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Division's DEI committee fosters inclusive excellence - and you can join!
We can reach our goals together with the DFA Framework for Success

Division's DEI committee fosters inclusive excellence - and you can join!

Following the launch of the Division of Finance and Administration's first diversity, equity and inclusion action plan at the end of 2022, a division-wide DEI Advancement committee was formed to promote inclusive excellence and support DFA units in implementing the action plan. No matter what unit we work in or what job we do, all division employees have important contributions to make to the DFA's goals and workplace climate.

DEI Advancement Committee members have been meeting regularly to refine an initial set of recommendations for senior leaders focused on these priorities: Access to DEI resources and training, Ideas to support peer-to-peer appreciation, Creating a welcoming space for new employees of color, and Suggestions for more inclusive language in position descriptions.

The committee, currently co-chaired by Christine Atwood and Keahi McFadden, invites all interested division employees to get directly involved or to serve occasionally as a member of a focus group.

Fill out this form to express interest and get more details: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cJdITU7XL6IVnXU

If you need some inspiration, check out the responses of current committe members when asked why this work is important to them:

Why are you participating on the DEI Advancement Committee and why is it important to you?  

  • I am participating on the committee because I believe that diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are essential values for any institution that strives for excellence, innovation, and social impact.
  • It is important to put together a set of practices for DFA units to follow in order to include as many people as possible in our searches for new community members.
  • The DEI committee actively contributes to creating a more equitable environment and can help shape policies, foster understanding, and promote inclusivity ultimately making a positive impact at OSU and its culture.

Why should someone consider being a committee member?

  • Being a committee member is a rewarding and enriching experience that can help you grow personally and professionally.
  • Serving on the DEI committee is about the well-being and success of our colleagues and students and wanting to learn from and collaborate with people from different backgrounds, cultures and identities.
  • Bringing diversity, equity and inclusion, and belonging to our campus community is important work. It fosters a more well-rounded and happier community as a whole.

You can reach out to DFADiversity@oregonstate.edu with your questions.

We can reach our goals together with the DFA Framework for Success

The DFA Framework for Success (F4S) is a comprehensive approach to supporting informed and transparent decision-making across the Division of Finance and Administration, for the benefit of the university. Built on the foundation of OSU’s core values—accountability, diversity, integrity, respect and social responsibility—the Framework provides the underlying system of concepts, principles, and activity drivers for DFA employees to focus their efforts in support of and aligned with OSU’s vision, mission, and strategic plan. The Framework can help every employee within the division understand why their work is important and how it advances the goals of OSU’s Strategic Plan.

There are four program elements:

  • Guiding principles
  • Key performance indicators
  • Key activities
  • Unit metrics and division-wide measures

The program elements work together to:

  • Inform the DFA's strategic direction toward advancing OSU’s goals
  • Measure progress toward strategic and operational goals
  • Provide direction and decision-making tools for DFA employees
  • Help DFA employees see how their work impacts OSU’s success
  • Promote the removal of barriers between units
  • Allow people with vastly different jobs to share a common language, a unified direction, and a sense of belonging to a wider community

At the beginning of this fiscal year, the division started the DFA Framework for Success Champions Team to focus responsibility for the ongoing development, maintenance and oversight of the Framework for Success program and unit metrics. The F4S Champions began meeting regularly as a team last November to organize around this work.

At the same time, F4S Champions are working within units to continue development and monitoring of operational metrics. Here are a few recent metrics insights from across the division:

DFA IT saw steady growth in their stakeholder satisfaction from survey results over five consecutive quarters, reaching the Average or Excel F4S standard for this metric. Risk and Insurance Services met the publishing deadline for their Insurance Program Report consistently over the past three years, reaching their Excel threshold. Contract Services met their Excel goal numbers for median contract processing time and also for on-time service requests throughout 2023. Accounting met their Excel standard for reimbursement processing time, decreasing processing time significantly between 2022 and 2023. Accounts Payable hit the Excel mark in average invoice cycle time, maintaining an average of 7 days or less throughout 2023.

If you have questions about the DFA Framework for Success program and where it’s heading, contact Champion Lead Melanie Rose.