Over the past two months, campus initiatives have continued to develop more efficient administrative processes.
Following months of research, the Event Management Initiative team began implementing improvements to event planning on campus. The Use of Grounds form, which was a paper form that had to be physically carried to different departments, can now be managed online, and a one-stop website with all the information needed to plan an event, for both on- and off-campus users, is being developed.
An Account Permissions Initiative has launched to streamline the process for getting new employees set up with accounts they need to do their jobs. The initiative will greatly reduce the time it takes for them to get permission to access PeopleSoft, my.SMU, email, TimeAccess and other necessary workplace tools.
Also, Staples Advantage, SMU’s exclusive provider for purchasing office supplies, has replaced its View Only Shoppers site with Individual Shopper Accounts that more easily allow faculty and staff to browse SMU-approved items and pricing. (Continuing the current process, only Authorized Users in each building may place office supply orders.)
Thanks to funds saved through OE2C, the University Research Council now has an additional $100,000 a year to allocate to faculty research and travel, more than doubling its previous budget for faculty grants. The grants were made available starting in fall 2016. Other funds saved through OE2C have helped expand SMU’s high performance computing (HPC) capacity, making sure the SMU Center for Scientific Computing is open 24 hours a day for faculty research. Several photos were posted showing the installation of the HPC expansion, named ManeFrame II, earlier this semester.
It was also announced that the management of campus facilities and grounds services will return to the Office of Facilities Planning and Management on June 1. Aramark has overseen SMU’s facilities services operations since May 2011.
And, in response to a question about why exterior lights are sometimes on during the day, Facilities encouraged the campus community to report energy or water waste at SMU Facilities or (214)768-7000.
Featured News
Account Permissions Initiative (3/30)
University Research Council Grants for Faculty Research and Travel Boosted by OE2C Savings (3/30)
The Event Management Team Streamlines with New Processes (3/9)
The Staples Advantage Change for Shoppers (3/9)
PHOTOS: Expanding the University’s High Performance Computing (2/23)
SMU to Adopt New Management Plan for Facilities Services Operations (2/14)
FAQ
Why do I sometimes see exterior lights on during the day?