college of design operations redesign august 13, 2013
TRANSCRIPT
COLLEGE OF DESIGN OPERATIONS REDESIGN
August 13, 2013
The case for Operations redesign
Meet growing and changing needs of faculty and staff
Accommodate new programs and initiatives
Accommodate ebbs and flows of enrollment and support needs
Respond to Eric Kaler’s call for operational excellence
Control our own destiny
This is how we are structured….
But this is how we work……
Our approach
The “how to” manual*predetermined plan*predetermined outcome*clear, but rigid
The “yet to be written” manual*collective plan*no predetermined outcome*messy, but flexible
Goal of CDES Ops Redesign is to…
By October 1, CDES Operations will have defined our new organizational structure, culture and work processes that enable CDES to meet its vision of an integrated, flexible and student centered College.
Based on an Appreciative foundation, we will apply Design Thinking to the work that we do and how we do it.
Discovery of what works well
Plan & prioritize processesthat would work well
Appreciative
InquiryMap
Discover
Dream
Design
Destiny/ Deliver
Envisioning what would
work wellin the future
Implementation of the proposed
design around what
works
Design Thinking mindsets
Embracing diversity in all forms Radical collaboration Making things visible Working with empathy for the user Having creative confidence Having a bias for action Being open to failing forward Committing to iterative action
Key milestone dates
1. Discovery April/May Determine the best of “what is” Culture, outcomes and workflows
2. Dream June/July Determine what “could be” Culture, outcomes and workflows
3. Design August/September Plan and prioritize what will work well
4. Destiny October Prepare to “Go Live”
Workflow process teams
Hiring and assigning graduate students Faculty support Curriculum management Supporting and promoting research and
outreach Student communication Supporting and integrating new
interdisciplinary initiatives
From the perspective of…
Students
Faculty
Staff
Alumni
Teams in action
Teams in action
Teams in action
Hiring and Assigning Graduate Students
Team Leaders:Martha McDonell and Carrie Vigen
Team Members:Melodie Bard, Nancy Galas, Katie Leonard, and Tisha VanHaaften
What We Did…
Discovery Phase Department Hiring Authority Survey Current CDes Graduate Student TA/RA
Survey Process Mapping
What We Did…
Dream Phase Asked departments for more information
about current application/hiring processes/templates
Brainstormed/Big Picture Metaphor: “Open Picnic Grounds”▪ ALL CDes graduate students have access to
information/hiring processes for ALL CDes graduate TA/RA positions, including development of Interdisciplinary TA/RA opportunities
What We Did…
Dream Phase (continued) Modified current process map to suggest three
new paths/options (see website):▪ 1.) Small: Each department communicates their TA/RA
openings to all their students (more transparency)▪ 2.) Creative: In addition to above, add college-wide
Interdisciplinary TA/RA opportunities (open to all CDes students)
▪ 3.) Overhaul: Complete merger/centralization of process to a college-wide assignment/hiring process with a hiring committee, includes communication of all positions and addition of Interdisciplinary opportunities
Design Challenge
1.) Increased transparency/ communication/access regarding available CDes graduate TA/RA positions (within the departments and/or college-wide)
2.) Addition of Interdisciplinary TA/RA opportunities, open to all CDes graduate students
Design Prototype Photo
“Central Broadcast Tower”
What we learned & what surprised us
Based on survey results, our current processes are working well, from the prospective of both current graduate student TA/RA and the department hiring authorities
Suggestions by Interdisciplinary Process Team could naturally lead to Interdisciplinary TA/RA opportunities (college-wide intro drawing course)
Challenges and Concerns
Do departments want/are they willing to allow as much transparency as the students want?
What/where/how is the best way to introduce an Interdisciplinary TA/RA opportunity?
How would Interdisciplinary TA/RA positions be funded (to allow for cross department cost-sharing; college fund)?
Questions?
Faculty Support
Team Leaders:Warren Bruland & Constance Severson
Team Members:Michelle Belmont, Corrie Bozung, Ebony Chunn, Sara Grothe, Kathy Guiney, Clay Kimber, Ella Stallings, Julieann Swanson, Tim Walters
Discovery1. We found that “Faculty Support” is very
broad and hard to define.2. We re-named the group “Faculty Teaching
Support.”3. Improving Communication is key.4. Faculty Surveys were conducted.
What we did…
Improve communication by reducing hierarchy between employment groups
Dream
1. Informational meeting for all staff and faculty at the beginning of the school year to promote best practices.
2. New employee orientation at the College/Department level.
3. Move everyone to Universal use of google calendar
Design Phase
Information Meeting at the beginning of the school year for all staff and faculty to promote best practices throughout the college.
U
CDes
Departments/Units
Programs
Design Phase
CDes Presenters:IT, Finance, HR, ERAcademic Resources
Dept. Breakout Sessions• Arch/LA/DHA• Specific Issues
If necessary
Information Meeting University CDes (all employees meet together)
◦ IT◦ Finance◦ Academic resources, etc.
Departments (breakout sessions)◦ Teaching Specific
Moodle Classroom/resource scheduling Grades Website, etc.
Programs (if necessary)
Design Phase
New Employee Orientation
Broader Issues related to University Employment.
One-time only at beginning of employment.
Not teaching Specific. Includes policies and procedures specific to CDes and Departments
Design Phase
Design PhaseUniversal use of Google calendar
Photo of Design Prototype
Many of the groups dreams/challenges were similar to ours.
Better Communication became the central theme.
People seem to be interested in getting to know others in the College in more social settings.
Being housed in the same building or at least on the same campus is still an important goal.
What we learned & what surprised us
Faculty buy-in.
Top down support will be necessary.
Important to keep the momentum of this process going among staff.
Working with talented diverse personalities can be challenging.
Challenges & Concerns
Questions?
SUPPORTING AND INTEGRATING NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY
INITIATIVES
Team Leaders:Stephanie Dilworth and Lin Nelson-Mayson
Team Members:Tara Faricy, Cheryl Johnson, Holley Locher, Lucy Reile, Theresa Tichich, Inga Theissen, Amanda Underwood, Gayle Whitney
WHAT WE DID…DISCOVERYThe Interdisciplinary Team developed two surveys on existing interdisciplinary activities – one for faculty/staff and one for students.
Student Survey (15 UG + 16 G respondents)
Definition Interdisciplinary activities are a broad, flexible view of
learning More than one CDes program involved More than one college involved Class not in student’s home program Outside of classroom experience
Organized student groups UROP or study abroad experiences
WHAT WE DID…DISCOVERYKey Findings
Respondents want more class time with students of other majors (in CDes and other colleges)
Minors are seen as adding interdisciplinary content Independent experiences can prepare for interdisciplinary activities Interdisciplinary activities are available primarily by taking classes
outside of CDes Interdisciplinary experiences are self-initiated, not promoted by
faculty
Comments I'm excited to have other opportunities to learn in interdisciplinary
courses and opportunities. Even if this survey doesn't result in any changes to offered courses, I will continue like I always have; enjoying the vast opportunity nestled in a big university. (UG)
We often hear the college talk about how important interdisciplinary work is to our field so it would be awesome if the studios or other classes could actually incorporate that into the curriculum. (UG)
Most interdisciplinary opportunities are self-initiated by students with their electives. (G)
WHAT WE DID…DISCOVERYFaculty & Staff Survey (49 respondents)
Definition Interdisciplinary activities explore common
connections Co-teaching with faculty from multiple CDes
departments or multiple colleges Research with faculty from multiple CDes
departments or multiple colleges Research with faculty from other academic
institutions Involved with community organizations
WHAT WE DID…DISCOVERYKey Findings
Responses covered the full spectrum from involved to not involved; supported to not supported
Programs are not constructed to facilitate interdisciplinary activities A high number of respondents (41 of 49) self-identified as involved
in interdisciplinary activities Respondents report being positively involved in interdisciplinary
activities
Comments I feel that I do not know a lot about the interdisciplinary work done
in CDes. Many times I feel alone in that sense. We could be doing a better job starting dialogues around this uses and spreading awareness around all that is done. (faculty)
I think design is increasingly viewed as a useful and important partner by other non-design fields, and design – with its lateral way of thinking and working – is inherently interdisciplinary in nature. We should be good at this. (admin/faculty)
WHAT WE DID…DISCOVERYConclusions
CDes sends a stronger message of interdisciplinary activities within the college than students discover
The majority of respondents want more interdisciplinary opportunities
Students outside of CDes see CDes courses as interdisciplinary
Start with existing CDes programs to increase interdisciplinary activities within the college
DREAM PHASEThe team focused attention on Interdisciplinary Curriculum and Extra Curricular Opportunities
Why is this important? Give our students a well-rounded design
education Make our program unique Bring in more students
Scenario 1
Design MajorCreating a Major that combines elements from all the disciplines
Design Challenges:
Do employers want this? Do students want this? Would students be
marketable? Is this change too high level? Faculty buy-in Accreditation & licensing Finding content Developing new classes Will this bring in money from
outside the college? Time frame - at least 4 years
out
Scenario 2
Joint Foundational Courses Get rid of multiple intro courses that cover the same material
Design challenges:
Making sure it meets program requirements for all disciplines
Don’t want to add to students cost or workload
Territoriality between faculty How will money be split
among departments Do we already have
overlapping content? What courses should we
require? Required social event (like a
research slam)? Community-based project Study Abroad programs Location - both Rapson &
McNeal?
Scenario 3
External Co-CoursesDevelop courses with other colleges that relate to real-world work
Design Challenges:
Funding across colleges (tuition split)
Meets program requirements for all disciplines
Don’t want to add to students cost or workload
Territoriality
DESIGN CHALLENGEHow might we go about opening a program to other disciplines?
The team proposed the development of a professional design major that would complement the academic programs by adding leadership and entrepreneurial content necessary for a student to achieve success.
PHOTO OF DESIGN PROTOTYPE
WHAT WE LEARNED &WHAT SURPRISED US Faculty and students see interdisciplinary
activities differently. Faculty members see interdisciplinary activities as those that explore common connections across departments, colleges, community organizations, or other academic institutions.
Students see interdisciplinary activities as a broad, flexible way of learning that includes more than one CDes program or college, a class not in the student’s home program, or activities outside the classroom
CHALLENGES & CONCERNSThe direction that the dream and design phases took us resulted in an academic decision that could only be addressed by the faculty, so was not an appropriate solution to supporting interdisciplinary activities. However, returning to the responses received in our original survey, we recognized that there were two misperceptions were uncovered and a possible direction suggested:
That the importance of interdisciplinarity was part of the CDes mission/vision/values statements.
That, even with the two definitions of interdisciplinarity, it was unclear to both sets of stakeholders what was actually taking place and what opportunities existed to participate.
The resulting proposal for Supporting and Integrating New Interdisciplinary Initiatives is to name, acknowledge, and celebrate interdisciplinary activities. Identifying activities, classes, research, and events as interdisciplinary activities draws attention to the partnerships involved and to the richness of CDes’ encouragement for this type of experience. By their nature, interdisciplinary activities are hard to classify. Identifying this wealth of experiences as interdisciplinary allows the college and community to view them as contributing to diverse and innovative learning and service.
MAKING CONNECTIONS/SHARING EXPERIENCES
PERCEPTION OF INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES IMPORTANT TO THE COLLEGE (yes) STATED IN THE COLLEGE MISSION (no) VERY LITTLE TO NOTHING IS HAPPENING (actually, quite a lot is!) PROPOSAL
IDENTIFY WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY DOING <===> WHAT IS ITS RELATIONSHIP TO OUR COLLEGE MISSION/VISION
CALL OUT AND PROMOTE (COMMUNICATE) <===> NAMING+ACKNOWLEDGEMENT = VALUE
ISSSUES
DIFFERING DEFINITIONS – IS THERE A NEED TO SPECIFY WHAT IS INTERDISCIPLINARY OR DOES A “BIG TENT” APPROACH ACKNOWLEDGE THE VARIETY OF THESE ACTIVITIES?
SUCCESS - HOW DO WE KNOW WE HAVE SUCEEDED? WHAT IS MEASURED?
QUESTIONS?
STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS
Team Leaders:Joline Brink and Terry Rafferty
Team Members:Wanda Loerch, Jennifer Peterson, Matt Thoen, Chris Schlichting, Jeanne Schacht, Mary Vincent Franco, Lori Swenson, Peter Crandall, Katrina Thompson
Discovery & Dream
Dream: to improve face-to-face and other communications between students and staff/faculty.
• Scenarios #1: College of Design is on one campus.
• Scenario #2: If CDes is on two campuses, then schedule more frequent meetings/events that bring everyone together.
• Scenario #3: Create a visual flow chart that shows most effective means to communicate with particular groups within college.
Design Challenge
1. Create a “genius bar” in McNeal and Rapson that provides a dedicated space for staff & faculty to communicate face-to-face with students.
2. Monthly events for staff & faculty that bring us together.
3. Flow chart identifying key communicators within the college and a “how to” guide for dispersing information effectively within the college.
Photo of Design Challenge
What surprised us
• With all the technology at our disposal, what we needed was more face-to-face interaction and the space to do it in.
Challenges & Concerns
• Creating buy-in and commitment from college staff and faculty.
• Designing a user-friendly space that fulfills the dream.
• Periodic review of what we are doing to stay true to our goal of effective student communications.
QUESTIONS?
Curriculum managementoperations redesign
Curriculum management TeamTeam Leaders Julie Hillman, DHA Amanda Smoot, LA
Team Members Laurie Gardner, Student Services Kevin Groenke, Academic Resources Char Klarquist, DHA (ad hoc) Val Trvdik Anderson, Student Services Tim Walters, IT
Discovery: What we did
Acknowledged that we have unique resources in our college posing challenges to curriculum management
Reviewed CDes curriculum process in all three academic units
Surveyed other colleges to review their procedures and look for similarities and differences
We discovered… VALUES:
Put students first, don’t disadvantage them with course/program changes; ensure timely graduation.
Respectful communication THEMES:
Gaps in communication exist between faculty, staff, academic units and the college
Upfront consultation is needed with CDes academic resources, department administration, and outside the college
Limited review of class prerequisites or consultation on resource usage is done before courses are changed
I Wish….first staff meeting Course syllabi were accessible to all college staff We, the workers, are notified if new curriculum is coming down
the pike Needs for labs, shop, technology were communicated earlier
(when changes are made) We could address the process for the topics and DES courses
and freshman seminar We didn't have to have a process for everything, but see the
advantages outweigh We all had better communication There was more transparency
What if….first staff meeting Curriculum materials go to all faculty to make sure no cross-posting or cross-
subjects Current class syllabi were added to faculty bios [ = access to that info] A finance person or Admin who does budgeting was at the table during higher
level curriculum committee decisions Departments were following the same process Transparency of process Other colleges offices were involved in new course offerings? There was consultation within the various curriculum committees We process map a college level communication model? Other areas can use it
to find out who to communicate with or how? It had more expertise in online teaching technology? We had a manual. There was a mechanism for faculty to talk to shop resources
etc.
Dream: What we didCreated a process map from key ideas generated in the discovery phase based on feedback from staff and our survey
Proposed process map
Consult with department staff on physical space needs
Consult with program advisers to determine impact on students
Consult with other colleges (possible interdisciplinary offering)
Consult with Department Head on how offering course will affect program and/or financial resources
Send documents to curriculum committee for review and approval
Documents reviewed and approved by CDES curriculum committee
Approved by the University (if required)
Faculty consult with academic resources on impact of new course (projects, resources needed, number of students, etc.)
Faculty or staff research if other similar courses exist at the University
Faculty propose new course or new program or changes to courses or programs
I wish….second staff meeting
We could do this This is a great prototype and I look forward to seeing it in
action We could do this now
What if….second staff meeting Too many cooks in the kitchen? We use Workflow Gen This was used across programs and compared similar
classes? It was expanded outside of class/curriculum management
Design challenges being addressed
How to automate process to be simple and easy for faculty without extra burden on staff
How to get faculty buy-in
What we learned
Currently there is minimal consultation, even though required All faculty should be informed, prior to college curriculum
committee vote Recruiters and advisors need to be in-the-know especially for
marketing materials Need documented process, i.e. curriculum management best
practices guide
Challenges & concerns Need Department Head and Collegiate support to implement
changes Deadlines must be followed for changes to be in ECS by
registration Minor programs, topics and freshman seminars need to be
captured in the process Pedagogy delivery changes should be included Workflow Gen may be our solution
Photo of design prototype
What’s next? Move forward with design and implementation for automating
the process to help make consultation happen Consider a systematic look at all the puzzle pieces
Overlap between operations groups Consistent themes between groups How do we make it all work together?
If the University is looking to us as a model, let’s capitalize on that Compact request?
Questions?
Supporting and Promoting Research & Outreach
The Team
• Jill Bezecny (Finance)• Jeff Bolduan (IT)• Missy Collins (CSBR) • Wanda Lee (Finance)• Lori Mollberg (External Relations)• Thomas Schenk (R&O)• Ben Sietsema (IT)• Karen Wood (MDC)
What we discovered
• Discussion: What is R&O?– Lack of University level definition– Project lifecycle– Support roles in the current models
• Actions:– Identified need for surveys and interviews– Created process maps
Funding R&O
R&O Process
Current R&O Support Structure
Idea Deliverable
Academic Departments
CSBR/Design Thinking
Centers
What we dreamed
Everyone in the college is well informed and can share relevant and compelling stories/news about the significance of R&O work
as a shared point of pride for the college community.
What we dreamed
• Staff feel more connected to R&O
• Better connect through collaboration and partnership to overcome the fractured nature of our work
• Give staff a better sense of value and representation
Design challenges
• Discussion– Which approach is best?
• Goals– Strong relationships– Create better staff connection to R&O
Design challenges
• Unfinished Discovery homework
• Speed bump!
• Prototype focus: Expertise Menu
We are learning
• Relationships are essential• All Centers need an administrative contact• Administrators need more training and
information• Functional units need to be included• We need to tell our R&O stories
Looking forward• Expertise Menu
• New models of support
– Administrators oversee process from proposal to award closeout
– R&O support team have regular meetings
– Oversight
Prototype Photo
Questions?
Next Steps
Leadership gives feedback to teams Teams will continue their design work October 4 all-college staff meeting to
end the design phase Implementation phase being planned
Important themes emerging….
Communication, communication, communication
Regularly connecting with colleagues, hearing ideas
Face to face interaction Taking a step back and thinking about
our college in a different way The collective energy of team work
Concerns
Only half the college is talking about these issues; where are the faculty?
Will the proposed changes actually take place?
The teams should mix it up occasionally to share ideas.
That we continue moving forward with support of College leadership.
Questions