Due to deteriorating and unsafe road conditions in Anchorage and the surrounding areas, the Anchorage campus will close at 5 p.m. today, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Athletics competitions and some other activities will continue as scheduled. Check email for additional info.
UAA Shared Services update
by Bill Jacob, Interim Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services |
Dear UAA Community,
I am writing to provide an update on UAA’s new Shared Services unit.
Timeline
To afford more time to manage details related to the transition and ensure strong
customer service, we are pushing back the start date by a few weeks. I will communicate the new start date for UAA Shared Services no later than Jan. 11,
2021.
We previously communicated a UAA Shared Services start date of Jan. 3, 2021. On that date, some individuals will begin working for the new Shared Services unit, mostly continuing their same work under current processes. As some staff members begin the transition in January, our goal is to minimize change as much as possible for the units we serve while leveraging the expertise of our new UAA Shared Services colleagues in discussions about process improvement and standardization.
Implementation Task Force
The Shared Services Implementation Task Force has met every week since Oct. 14. During
the planning phase, the committee focused its attention on documenting the amount
of time UAA administrative staff spend performing work in four main areas: finance,
travel, procurement and human resources. Ninety-seven UAA employees were asked to
complete a detailed questionnaire to help us gather accurate information about the
nature of their responsibilities and the estimated amount of time they spend on each
major work activity. I am proud and pleased to report that all of the questionnaires
were completed on time in helpful detail. I want to publicly thank everyone who was
asked to complete this important questionnaire. The pride you take in your work is
apparent, and we appreciate having accurate information about the work currently being
performed.
The Future
We have been meeting with deans and other unit leads and analyzing data from the questionnaires
to identify UAA professionals whose duties and skills best align with the mission
of UAA Shared Services. Organizational change is never easy. Many UAA employees wear
so many hats and have diverse job responsibilities. In order to maximize the benefit
of UAA Shared Services, some jobs will need to change and become more focused on fiscal-related
work while others will no longer perform fiscal-related work. Discussions continue
with all employees who are likely to be directly affected by these changes. I continue
to be impressed by the ability of our UAA colleagues to see the benefits that shared
services will bring while diligently supporting our employees through this transition.
Feedback and Communication
Earlier this fall, I announced the UAA Shared Services Implementation Project website. I hope you had the opportunity to explore it. On the website landing page, you will
see general project information, frequently asked questions, communications and a
project timeline. Please visit the website often to remain up-to-date on the Shared
Services Implementation Project.
UAA is a community of dedicated, attentive and hardworking professionals, and your feedback matters. You may submit your questions, concerns or general feedback in the following ways:
- Email UAA_Shared_Services@alaska.edu
- Contact a member of the Shared Services Implementation Task Force
- Submit feedback through the UAA Staff Council
Thank you for your continued engagement as we move forward. Best wishes as we move into 2021!
Sincerely,
Bill Jacob
Chair, Shared Services Implementation Task Force
Interim Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services
"UAA Shared Services update" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.