The Administrative Cost Review Task Force, which is reviewing central administrative services and costs, welcomes comments from students.
"As we work to identify issues to the president that merit further review -- opportunities for consolidation or ways to offer administrative services in a different manner -- we encourage suggestions from all quarters," said G. William Schwert, task force chair, who is a professor in the Simon School.
The central administration includes a wide variety of departments providing basic services to the University and its divisions. It includes, for example, administrative computing, alumni affairs and development, courier services, environmental health and safety, facilities, human resources, public relations, River Campus admissions, security, telecommunications, and transportation.
When he announced the formation of the task force, President Jackson noted that "this review will be a chance to take a look at the broader issues of improving service and/or efficiency. Each division and academic unit is under pressure to control expenditures; central administration must do the same.
"Across-the-board actions, in the long-run, are no more appropriate across administrative areas than they are for other parts of the University's business," Jackson said. "So it is clear that we need to take a wide-ranging look at the nature of services we traditionally have provided and the method of providing them."
Schwert said that written comments could be directed to his office at 3-110L Dewey Hall; to any of the other task force members; or electronically to the "taskforce@admin.rochester.edu" email address established for the group. All communications with the task force will be treated confidentially.
Other members of the task force are Raffaella Borasi, associate professor in the Warner School; Michael Goonan, senior director of finance, Strong Memorial Hospital; Jarold Ramsey, professor of English; Alison Schultz, associate professor in the School of Nursing; Ken Simolo, administrator in the chemistry department; Lawrence Tabak, professor of dental research in the School of Medicine and Dentistry; and William Wood, assistant director for administration at the Eastman School.
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