DFA Initiatives for 2017-2019
The goals, strategies and objectives outlined in the DFA Strategic Plan are efforts that we expect to continue over the long term. To focus our collective efforts during the 2017 through 2019 academic years, we have developed a set of division-level initiatives that detail what we will accomplish and how it will be done. Each initiative accomplishes several objectives within the overall plan, and taken together, will result in significant process toward our goals over the next few years.
Initiative 1: Diversity & Respect
Create a culture that respects and values the unique contributions of individuals, adding to the richness of the community. Offer staff educational opportunities that help them identify specific techniques to increase inclusiveness, to become a community of fully-engaged, collaborative, and effective problem-solvers.
Specific Outcomes:
- Provide a structural framework for employee responsibilities regarding diversity and inclusion.
- Increase awareness, provide training, and reinforce the importance, of equity and inclusion for all.
Initiative 2: Clear Policies, Efficient Processes
Create transparent, efficient, compliant and responsive policies, procedures and processes. Integrate information systems and platforms to modernize how we conduct business at Oregon State. Develop a review cycle for policies to ensure they are effective for the needs of the community.
Specific Outcomes:
- Integrate information systems and platforms
- Develop a framework for systematic policy review and revisions at the DFA level.
- Create a culture of continuous process improvement and a framework for assessing processes.
Initiative 3: Safety and Readiness
Protect the safety of people in the Oregon State community by preventing and preparing for emergency situations. Ensure the safety of researchers through lab safety training and collaborative compliance measures. Create a communication architecture that allows for efficient emergency response and business continuity planning.
Specific Outcomes:
- Meet compliance standards for lab safety requirements.
- Provide for campus readiness and business continuity during emergency events.
Initiative 4: Long Range Planning
Support the achievement of Oregon State’s mission and goals by building an integrated planning and budgeting system that engages the university community. Incorporate information from planning activities throughout all levels of the university. Align planning across academic and administrative functions, as well as across various fund sources.
Specific Outcomes:
- Create clarity around integrated planning; provide access to existing plans and materials for university-level visibility.
- Develop university-wide knowledge about timelines and planning cycles, define roles, and create a single point of information for guidance.
- Define essential data for units; provide reports and materials with that data; monitor data usage and trends, and make existing planning materials available at all levels.
Initiative 5: Critical Training and Development
Develop an efficient and effective way to deliver and track critical and mandatory training for all employees. Identify pathways and support for continued professional growth and career development.
Specific Outcomes:
- Determine critical training needs and prioritize delivery of information.
- Establish a committee to review whether and how to implement a university-wide learning management system.
- Identify and prioritize professional development strategies.
Initiative 6: Supportive Infrastructure
Build and maintain physical infrastructures that respond to the needs of the Oregon State Community. Identify and prioritize the best ways to utilize limited resources to preserve the university for future generations.
Specific Outcomes:
- Develop a long-range plan for capital development and building renewal that reflects university operations and funding, together with the needs of the community.