pivotal work unfolding across the division.
