Message from the Vice President
June 3, 2022
DFA Colleagues,
What a beautiful, albeit late, spring it has been in the Willamette Valley. It is so nice to see the rhododendrons blooming and students enjoying the outdoor spaces as the temperatures become more spring-like. In May, the Division of Finance and Administration held an all-staff meeting, bringing 238 people together in person and via Zoom to celebrate our collective accomplishments as we approach the end of the fiscal year. It was so great to see the Memorial Union Ballroom filled with people from across the division catching up and making connections.
At the event, we kicked off a new “years-of-service” recognition program, where we’re celebrating OSU work anniversaries in five-year increments. Small gifts of appreciation will be distributed soon, and once per term going forward. Please join me in thanking and congratulating these members of the DFA team who have been with the university for 25 years or more:
-
Completing 25 years of service: Tricia Gerding, HR Business Partner Manager; Ron McQuade, Admin. Program Specialist, Transportation Services; Mike McKibben, Locksmith, Facilities Services; Mindy Berger, Contracts Officer, Procurement
-
Completing 35 years of service: Tammy Jennings, Director, Human Resources Business Partnerships
-
Completing 40 years of service: Joe Majeski, Director, Facilities Services
-
Completing 45 years of service: Clara Carter, Grants and Contracts Technician, Ag and Marine Sciences Business Center
I am also excited to announce some new faces on the division’s Extended Leadership Team since my last update in February.
Heather Horn has been named the interim associate vice president and chief human resources officer following Cathy Hasenpflug’s resignation in May. My office is in the process of conducting a national search for a permanent CHRO; Dean Toni Doolen is leading the search committee. In the meantime, the department is in good hands with Heather, formerly associate vice provost and the assistant vice president for HR strategic partnerships and Employee & Labor Relations. Heather’s experience includes human resources leadership in higher education. I am confident she will serve OSU very well, and I am very appreciative of the collective efforts of the HR team during this transitional time.
Andy Cadotte and Evan Silberman joined DFA IT in February as part-time interim directors of technical solutions architecture. Andy oversees the day-to-day work of the technical solution team, which determines the design and function of DFA’s technology systems, and provides support and consultation. Andy currently works a split appointment with Student Health Services, where he is the Information Technology manager. Evan focuses on organizational change management for DFA IT and relationship management with DFA stakeholders. Evan's most recent position was as interim Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice President at City University of New York, Hunter College, and he has broad experience in leading organizations in times of change.
In April, Mealoha McFadden joined the division as Executive Assistant for the Office of Budget and Resource Planning. Mealoha is a third-generation Beaver who previously worked as an events coordinator with the University Events team since 2014. Mealoha holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and is excited to put her administrative support experience to work in the Budget Office.
Tarron Anderson joined the team in March as the division’s Human Resources Strategic Partner, taking over for Kadie Powell. Tarron came to the division from the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access, where he was an equity associate in. He holds both a Master’s in Business Administration and a law degree, and previously worked at the State of Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industry.
Read on for more updates and news from across the Division of Finance and Administration, including a few great “kudos” stories, where DFA staff members were recognized by the people they serve for going above and beyond expectations. Remember that you can also share a DFA Hurray! to give colleagues a shout-out for a job well done. My office will send a note of praise to the employee on your behalf, along with a copy to their supervisor and senior leader.
I hope you all get a chance to take some time away from work in the coming weeks to enjoy the transition of spring to summer and spend some time with your loved ones.
Spring 2022 News from DFA Units
Each year, OSU has the opportunity to collect items no longer needed from students moving out and redistributing them to nonprofits in our community - usually over 10 tons!
You can help by filling shifts for pick-ups and sorting June 7-15 (details here) and spreading the word to students about donating unneeded goods (off-campus donation details here and res. hall donation details here).
Reach out to Andrea Norris for marketing materials and questions.
Kudos (noun): /ˈk(y)o͞oˌdäs,ˈk(y)o͞oˌdōs/ - praise and honor received for an achievement
From time to time, our campus partners are so impressed by the work of people in the DFA that they reach out to the leadership team to give a shout-out about their excellent experience. Sometimes the stories are about big, multi-faceted projects, sometimes they are about our more everyday work, but they always involve someone exceeding expectations. We’re sharing these stories of how your division colleagues are putting our DFA guiding principles into action.
|
Katy Ahlvin |
Katy Ahlvin, Training Specialist with UHR’s Learning and Organizational Development group, has made significant improvements to the Critical Training process. She worked seamlessly with content partners to implement a successful launch of the Critical Training recertification process. In fact, the Critical Training Advisory Committee members recently showered her with expressions of appreciation for her phenomenal work over the past year at the end-of-year meeting held in mid-May. Katy’s work is an example of how consistently using clear and transparent communication practices conveys intent and respect for stakeholders. Well done!
|
|
Chris Lewis |
Chris Lewis, Human Resources Consultant, received a shout-out during the May DFA All Staff Meeting. During the event, a supervisor who regularly relies upon the Student Employment Team to assist in hiring student employees made a point of seeking out UHR leadership to express his appreciation for the good work of Chris Lewis. The supervisor noted how responsive Chris is with customers and his willingness to work with the supervisor to make sure their recruitment achieves the desired outcome. This example shows how Chris is demonstrating clear communication, in addition to generating effective results from including stakeholders in the decision-making process. Way to go, Chris!
|
|
Adam Burt
Ben Greenwalt |
Adam Burt and Ben Greenwalt, both members of the DFA IT team, received a big thank you from Machelle Bamberger, the hazardous waste safety officer with EH&S. Adam was assigned to a project to create a database with a keyword search for the EH&S website in late 2021. The database includes over 7,000 items. Machelle said Adam was amazing to work with and completed his portion of the project well before the deadline. Additionally, Ben Greenwalt created the webpage and worked with Adam to bring this project to completion. Chemical products and hazardous waste materials require special labeling to comply with laws and regulations. This project allows OSU faculty and staff to be compliant with the new rules more efficiently. Machelle reported that “I could not have crossed the finish line with this project without the friendly expertise of Adam and Ben. They played a crucial role in the success of this important project. Thank you for the help in keeping OSU compliant.” Adam and Ben showed the importance of collaborating with stakeholders to assess and manage risk, balancing an innovative solution and the need to maintain regulatory compliance. Great job! |
In April, Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 1546, that will transform the Elliott State Forest into the Elliott State Research Forest.
Oregon State University will lead the research and operations under a new state agency to be formed in 2024, the Elliott State Research Forest Authority.
College of Forestry faculty and staff from OSU and the Division of Finance and Administration served on and supported the Elliott State Research Forest Advisory Committee. They were instrumental in developing the legislation and framework for the forest, working together with the Department of State Lands, the Oregon Legislature, Tribal representatives and other groups.
Pictured at the bill’s signing ceremony with State Treasurer Tobias Read, Governor Kate Brown and Secretary of State Shemia Fagan are representatives from OSU (second row, left to right): Katie Fast, Executive Director of Government Relations; Ed Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President; Heather Riney, Executive Director of the Enterprise Project Portfolio Management Office; Katy Kavanagh, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Forestry; Paul Odenthal, Senior Associate Vice President for Administration; Shannon Murray, College of Forestry, Program Director for the Elliott State Research Forest; and Anna Magnuson, College of Forestry, Project Coordinator for the Elliott State Research Forest.
Since 2017, the Department of State Lands had been seeking such a solution that keeps the forest in public ownership and sustains the Common School Fund, while also protecting the Elliott State Forest’s diverse habitats and contributing to knowledge about forestry and environmental stewardship. More information about the Elliott State Research Forest project can be found at the Oregon Department of State Lands website.
University Human Resources (UHR) staff continues their work to support employees on a number of fronts providing services, benefits and educational opportunities, all while promoting a culture of care across OSU. Here are some of what they have been working on over the past few months:
- An updated Core Curriculum Workshop for Managers and Supervisors began in May, with over 80 people registered. Many UHR team members worked together to overhaul content for the full program. Take the class and share your feedback with UHR. Find more learning opportunities for OSU managers and supervisors at the UHR Learning and Organizational Development website.
- Check out the new benefits calculator: https://hr.oregonstate.edu/benefits/new-employees/benefits-calculator
- As we near the end of the academic year, over 950 appointment renewals have been completed by UHR and sent out to academic faculty. Remember that professional faculty now operate under a continuous employment model, so renewal letters are no longer necessary. Classified staff are employed under a labor union contract.
- Bargaining is underway with the Coalition of Graduate Employees in a Limited Re-Opener Bargaining effort and with the Sworn (OSU Police) Officers working toward an inaugural bargaining contract.
- Pay raises are coming—you’ve earned it! UHR and its information services team are currently managing the university salary merit increase program. It takes a lot of work though. This year, nearly every OSU employee will experience a payrate change between July and September. The effort will be coordinated and completed among several DFA units – UHR, the Controller’s Unit and DFA IT.
-
Significant work is underway among DFA and University Information and Technology, with the design and build of the first phase of OSU’s Enterprise Service Management (ESM) project, which will improve HR Service Delivery with the focus on the New Employee Onboarding experience for fall. While there are over 12 units involved in this project from across the university, special thanks go to the HR, DFA IT, and Payroll folks who are dedicating their knowledge and resources to implement this new tool.
OSU’s Sustainability Office is housed in the Division of Finance and Administration as part of University Facilities, Infrastructure and Operations (UFIO). The Sustainability Offices collaborates closely with Campus Recycling and the Community Engagement & Leadership program to lead efforts to integrate OSU’s sustainability goals into programs and operations across the university. They shared these recent highlights.
Eco-Reps take first place at Food Future Hackathon – Members of the student club OSU Eco-Representatives encourage a culture of sustainability in the residence halls in which they live. This March, a team of five Eco-Reps was awarded first place in the Best Idea category at the Food Future Hackathon, hosted by Arizona State University, the Food Conservation Alliance, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Food Future Hackathon challenges teams of high school and university students across the country to devise innovative approaches to tackling the food waste crisis. Reducing food waste saves money and is a significant step toward decreasing carbon emissions, global hunger, and environmental degradation. To reduce food waste and improve environmental and social sustainability, the Eco-Reps proposed a new program: Crop Circle. This program would allow students to pick excess and imperfect food from local farms and use it in their school dining centers. By connecting farms to schools, food waste is reduced while schools save money and obtain fresh produce. Click here to learn more about the award and Crop Circle.
OSU receives Forth Mobility EVAL Gold Certification – OSU was recognized by Forth Mobility, an Oregon-based nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate the use of smart transportation to move people and goods in a more efficient, cleaner and more equitable way. Forth Mobility’s Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership program (EVAL) provides resources and recognition for organizations that adopt sustainable modes of transportation at their worksites. Through programs like certification, they are advancing access to electric, smart and shared transportation by strengthening the industry network, advancing transportation policy, accelerating market adoption, and increasing equity. The Sustainability Office supported the rollout and promotion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at OSU from 2011 to 2021. Now this support is provided by Transportation Services. Read more about the award.
Solar trailer “on the road again” – Now that you have the Willie Nelson song stuck in your head, consider booking the OSU Solar Trailer for your next big outdoor event! The solar trailer is a fee-for-service partnership between the Memorial Union and the Sustainability Office. The trailer is available for university events across the state and also non-university events, and provides quiet, clean solar energy to a wide variety of electrical loads up to and including food trucks (typically our largest power consumers). Fill out the online request form to book the trailer. If you’re on Facebook, you can track where the Solar Trailer has been.
Effective controls protect workers from workplace hazards, help avoid injuries and contribute to a culture of safety. The loading dock guards that have been installed achieve this by using an engineering control that isolates people from the hazard of falling off of a loading dock. EH&S's goal is to help maintain a safe and healthy university environment for staff, faculty, students, and visitors.
Property loss prevention – In March 2022, OSU invited Global Risk Consultants, a property risk management engineering company, to visit the Corvallis and Newport locations to evaluate the risk of fire, natural disasters, earth movement, and other hazards in buildings that could lead to property damage losses. The trip was coordinated by Insurance and Risk Management Services (IRMS) in collaboration with other DFA and university units, including Facilities Services, Capital Planning & Development, Environmental Health & Safety, and Facilities & Operations partners in Newport.
The consultants helped to identify processes that need improving, assess the potential for machinery and equipment breakdown, and determine a building’s ability to withstand perils like fire, water, earthquakes and other natural hazards. Their recommendations focused on reducing risk of property losses. Insurance and Risk Management Services is working with units on next steps. Some items, like installing a seismic gas shut off valve and removing combustibles from mechanical rooms, will be addressed in the short term and others will be prioritized as part of future capital planning.
In May 2022, Christina McKnight, Director of Insurance and Risk Management Services, presented information about OSU and the Public Universities Risk Management and Insurance Trust to property insurance underwriters as part of a program to better understand property risks and prevention in higher education institutions.
In April, the Department of Public Safety officially welcomed Cedar (a black Labrador, 17 months old), to serve as the department’s wellness dog. “Cedar will provide calming and comforting support and stress relief to the OSU Corvallis campus community, as well as members of the Department of Public Safety,” said Shanon Anderson, associate vice president for public safety and chief of police. Cedar was pinpointed as the dog for the job during his first visit to campus, Anderson said. Read more about OSU’s new wellness dog.
Cedar joins other new DPS team members: Jim Yon was hired as Administrative Lieutenant and started with DPS in March, following a 28-year career in law enforcement in Linn County, Oregon where he most recently served as sheriff. Lt. Yon’s focus will be day-to-day management and operations of many DPS functions. In addition, a new police officer has started, and a number of police officers and public safety officers are finishing up training and background checks and will be starting soon.
DPS and Transportation Services cohost bike registration event
Pictured: Sustainable Transportation Assistant Sara Dalotto and Oregon State University Public Safety Officer Jacob Kulik, both center, chat with community members about bike safety and theft prevention.
University Facilities, Infrastructure and Operations (UFIO) is responsible for a wide range of activities across OSU, including Capital Planning and Development, Facilities Services, Transportation Services, and more. The team shared these updates on their recent work:
Landscape Shop partners with College of Ag on pest management summit
The summit included a campus walking tour, where Trades Maintenance Coordinator Todd Cross was a featured speaker. Cross is a member of the Landscape Shop with OSU Facilities Services. He spoke with summit participants about the various types of work done by the Landscape Shop to care for the turf, trees and plants across the Corvallis campus in a way that aligns with IPM best practices. Cordley Hall Renewal Project reaches important renovation milestone
“As a public institution and an open place for people to visit, we welcome questions about the work we do,” Cross said. “The intersection of agriculture and landscaping does happen on our campus.” A few examples of the IPM work done by the OSU Landscape Shop include conducting routine pressure washing for moss removal on campus, which results in fewer chemical applications, and avoiding the use of herbicides as much as possible.
Cordley is home to the departments of Integrative Biology and Botany and Plant Pathology. The building serves both the College of Science and the College of Agricultural Sciences. Additionally, Cordley is home to two natural history collections, the Herbarium and the Oregon State Arthropod Collection. “The interior of Cordley West now features modern lab facilities that are built to accommodate changing research. All of the building systems, windows, non-concrete walls and lab fixtures have been replaced and updated,” said UFIO Project Manager Dustin Sievers. “It’s a light and bright welcoming space now.”
The Coast Range Building, located along SW Research Way in Corvallis, has served as a functional temporary home for Cordley West occupants throughout the renovation process. “Without the Coast Range Building, the effect of the two-year renovation on Cordley West would have greatly impacted department operations for Botany and Plant Pathology. With these alternative spaces, they were able to maintain most of the existing functions of research and teaching,” Sievers said.
In the coming months, building occupants will return to Cordley’s newly renovated west side as the move-out process begins on the east portion of the building. Renovation work for Cordley East will ramp up later this summer and occupants will move over to the Coast Range Building starting in July.
Follow along with Completing Reser Stadium and the Wellness Clinic progress – Following the successful implosion of Reser Stadium’s west side in January 2022, the UFIO team continues to transform the stadium into a year-round facility as part of the Completing Reser Stadium project. The project includes the construction of a new, state-of-the art, interactive Student Welcome Center and a new campus wellness clinic located along the southeast side of the stadium. You can follow along with construction progress by checking out the three webcam options: the Reser Stadium webcam, the Reser Stadium 2 webcam and the Wellness Clinic webcam.
DFA Hosts Town Hall on Sustainability Efforts – On May 10, the Division of Finance & Administration hosted a community webinar discussing the university’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, through targeted actions, including sustainability upgrades to buildings made during renovation or construction. The update included a discussion of OSU’s Path to Carbon Neutrality, the Sustainable Transportation Strategy and more. Over 200 members of the community attended this important forum. Watch the Capital Projects Town Hall: Sustainability at OSU. During each academic term, the Office of the Vice President partners with UFIO and University Relations and Marketing to present community forums about current capital and infrastructure projects. Look for the next event in fall term!
New space management tool comes online soon – DFA IT is working closely with the UFIO space management team on finalizing integrations for the new online space management tool, OSUSpaces. The tool, which uses GIS software, will allow stakeholders the ability to view and interact with their space allocation. The Beta version of OSUSpaces will roll out to a select group of OSU employees in June 2022.
The Enterprise Project Portfolio Management Office (EPPMO) is a single, integrated office with a university-wide scope of responsibilities and perspective. They manage Oregon State University's portfolio of projects, helping drive mission fulfillment while remaining responsive to rapid growth within and across the institution. Here is an update about the projects the EPPMO is managing for DFA and OSU:
DFA Framework for Success
Unit Level Metrics - The EPPMO team continues to work with DFA units on the 8-step implementation approach to develop unit metrics that will contribute to answering the question, “How are we doing” in serving the OSU community. Teams have been meeting with Vice President Mike Green and their senior leader to discuss experiences and ask questions, then they pair up with the dashboard team to build out a visualization of their metrics using the Tableau platform. Congratulations to the following teams that have completed the initial metrics implementation process!
- Grant Accounting
- Treasury
- Enterprise Project Portfolio Management Office
- Environmental Health and Safety
- Emergency Management
- Risk and Insurance Services
- UFIO-Financial Services
- Accounts Payable
- Payroll
We look forward to celebrating the remaining DFA teams at the end of June, marking the end of the first phase of unit-level dashboard within the Framework for Success.
In addition, Mike Green, Paul Odenthal, Dr. Calvo, Heather Riney and Melanie Rose held a series of listening sessions in summer and early fall 2021 with senior leaders across the university to share the objectives and work of the DFA Framework for Success. We have compiled the feedback and worked with senior leaders to make revisions to the Framework, which will be shared across the division in June.
Beaver Works
The Beaver Works Core Project Team is mapping DFA projects and operational work to assess the progress the division has made to address the ten challenges identified in the Baker Tilly Business Operations Best Practices Review. We’re pleased to share these updates on projects within the business operations functional areas:
Non-Student Accounts Receivable Project - The business operations review identified OSU’s non-student accounts receivable system as an area that could be improved. Informed by Beaver Works core project team’s operational excellence expectations, the Non-Student Accounts Receivables project team launched in early March, tracking towards goals listed in the project charter. The team conducted a risk assessment and is now finalizing a survey to gather information from OSU’s billing units that process non-student accounts receivables (money owed to OSU for services not related to tuition). Once the survey data is received, the project team will categorize units into groups to begin customer journey mapping. A communication plan is in place and the team will send out the first of those messages in the next few weeks.
Business Analytics - The University Financial Management (UFM) Working Group has selected the top six to eight tools to focus
improvements in the following areas:
- Position Management
- Budget Reports
- Enrollment Management
This set of information represents the essential data needed for forecasting; and to budget and manage spending, hiring, and enrollment. The selected reports are being made available as Tableau Dashboards for ease of use, with self-serve training resources provided. Referred to as the UFM Suite, these tools will provide a reliable, consistent set of data for university-wide and college-level reporting while also supporting analysis of underlying detail for improved decision-making.
The Phase 2 UFM Suite Feasibility Pilot to test the functionality and navigation of the UFM Suite tableau dashboards and training materials for Position Management, Budget Reports, and Enrollment Management that launched on December 6, 2021, is ending in spring 2022. Six colleges (CAS, CEOAS, CLA, COE, COF, COS) and several central administration units (EM, DFA, HR, and UIT), for a total of over 70 participants, are participating in the feasibility pilot. The feasibility pilot participants have been providing feedback to the UFM Suite project team in several ways; including, focus groups, surveys, UIT DataLab drop-ins, and feedback mechanisms located throughout the UFM Suite website. The feasibility pilot does not include a Bottoms-Up Forecasting tool at this time. Planning has begun for the release of the UFM Suite to production , as well as planning for a Phase 3 Bottoms-Up Forecasting module. The feasibility pilot schedule is provided for reference.
Smart Access Program
The Smart Access Program supports several elements of the OSU IT Strategic Plan 2023 and OSU's Strategic Plan 4.0. The project enables OSU community members to live digitally vibrant lives, offering a foundational capability to provide OSU community members with secure and appropriate access to data and systems to secure OSU’s digital assets wherever they may be.
The Identity Management System project is one of the Smart Access Program’s pillar projects. The project team has worked since late February with Procurement, Contracts and Materials Management (PCMM) staff to develop a request-for-proposal process, with the goal of selecting a qualified vendor and a set of enabling technologies by the end of June 2022. In mid-March, the team published the RFP to the public, and stopped receiving proposals in mid-April. The project team assembled a proposal scoring committee; the evaluation process will take about six weeks.
The foremost objective of the Smart Access Program is to implement an Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) system. IGA is a policy-based approach to identity management and access control that efficiently mitigates risk and improves compliance organization-wide. It has the following key components:
- Identity Lifecycle Management - Flexible and reliable tools for identity and account creation, update, and removal, including integration with other systems.
- Policy and Role Management - A single source for knowing "who has access to what" across the university through management of different types of groups and roles, authorization workflows, request/approval and renewal/recertification workflows and tracking, plus a repository to store authorization and privilege data extracted from key campus systems.
- Security and Auditing - Collection and storage of transactions across functional areas, and the mechanisms to analyze and report on those transactions.
Performance Management Pilot Project
The Performance Management Pilot project team continues to advance the goal of piloting a redesigned performance management process and system for the OSU IT and Controller’s Unit, within the broader context of the OSU Talent Management initiative. The Performance Management Pilot is live; employees continue to be added based on their evaluation cycle. Currently, the project team is:
- Developing a multi-rater feedback process for a subset of professional faculty
- Incorporating feedback received from pilot users
- Releasing a user experience and feedback survey
- Hosting monthly Getting Started and Drop-in Support sessions
- Developing new system navigation resources
- Posted new quarterly check-in guidance and instructions
A resource library, FAQs, session recordings, and schedule for upcoming trainings for the pilot can be found on the Performance Management Pilot Website.
Non-Credit Learning Management System (LMS) Project
The Non-Credit Learning Management System project team recently finished the planning process with executive sponsors Heather Horn (University Human Resources), Andrea Ballinger (University Information & Technology), and Dr. Ivory Lyles (OSU Extension Service). The project team will come together in early June to kick off the project and start gathering requirements to inform assessment and implementation of a technical solution.
Enterprise Service Management Program
OSU is focused on creating a modern student and employee experience through a new Enterprise Service Management (ESM) platform. As part of ESM, Human Resources Service Delivery (HRSD) has been identified as the effort for phase one which began in March and will conclude in July, in time for fall faculty recruiting. The HRSD project will focus on the onboarding and offboarding processes, a new case management tool, and implementing self-service options such as a service catalog, knowledge base, and a virtual agent. Learn more about the program at https://uit.oregonstate.edu/esm.
A few of the recent accomplishments and ongoing efforts:
- Began engagement with an implementation partner, Acorio.
- Completed various advisory workshops focused on mapping current state and future state conditions for onboarding/offboarding, case management, HR services, and knowledge base.
- Client learning sessions.
- Beginning the foundational phase to define the project, and building sprints.
- Organizational change management and ongoing communication.
DFA IT staff are instrumental in developing this tool, from integrating systems to the ESM platform to assisting with a university-wide organizational change management program.
Access OSU
The Division of Extension and Engagement, Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Institutional Diversity are partnering on a project to increase family and student access to information about attending college. The project would also help prospective students develop early relationships with OSU and its student support services through programs designed to build trust among communities of color, specifically African American/Black, Native/Indigenous/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latinx communities.
Recent accomplishments and ongoing efforts include:
- A diverse project team has been formed and is meeting weekly.
- Developing a position description and forming a diverse search committee for the program director.
- Drafting a project roadmap for the next three years.
- Developing project information and communication plans in preparation for outreach and engagement with programs both internal and external to OSU.
- New program website will be going live soon.
Elliott State Research Forest
In December 2018, Oregon’s State Land Board requested that OSU and the Oregon Department of State Lands explore the potential transformation of the Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) into a state research forest managed by OSU and its College of Forestry. Led by Paul Odenthal, senior associate vice president for administration, this exploratory work has been ongoing since early 2019 and has included the engagement of advisory committees at the state and college level, along with input from a broad range of stakeholders.
The EPPMO team provides the following support for the ESRF project, working in partnership with the College of Forestry, IRMS, Budget & Resource Planning, and other experts:
- Facilitate a risk assessment with supporting tracking documents and an executive brief.
- Provide background and content research, convene experts, and develop documents that explore ownership models for the ESRF.
- Educate, support, and provide project management tools, resources, and templates to the college project coordinator.
- Participate in statewide meetings including advisory committee meetings to assist in the tracking, notes, and outcomes.
- Plan and facilitate project team meetings.
Common Course Numbering
In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 233 requiring the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) and community colleges and universities listed in ORS 352.002 to improve academic credit transfer and transfer pathways between Oregon’s public community colleges and universities. The bill directs the HECC to establish a 15-member Transfer Council with representation from Oregon’s public universities, community colleges, and from secondary education.
The EPPMO team is providing the following support for the Common Course Numbering Project:
- Provide project management tools, practices, and processes such as tracking project progress, development of project workplans, roadmaps and tracking/storing key project data and information.
- Participate in statewide meetings to assist OSU leaders and experts in the tracking of notes, outcomes and required work items or follow up.
- Identify and track project stakeholder details to inform updates, communication, and information dissemination.
- Coordinate, convene and facilitate OSU project meetings as needed.
PacWave
PacWave South is a state-of-the-art, pre-permitted, accredited, grid-connected, wave energy test facility. It is currently under development in partnership with the US Department of Energy, the State of Oregon, OSU and local stakeholders. The open-ocean test site will consist of four berths, which will occupy two square nautical miles of ocean with a 12-mile long cable route to shore. After nearly 10 years of working through the regulatory process, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued OSU a license to build and operate the PacWave South test facility in March 2021. Construction of PacWave South is currently underway, and the site is planned to be operational by 2023, with grid-connected testing beginning in 2024.
The EPPMO team provides the following support for PacWave South:
- Project support and coordination with OSU leadership.
- Support in evaluating potential business models when PacWave South becomes operational.
Annual campus-wide steam shutdown – Each year Facilities Services performs necessary maintenance on the university’s steam system. This requires shutting off the steam throughout campus to complete maintenance services at the plant, throughout the steam tunnels and in each building. This process affects hot water supply, heating and all equipment that uses steam across OSU’s Corvallis campus. The steam shutdown for 2022 will start at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 13 through 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2022. For questions or comments about the annual steam shutdown, contact Facilities Services at 541-737-2969.
Outcome of Corvallis Shared Budget Model Review – The Office of Budget and Resource Planning will hold three Budget Model forums via Zoom to update the campus community on the overview of the OSU-Corvallis Shared Responsibility Budget Model results. To participate, please join using the links below. For more information, visit the budget model website.
- Tuesday, June 7 from 3 to 4 p.m. To participate, click here.
- Thursday, June 9 from 12 to 1 p.m. To participate, click here.
Grad gown donation program returns – Grads Give Back is a student-started program seeking to reduce financial barriers that students might experience as they near graduation, while also providing a means for traditionally single-use garments to be reused. Students who purchase a gown this year are invited to give their gown to a future graduate at the Valley Library June 11-14th or the Memorial Union year-round. More details can be found here.
UHR’s Employee Assistance Program workshops continue – The following workshops will be available in June to support employees in their Mental Health and Well-being. You can also find recordings to past workshops at the Employee Assistance Program website.
- Sailing On: A Guide to Transitioning Into Retirement (June 9 at 3 p.m.) - If you have spent much time thinking of retirement, you probably have asked yourself, “How much will I need to have saved before I can retire?” It is a big question with many factors. For instance, the amount you need may be lower if you will receive government benefits such as Social Security or a pension. Alternatively, your government benefits might be very low, requiring you to provide more of your retirement income than you otherwise would have. In any case, it can be intimidating to calculate how much you will need for the future. This workshop will help you answer that important question.
- School’s Out: Getting Everyone Through the Summer (June 21 at noon) - It is summertime, and school is out! For many people, summer conjures images of lazy, relaxing days at the beach. However, for many working families, summer brings the challenges of balancing the demands of adult work schedules with the desire to provide safe, fun activities for children. This workshop offers several ideas on summer activities and provides practical suggestions on how to keep your kids safe while you’re at work.
Save the Date – Fall DFA All Staff Meeting, Sept. 15 at 11:00 a.m. - Join your DFA colleagues to kick off fall term on September 15, 2022 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This meeting will include a welcome to the start of the academic year, comments from the VPFA and other senior leaders about the division's vision and strategic priorities for the coming academic year, and an update about the new DEI Action Plan (currently in the planning stage).
Thank you for everything you do to help each member of the OSU community excel.
Sincerely,
Mike
Questions or suggestions?
Contact the VPFA Office for information, assistance, requests for signature on documents and to make an appointment with Mike.
Division of Finance & Administration—Ensuring success every day!