Key take-aways from this discussion included: • Aspirational goals need to be reviewed and a rationale for the level of enrollment targets should be provided; • The Hispanic serving goal statement needs to be broadened to all demographic groups with an emphasis on serving students well, regardless of their backgrounds; • University involvement and buy-in for the plan will be key. Discussion – Tackling the Challenges: Change Management in Higher Education The last discussion session on Thursday centered on change management in higher education generally, and what key changes will be required in order to set a sustainable path forward for Central Washington University. CWU has adopted project management strategies in order to ensure the timely and efficient completion of priority initiatives, from capital construction to technology development to academic reviews. Director of Project Management, Gene Shoda, briefed the trustees on the newly created Project Management Office (PMO). In order to ensure the efficient and thorough implementation of nearly 35 projects, CWU has developed an organizational unit specifically for the purpose of managing project execution. The enhanced capacity and capabilities of CWU data systems provides a more detailed view of the university’s past and a clearer vision of the future. The administration, faculty and staff have started embracing the changing landscape with innovative and creative solutions, which, in turn result in more change efforts, initiatives and projects. Strategic planning & governance is the most important function of a PMO. They assist in the scoring of projects using predefined criteria in the strategic selection of potential projects and their planning according to the business goals of the university. The PMO will advise senior management to select candidate projects that best align with the strategic goals of the university. With regard to project governance, the PMO sets policies, functions, process, and procedures and responsibilities that define the establishment, management and control of projects, programs or portfolios. The PMO helps to establish a common language, culture and mindset by disseminating a common project culture and mindset by informing, communicating and training employees about the different techniques, methodologies and best practices. The office also helps develop a common project language by defining milestones, metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) so that everyone is on the same wave length. The office also establishes best practices & processes , standardizing the project management process across all departments and services. A PMO can implement a repeatable project delivery process so that the university can readily manage and deliver projects. It provides consistent project management guidance, methods, systems, tools and metrics for consistent project outcomes. Thus, maintaining consistency between project managers working for different projects and departments. The PMO manages and allocates resources across projects. It also manages priorities based on timelines, budgets, resource loads and what-if analysis information and accordingly provides the right resources at the right time. They also define roles and responsibilities. The PMO trains, mentors and
4 Board of Trustees Minutes Annual Board Planning Retreat, July 26-27, 2018
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker