Dear SMU Colleagues,
In July you received an email about the Operational Excellence for the Second Century (OE2C) initiative to develop Shared Services Centers in the areas of finance, information technology and facilities. Through Shared Services, we will improve the delivery of critical services and strengthen work processes, allowing the University to refocus resources on its core academic mission.
Today staff members in finance, IT and facilities will begin to learn about their roles and the new reporting structures within Shared Services. Our goal is to inform staff members who are joining the new Centers before fall classes begin. Shared Services will consist of about 250 positions, approximately half of which are already within the finance and IT offices. At this time, most Shared Services staff members will remain in their current locations within their schools or units, although they now will report to the Shared Services Centers.
In addition, a small number of employees have been notified that their positions have been eliminated. We very much appreciate their service to SMU, and they will receive the transition support, benefits and compensation that were offered as part of the organization design initiative earlier this year. As we continue to develop Shared Services, additional positions in finance, IT and facilities will be eliminated, many of which are expected to include current open positions. Every affected employee will be treated with sensitivity and care.
For staff and faculty members who work with or seek assistance from finance, IT or facilities, your points of contact within these areas will remain largely unchanged at this time. Shared Services leadership will notify schools and units about any changes in points of contact throughout the transition period.
Based on the OE2C initiative teams’ research and campus community input during the past year, we are confident that Shared Services will enable staff members to fulfill service requests more effectively. The Centers will allow for the sharing of best practices and for improved business continuity within these important service areas. We expect Shared Services to provide opportunities for career growth, training and collaboration.
During this transition to Shared Services, each SMU employee will need to be patient and engaged. Issues may arise that we will need to address with a spirit of collaboration. In that light, I encourage you to share your questions and feedback about challenges and improvements at smu.edu/OE2C. Input from the SMU community has been and will continue to be critical, as we reallocate significant resources to our academic mission.
Sincerely,
Gerald Turner
President
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