iFlourish: Encourage Excellence in the iSchool's Foundations and Resources

F1. Organizational Agility—Evaluate and address needs for maintaining our organizational agility
Vision Our organization is responsive and agile in managing key resources (time, workloads, operational resources and reserves), allowing us to individually and collectively flourish.
Start Date

7/1/2007
End Date 6/30/2011

Phases

Item

 Expected Completion
 
  1. Cultivate respect for each individual's time and quality of life
  2. Sustainable Staff Community
  3. Reserves
  4. Sustainable Faculty Workload
Autumn 2010
Spring 2011
Spring 2011
Spring 2010

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a. Cultivate respect for each individual's time and quality of life
Phase 1. eMail & eCalendar Preferred Practices
Vision Our internal electronic communication is effective, appropriate and respectful of each individual's time. Anticipating and preserving time allows individuals the chance to produce quality work and to take on opportunities as they arise.
Start Date

9/1/2007
End Date 12/31/2010

Deliverables

Item

Expected Completion
1 eMail & eCalendar Preferred Practices

Reasonable email and ecalendar preferred practices for the iSchool faculty and staff that facilitate effective communication and minimize disruption and "junk."

 Completed Summer 2009
Phase 2. Scheduling Preferred Practices
Vision Internal meeting scheduling is efficient and effective. Schedulers can predict the ability of participation by invitees. Meetings are scheduled in a way that is respectful of each individual’s time.
Start Date

10/1/2009
End Date 11/30/2010

Deliverables

Item

 Expected Completion
1 Scheduling Preferred Practices

Documented reasonable, respectful and clear preferred scheduling and calendaring practices for the iSchool faculty and staff that are effective and acknowledge need for unscheduled, reflective and preparation time.

 To be determined
Phase 3. Accountability Culture
Vision Our faculty and staff acknowledge and are accountable for individual responsibilities for collective commitments. There is open and honest communication and discussion about expectations and the ability of the members of the community to meet the agreed expectations.
Start Date

11/1/2009
End Date 12/31/2010

Deliverables

Item

 Expected Completion
1 Accountability Culture Assessment

Documented assessment of our overall communication and meeting accountability culture; including recommendations for changes to enhance or improve our culture.

 To be determined

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b. Sustainable Staff Community—Evaluate and develop sustainable staff workload, capacity, knowledge and skills in a diverse environment
Vision Staff positions are designed to not only be sustainable in the present but also long-term and beyond the current incumbent. Successfully transitioning changes in staff is built into the staff workload structure through depth in sharing of process know-how and knowledge. We foster and learn from diversity. Expansion of skills and career growth is encouraged and supported (to the extent possible).
Start Date

7/1/2010
End Date 6/30/2011

Deliverables

Item

 Expected Completion
1 Sustainable Staff Capacity

Documented plan to increase depth of process know-how and sharing of tacit knowledge for all critical staff positions (to create balanced workloads and to avoid creating or enabling building a job that is dependent on the individual).

 To be determined
2 Career Development Plans

Develop and document training and career development plans for all staff.

 To be determined

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c. Reserves—Determine the desired level of operational resources and explore ways to create appropriate reserves
Part A. Financial Reserves—Determine desired level of financial resources and explore ways to create appropriate reserves
Vision We have organizational agility with the dexterity to respond to needs as they arise. This is in part enabled by having appropriate financial reserves. We assess financial risks and anticipate the need to address opportunities as they arise. We are responsive to opportunities and take calculated financial risks.
Start Date

10/1/2007
End Date 6/30/2010

Deliverables

Item

 Expected Completion
1 Report on Optimal Financial Reserves

Assessment of optimal level for financial reserves; incorporate into annual strategic planning process.

 Spring 2010
Part B. Facilities Planning—Determine optimal physical space and explore ways to create appropriate reserves
Vision We have organizational agility with the dexterity to respond to needs as they arise. This is in part enabled by understanding our optimal physical space needs. We routinely assess physical space needs and anticipate future physical resource demands. While there are significant external restraints that may limit our ability to obtain optimal physical space, we can be reasonably responsive to physical space needs and take calculated risks in making commitments for expanding facilities.
Start Date

7/1/2007
End Date 6/1/2010

Deliverables

Item

 Expected Completion
1 Report on Optimal Physical Space

Assessment of optimal physical space for the School; incorporate into facilities process.

 Spring 2010
Part C. Sustainable Faculty Community—Determine desired level of faculty resources and explore ways to create appropriate reserves
Vision Our faculty is a community of disciplines, teaching expertise and professional practices working together to achieve the academic and research mission of the iSchool. The composition and size of our faculty grows and evolves over time through strategic recruitment, promotion and succession planning, attrition and retention. We have a clear strategy (goals, policies and procedures) for addressing the challenges and opportunities that relate to regular turnover of faculty and the sustainability of critical knowledge and expertise.
Start Date

1/1/2011
End Date 6/30/2011

Deliverables

Item

 Expected Completion
1 Faculty Turnover Risk Assessment

Documented assessment of risk and capacity to absorb faculty turnover.

 To be determined
2 Faculty Turnover Risk Miminization Plan

Documented plan identifying and addressing areas of critical exposure for loss of faculty.

 To be determined
3 Creative Faculty Retention Options

Documented plan exploring creative options for retention of faculty, including an evaluation of our assets and method to make sure these assets are clearly known and available to faculty.

 To be determined
4 Faculty Succession Planning

Documented plan for identifying and developing natural successors for key faculty positions.

 To be determined
5 Faculty Recruitment Process

Documented assessment of effectiveness of our faculty recruitment process, including recommendations for improvements and identifying alternative approaches to attracting a diverse pool of strong candidates.

 To be determined
Part D. Staff Retention—Determine desired level of staff resources and explore ways to create appropriate reserves
Vision Our mechanisms for recognizing, rewarding and supporting staff renews energy. Yet, we accept the reality of eventual staff turnover and actively address insuring sustainability of critical functions. We value developing internal successors where appropriate.
Start Date

7/1/2010
End Date 12/31/2010

Deliverables

Item

 Expected Completion
1 Staff Turnover Risk Assessment

Documented assessment of risk and capacity to absorb staff turnover.

 To be determined
2 Staff Turnover Exposure Minimization

Documented plan identifying and addressing areas of critical exposure for loss of staff.

To be determined
3 Staff Succession Planning

Documented plan for identifying and developing natural successors for key staff positions.

 To be determined
4 Staff Hiring Profiles

Documented plan to review and adjust hiring profiles where appropriate to compliment and overlap existing skills and functions rather than create specializations.

 To be determined
5 Alternative Staff Recruiting Strategies

To be determined

 To be determined
6 Enhance Staff Hiring Process

Documented assessment of staff hiring process with recommendations for improvements, including recommendations on alternative approaches to attracting a diverse pool of strong staff candidates.

 To be determined
7 Creative Staff Retention Options

Documented plan exploring creative options for rewarding and retaining staff, including an evaluation of our assets and making sure these assets are clearly known and available to staff.

 To be determined

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d. Sustainable Faculty Workload—Evaluate and develop balanced and sustainable work expectations for faculty, allowing them to flourish individually and collectively in a diverse environment
Vision We are a place where faculty can regulate the complex balance of their roles based upon well informed and intentional choices (e.g. stage of career, work-life balance, special expertise, needs of the iSchool, etc.). All faculty (tenure track and non-tenure track) clearly understand what the expectations are for their roles in the iSchool in terms of research, teaching and service. All UW and iSchool policies, procedures, and requirements for professional development and career advancement are transparent, easy to find, and simple to follow for our faculty. The individual career paths of faculty are regularly reviewed (in compliance with the faculty code); this is a time when they can assess their professional development needs and align their personal goals with their iSchool role.
Start Date

7/1/2007
End Date 6/30/2010

Deliverables

Item

 Expected Completion
1 Updated Faculty-By-Laws

Updated, documented and approved Faculty-By-Laws to guide faculty governance in the iSchool and comply with the faculty code.

 Completed Summer 2009
2 Faculty Committee Assignments

Documented official guidelines for the assignment of faculty to iSchool committees to balance service load for faculty, linked to the faculty--by- laws.

 Completed Summer 2009
3 Policy & Procedures for Lecturers

Documented policy and procedures for career advancement of iSchool Lecturers.

 Completed Summer 2009
4 Faculty Merit Review Process

A revised, refined and documented annual faculty merit review process that is transparent, simple and in compliance with UW faculty code.

 Completed Summer 2009
5 Policy & Procedures for Assistant Professors

Documented mentoring policy and procedures for tenure track faculty (assistant professors).

 Completed Summer 2009
6 Tenure & Promotion Guidelines

Documented clear guidelines for tenure and promotion in the iSchool for tenure track faculty.

 Completed Autumn 2009
7 Review & Advisement Policy for Associate & Full Professors

Documented new policy for the regular review and advisement of tenured faculty (associate and full professors).

 Completed Summer 2009
8 Promotion Guidelines for Associate to Full

Documented clear guidelines for faculty promotion from associate to full professor in the iSchool.

 Spring 2010
9 Teaching Load Best Practices

A document identifying standards and best practices for teaching load in other UW colleges/schools and iSchool peers nationally.

 Completed Spring 2009
10 Policies for Adjuncts & Affiliates

Documented policies for adjunct and affiliate professors, including appointment approval process.

 Completed Summer 2009
11 Faculty Teaching Assignment Guidelines

Documented set of guidelines for faculty teaching assignments, to be implemented by the Academics Council.

 Completed Summer 2009

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