The ASR Initiative is guided by a steering committee that includes representation from leaders of major portfolio areas including teaching, learning and student experience, indigenous engagement, research, finance and resources, and university relations. 

• Dr. Vince Bruni-Bossio (PhD), Interim Associate Provost Strategic Priorities (Co-chair)
• Chantel Laventure, Director, Shared Services (Co-chair)
• Dr. Airini (PhD), Provost and Vice-President Academic (Executive Sponsor)
• Greg Fowler, Vice-President, Administration and Chief Operating Officer (Executive Sponsor)
• Dr. Baljit Singh (PhD), Vice-President, Research
• Cheryl Hamelin, Vice-President, University Relations
• Dr. Angela Jaime (PhD), Interim Vice-Provost. Indigenous Engagement
• Dr. Darcy Marciniuk, Associate Vice-President, Research
• Wade Epp, Associate Vice-President, Services and Interim Associate Vice-President Human Resources
• Chris Gaschler, Interim Chief Information Officer, Information and Communications Technology
• Heather Persson, Associate Vice-President Strategic Communications and Chief Communications Officer 
• Dr. Adam Baxter Jones (PhD), Associate Provost, Health
• Dr. Keith Willoughby (PhD), Dean, Edwards School of Business
• Dr. Angela Bedard Hahn (PhD), Dean, College of Agriculture and Bioresources
• Dr. Melissa Just (PhD), Dean, University Library
• Russell Isinger, Interim Vice-Provost, Teaching, Learning and Student Experience and University Registrar
• Sinead McGartland, Director, Change Management & Special Projects

Throughout the duration of the project, the ASR advisory committee is consulted to highlight a series of administrative service delivery change approaches and models for consideration. This committee includes:

• Dr. Vince Bruni-Bossio (PhD), Interim Associate Provost Strategic Priorities (Co-chair)
• Chantel Laventure, Director, Shared Services (Co-chair)
• Chris Gaschler, Interim Chief Information Officer, Information and Communications Technology
• Wade Epp, Associate Vice-President, Services and Interim Associate Vice-President Human Resources
• Julian Demkiw, University Secretary and Chief Governance Officer
• Dr. Melissa Just (PhD), Dean, University Library
• Dr. Marjorie Delbaere (PhD), Associate Dean Research, Edwards School of Business
• Sinead McGartland, Director, Change Management & Special Projects

• Dr. Vince Bruni-Bossio (PhD), Interim Associate Provost Strategic Priorities (Co-chair)
• Chantel Laventure, Director, Shared Services (Co-chair)
• Chris Gaschler, Interim Chief Information Officer, Information and Communications Technology
• Sinead McGartland, Director, Change Management & Special Projects
• Troy Harkot, Senior Director, Assessment & Analytics; UniForum Benchmarking Project co-lead
• Jennifer Beck, Senior Director, Resource Allocation and Planning
• Jae-Anne Peace, Director, Connection Point
• Andy Barber, Senior Project Manager, ASR Admin Networks
• Erica Schindel, ASR Communications Specialist, University Relations

The ASR Initiative team is using data from the UniForum Benchmarking Project to gain insight into administrative services and how they support teaching and research. The team is reviewing the university’s results in comparison to other universities in Canada and internationally. The team is also collecting and analyzing data, including satisfaction data on current services, from other institutional systems to support efforts in making data-informed decisions on opportunities for alignment and improvement.

The ASR Initiative will expand upon the existing Shared Services model (SBAs, transactional hubs, and better alignment with central services) in relation to administrative services on campus.

The ASR Initiative sponsors are validating and building upon the quantitative data collected, by consulting with deans, executive directors, and senior leaders from colleges, schools, and central units for additional context and consideration.

The ASR Initiative sponsors and team are consulting with deans, executive directors, senior leaders, and operational leaders in colleges, schools, and central units to co-develop a framework that meets institutional and unit-specific needs.

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) is focused on a future of excellence. As a member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, we need an optimized administrative framework to support our world-class research, scholarly, and artistic work, and academic mission.

Guided by the University Plan 2025, and specifically Commitment #2: Boundless Collaboration, the Administrative Services Renewal (ASR) Initiative will take a “One University” approach to developing an enhanced and aligned administrative framework. This important work will require that we have the courage to ask tough questions, and bold curiosity and creativity to build practical operational solutions for our campus community. Through consultation and collaboration across campus, we are co-designing enhanced administrative structures that uplift our campus community and imagine a brighter and more sustainable future for USask.

The vision is for a best-in-class approach that ensures USask’s partners across campus receive the right administrative services at the right time and from the right providers, while operating sustainably within the university’s financial means.    

Currently, resource decisions related to administrative services are made centrally and decentrally by individual colleges, schools, and units at USask. Although some institutional support is provided centrally, many colleges and schools make resource allocations and management decisions related to administrative staffing and performance oversight. This devolved model can create:

• A disconnect between administrative service expectations of the colleges and schools and the level of service considered standard by central administrative units;
• Confusion around roles, responsibilities and processes;
• A lack of standard roles and responsibilities for similar positions across the university, resulting in different staff skills and capabilities to deliver similar services;
• A fragmented organizational design of administrative services, creating varying service levels and imbalances across the institution;
• Misalignment if colleges, schools, and administrative units take on processes and functions without a strong understanding of the university strategy; and
• A lack of process to ensure colleges, schools, and administrative units do not duplicate services. 

Building on the existing Shared Services model at USask, the ASR Initiative is taking a “One University” approach to developing an enhanced administrative operational framework that can be employed across the institution. The vision is for a best-in-class model that ensures USask’s partners across campus receive the right administrative services at the right time from the right providers.

The Administrative Services Renewal (ASR) Initiative focuses on working together with campus leaders to co-create a structure that aligns and supports our people, operations, and resources. The enhanced framework will support a continuum of high-quality services while focusing the maximum amount of the university’s resources and energies on its core mission.

Building on the university’s existing Shared Services model for finance, human resources, information technology, and facilities, the ASR Initiative is focused on aligning and streamlining administrative supports, alumni engagement, donor relations, communications, and marketing functions within the colleges, schools, and central units. A future operating model reflects the continuum of services with more centralized delivery including a robust transactional hub to promote consistency, avoid duplication, and support a university-wide service culture. This work is intended to align administrative roles and provide opportunities for development and career growth.

Organizational change of this scope requires bold thinking, consultation and collaboration, time, and patience. Many operational changes are expected to start in January 2024, and intended outcomes will require three to five years to be fully realized. These include: 

• More effective, improved, and consistent service delivery for faculty, students, and staff, and greater support for a university-wide service culture
• Enhanced research and teaching capacity by reducing the administrative burden on faculty
• Improved employee retention and greater opportunities for professional development
• Less redundancy and role duplication among administrative professionals
• Positive career pathways for administrative employees and opportunities for career progression within the institution
• A supportive, networked and integrated organization that fosters well-being and a community of practice for administrative professionals
• A U15 administrative environment to support the needs of a U15 university

In addition to the above, it is anticipated that by April 2024 the financial impact of the ASR Initiative is projected to contribute up to $2 million in cost savings found through prototype and process efficiencies. Cost savings will be reinvested in initiatives to support USask's teaching and research mission.

In collaboration with vice presidents, deans, executive directors, and senior operational leaders, the ASR Initiative is focused on aligning and streamlining administrative supports, alumni engagement, donor relations, communications, and marketing functions within the colleges, schools, and central units.

Working in consultation with deans, executive directors, and senior leaders within colleges, schools, and central units, the ASR Initiative is identifying opportunities to connect core business functions including administrative services, alumni engagement, donor relations, communications, and marketing.

The ASR Initiative is using the following milestones to track its progress:

• Milestone 1: Initiative Initiation, Data Gathering and Assessment (December 2021 - December 2022)
• Milestone 2: Initiative Planning and Concept Co-Design (December 2022 - January 2024)
  • Round 1: Administrative supports/networks
  • Round 2: Alumni engagement, donor relations, communications, and marketing
• Milestone 3: Concept Implementation (Beginning in January 2024. It is anticipated that implementation may take anywhere from three to five years.)

The intent of the ASR Initiative is to implement a new enhanced operating framework so that USask can improve consistency and provide a continuum of high-quality administrative services across the institution. It is anticipated that some positions will shift in terms of reporting, work activities may be reallocated based on function, and savings will be identified through process changes. The intent is not workforce reduction.

Any savings that are identified through process change will be reinvested in initiatives to support USask's teaching and research mission.

The ASR Initiative will have a significant impact on how administrative services are delivered at USask. This type of organizational change requires significant leadership, collaboration, and consultation with stakeholders both centrally and within colleges, schools, and units across campus.

The ASR Initiative is governed by two executive sponsors, Dr. Airini, USask provost and vice-president academic, and Greg Fowler, USask vice-president administration and chief operating officer. The executive sponsors and the two project sponsors—Dr. Vince Bruni-Bossio, interim associate provost strategic priorities, and Chantel Laventure, director, shared services—make up the ASR executive team.

The ASR Initiative is guided by the ASR steering committee and an ASR advisory committee. The steering committee provides recommendations to the executive team on areas of opportunity in the efficient delivery of administrative services and a proposed new service delivery model and includes representation from many of the vice-presidential portfolios. The advisory committee provides advice to the steering committee on issues of change management and includes representation from information technology, human resources, the university governance office and university library, and the Edwards School of Business.

Supporting the ASR Initiative sponsors is the ASR Initiative group, a network of professionals who develop scenarios using UniForum Benchmarking data and other data from institutional systems. This information is being used as a flashlight to shine a light on the current structure and is not being used as the sole decision-making tool.

The ASR Initiative sponsors share the data findings with deans, executive directors, and leaders within colleges, schools, and central units to gain additional perspective and context. These individual consultations help the ASR Initiative sponsors deepen their understanding of the current administrative structures and need on campus so that the ASR Initiative can leverage leading practices from across the institution.

These discussions will influence the ASR steering committee as they agree upon and provide recommendations to the executive sponsors on a new administrative operations framework that is people focused, innovative, and financially sustainable.

Final decisions on the ASR Initiative concept and implementation will be made by the president’s executive committee.

The ASR Initiative is based on evidence-informed decision-making. It is considering robust quantitative and qualitative data from comprehensive sources, including the UniForum Benchmarking Project, data from institutional systems, and consultations with USask vice presidents, deans, executive directors, senior leaders, faculty, and administrative professionals.  

The UniForum Benchmarking Project, approved in the first round of Horizons Project initiative approvals, is providing the ASR Initiative group with an opportunity to review and compare administrative services data within USask and with comparative institutions nationally and internationally. This information is being used as a flashlight to shine a light on the current structure and is not being used as the sole decision-making tool.

The ASR Initiative sponsors, Dr. Vince Bruni-Bossio, interim associate provost strategic priorities, and Chantel Laventure, director, shared services, are sharing the data findings with deans, executive directors, and leaders within colleges, schools, and central units to gain additional perspective and context. These individual consultations help the ASR Initiative sponsors deepen their understanding of the current administrative structures and needs on campus so that the ASR Initiative can leverage leading practices from across the institution.

Through discussions with senior USask leaders, a framework is currently being developed to prioritize the sequencing of the administrative areas of focus for the ASR Initiative.

The ASR Initiative sponsors, Dr. Vince Bruni-Bossio, interim associate provost strategic priorities, and Chantel Laventure, director, shared services, are continuously consulting with deans, executive directors, and leaders within colleges, schools, and central units.

These consultations help the ASR Initiative sponsors deepen their understanding of the current administrative structures and needs on campus so that the ASR Initiative can leverage leading practices from across the institution. These discussions will also guide the ASR steering committee as they agree upon and provide recommendations to the executive sponsors on a new administrative operations framework that is people focused, innovative, and financially sustainable.

The ASR Initiative sponsors want to thank all deans, executive directors, and operational leaders within colleges, schools, and central units for your open and honest feedback and guidance. We value your input, are listening to your needs, and look forward to co-designing a new administrative services framework with you.

Some of the intended outcomes include:

• Innovative, shared best practices
• Functional leadership for administration
• Focused role clarity
• Financial sustainability and position management
• Improved integration when implementing policies and processes and access to institutional resources
• More time available for research and teaching activities
• Time savings: reduced handoffs and frequency of interactions

Once the ASR Initiative is fully implemented, the role of administrative professionals at USask will be  elevated and more connected across campus. Administrative professional will have:

• A community of practice
• Work-life balance
• A professional network of colleagues
• Consistent, focused onboarding, professional development, and knowledge sharing
• Best practices for admin service delivery
• Clear career paths for advancement within colleges, schools, and across the university 
• Better engagement and greater opportunity to staff employed at USask

USask knows that faculty and researchers are currently feeling an administrative burden related to their teaching and grant management work. Many of the initiatives funded through the Horizons Project are aimed at creating optimal conditions for success in our academic and research mission and improving our service efficiency and delivery. These initiatives include Administrative Services Renewal, Integrated Services Renewal, Entrepreneurship and Startup Incubator, Research Grant Management, and Removing the Human Research Ethics Bottleneck.

U15 research-intensive universities require excellent administrative services that are aligned to support and facilitate their academic mission.

Once the ASR Initiative is fully implemented, the role of administrative professionals at USask will be  elevated and more connected across campus. Administrative professional will have:

• A community of practice
• Work-life balance
• A professional network of colleagues
• Consistent, focused onboarding, professional development, and knowledge sharing
• Best practices for admin service delivery
• Clear career paths for advancement within colleges, schools, and across the university 
• Better engagement and greater opportunity to staff employed at USask

This work will not be completed all at once and will require continuous and ongoing attention.

In 2010, Price-Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) was commissioned to support the Service and Process Enhancement Project (SPEP), with the goal of assessing the university’s services and providing recommendations for service improvements and efficiencies. Through this process, USask recognized that an organizational re-design of the administrative and support services would be an exceptionally valuable project to undertake. The university also noted that this would be a monumental and difficult task that would take years to complete, as it entailed creating a new organizational design for the university’s support services.

The initial focus was placed on payments and procurement, restructuring some communications, improving travel and expense claim processes, and consolidating printing services on campus. Recommendations also informed the development of the University of Saskatchewan Research Management System, an online system to manage research.

In September 2014, the focus turned to service design and delivery, an initiative to align and improve administrative services in ways that would support the university community in achieving its teaching and research goals. This Shared Services work was also intended to clarify administrative roles and to provide opportunities for development and career growth.

Shared Services is made up of three delivery methods: 

• ConnectionPoint offers convenient in-person, one-stop locations for faculty, staff and students, as well as phone-in, email and online services, all with an emphasis on continually improving services.
• Strategic business advisors (SBAs) are located/embedded in a college, school or unit (or a cluster of colleges, schools or units) and are experts in a specific area of administrative service. These individuals will provide guidance, strategic support and advice to deans, department heads and others in the college, school or unit (or a cluster of colleges, schools or units). SBAs ensure consistency with the functional central offices and ConnectionPoint.
• Centers of expertise are functional central offices, like a head office for each service area (finance, HR, etc.). These offices provide university-wide policy, governance, strategy and decision support.

Excellent universities require administrative services that are aligned to support and facilitate their mission. As a member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, USask needs an optimized administrative environment to support its world-class research, scholarly and artistic work, and academic mission. 

Guided by the University Plan 2025, the Administrative Services Renewal (ASR) and Integrated Services Renewal (ISR) Initiatives are focused on aligning and modernizing our administrative environment through differing, yet complimentary approaches.

The Administrative Services Renewal (ASR) Initiative focuses on working together with campus leaders to co-create a structure that aligns and supports our people, operations, and resources. ASR’s initial focus is on organizational changes to achieve a more centralized network of administrative professionals that support leaders, faculty, and staff within colleges, schools, and support units. The Integrated Services Renewal (ISR) Initiative works in parallel with ASR to leverage our people, processes, data, and technology. ISR is supporting a campus transition to a modern cloud-based enterprise system and supporting technology, which will lead us to have more consistency and standardization in our roles, policies, and processes.

Although both ASR and ISR Initiatives focus on people, the former concentrates on distribution of administration professionals centrally and within colleges and schools, and the latter provides clarity around job roles, expectations, responsibilities, processes, and policies.

In the future state, our administrative environment will be fully integrated, user-focused, and future ready, fully capable of supporting USask to be the university the world needs. However, we still have much work to do and achieving the goals will require commitment from all members of the USask community.