Dear colleagues,
I hope this message finds you well and thriving. The past few weeks have certainly been exciting! The opening of the new quad, an invigorating Wellness Wednesday walk, and the launch of President DesRoches’ 10-year strategic plan have all contributed to a vibrant energy on campus.
I hope you were able to attend the unveiling of Momentous at our beautiful Stude Concert Hall on October 1. President DesRoches’ goal for Rice to be the world’s premier teaching and research university, delivering personalized education and breakthrough research is an ambitious one, and I hope you are as energized by it as I am.
One of the strategic catalysts for President DesRoches’ vision is an empowered campus culture in which staff play an integral role because it is through your work that our organizational culture and mission are created and facilitated.
The uniqueness of our culture and mission is what the Momentous plan calls the Rice Experience. The plan centers around it and defines it as a commitment to excellence and a culture of care.
When I consider these three components—unparalleled excellence, a culture of care, and an empowered campus culture—it becomes clear to me why our own division’s strategic goals of operational excellence, customer experience, and community of care are increasingly important. Here is how I see them working in tandem:
- Unparalleled Excellence & Operational Excellence: The OF&S strategic plan's focus on enhancing service delivery, utilizing data-driven decision-making, and promoting sustainable operations ensures that all university operations are efficient, transparent, and aligned with strategic priorities. This level of operational excellence is necessary to achieve the President’s goal of positioning Rice as a global leader in teaching, research, and innovative solutions.
- Unparalleled Customer Experience: We create unparalleled customer experience through research and analysis, personalization, empathy, and problem-solving approaches with constant feedback. Through these hallmarks, we foster a culture of empathy, transparency, and responsiveness, directly supporting Rice’s culture of care.
- Empowered Campus Culture & Community of Care: Our community of care is underscored by an equitable, inclusive, and safe environment that promotes well-being and belonging for all campus community members. This is instrumental in empowering our campus culture by creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging and understands their purpose and impact on Rice’s mission.
Because these two plans are so well aligned, I believe the OF&S staff are uniquely poised to be successful in their execution. I look forward to our continued work together as we strive to reach these goals.
Should you have more questions about the Momentous plan, I encourage you to attend the upcoming Admin Forum on October 23. Provost Dittmar will present more on the strategic plan and answer any questions.
With sincere gratitude,
Kelly