SWAG视频

Dear SWAG视频 Community, Colleagues, and Friends,

As a follow-up to my November 22nd message, I would like to update the campus community on the significant progress already completed and the next steps planned regarding the comprehensive institutional climate survey process. The current plan is to launch this vital institutional climate survey, in the coming weeks.

We embark on this key institutional initiative as a demonstration of our collective commitment to fostering a supportive, diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus environment. I wish to reaffirm our unwavering dedication to the principles of shared governance and evidence-based decision-making, at SWAG视频.

As described in my November 22nd email, we are seeking to engage with a highly qualified third-party vendor to administer the survey to ensure an objective, confidential appraisal.聽 This climate survey initiative belongs to all of us, and as such, we believe the selection process of the third-party firm itself should reflect that essential reality.

To that end, our Office of the Provost has been charged with overseeing a robust and competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process guided by principles of shared governance, transparency, respect for all voices, and alignment with national best practices.聽 Moreover, SWAG视频鈥檚 Office of the Provost has engaged University Procurement Services to assist in the process.

At this stage of the process, we are reaching out to representatives of SWAG视频鈥檚 Five Branches of Governance to request recommendations for candidate firms.聽 Each candidate firm will be asked to submit their proposals within an expedited timeline.聽 Firms deemed appropriate for further consideration will be selected based on factors such as goal alignment, perceived understanding of the RFP purpose, cost, and timeline of deliverables.

Three to five firms will be asked to present their proposals to the campus community utilizing a webinar format.聽 The office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) will develop and distribute a campus-wide survey following each webinar to solicit feedback relating to the prospective candidates.聽 The reports from the surveys will then be shared with the University Council (UC) for consideration as part of an in-depth discussion regarding the various strengths and weaknesses of each firm.聽 Finally, the UC members will be asked to provide a ranking and recommendation to university leadership.

We will endeavor to collectively select, based on consensus, a firm that adheres to principles of national best practices while respecting and reflecting SWAG视频鈥檚 unique culture and needs.聽 We fully expect that the prospective candidate firms will ensure the survey鈥檚 success by including clear objectives, inclusive design, maintenance of anonymity and confidentiality, effective communication, accessibility, data security, timely and transparent reporting, and recommendations for ongoing assessment and continuous improvement.

The basic timeline is detailed below for your review.聽 Please note that any RFP process can be delayed based on factors out of our direct control, including but not limited to availability of firms, and insufficient candidate proposals, etc.聽 Despite any eventualities, please know that the institution鈥檚 intention is to move this process forward carefully but efficiently and expeditiously.

Tentative Timeline:

• January and early February 鈥� Receipt of proposals
• Late February 鈥� Candidate webinars, compiling of campus-wide feedback
• March 鈥� UC interviews, UC recommendations submitted, selected firm notified, and work begins on an agreed-upon date
• March-May 鈥� The selected firm wraps up its work and submits its report to SWAG视频, the report is shared with the campus community, and a follow-up Q&A townhall is scheduled

While the forthcoming climate survey will undoubtedly ask questions about our ongoing shared governance initiatives, I would like to remind the campus community that we have also launched a detailed, focused, and comprehensive university shared governance assessment initiative with our consulting partner, KH Consulting Group. This consulting group was selected last semester utilizing a similar rigorous selection process to that outlined in detail above.

To fully understand the difference between these two critically important institutional initiatives is of paramount importance. All 5 branches of governance aspire to achieve the enviable goal that SWAG视频 will lead the nation among universities of graduate medical sciences, in its quest to embody the principles of authentic shared governance. Clearly, both initiatives are critically important to realize our university goal to lead in exemplifying shared governance.

For clarity, an “institutional climate survey” refers to a questionnaire distributed to university constituents to measure their perceptions and experiences regarding the overall campus culture, allowing the institution to identify areas for improvement and implement changes to create a more positive and supportive environment for everyone on campus. In stark contrast, A 鈥�university shared governance assessment鈥� evaluates how effectively a university’s shared governance system is functioning, thus identifying areas for structural improvement, and ensuring that all stakeholders have a voice in decision-making.

I wish to express a heartfelt 鈥渢hank you鈥� to the more than 80 individuals who attended this week鈥檚 kick-off with the project leads from KH Consulting Group for the university shared governance assessment.聽 A repeat session is scheduled for next week, January 22. Both sessions are being recorded for those of you who were unable to attend in-person and will be distributed to campus.

Focus group interviews are currently being organized, by KH Consulting Group, for the university shared governance assessment initiative, and an anonymous survey will be distributed in February.聽 Data analysis and synthesis of data will take place in March and April, and a final report will be issued and presented to university stakeholders in July/August of this year.

I wish to express immense gratitude to all of you in advance for your willingness to share your experiences and support both the institutional climate survey and the university’s shared governance assessment initiatives. Kindly help us make SWAG视频 an exemplary institution where everyone can thrive, unimpeded, to realize their full potential.

Together, we will build upon a university environment that embraces an evidence-based culture. We will strive for a campus milieu in which all constituent voices are represented equally, and authentically. We will endeavor to create a strong, vibrant, civil, collaborative, compassionate, and inclusive campus community that aligns with the SWAG视频 ethos we hold so dear.

Warmest Regards,
Robin