Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 81

AQIP Category Six. SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONAL OPERATIONS addresses the organizational

support processes that help to provide an environment in which learning can thrive.

Processes for Supporting Institutional Operations vary in their level of maturity. Processes related to

identifying the service needs of students (6P1) are aligned. These processes are stable, consciously

managed by directors of the support areas with a commitment to continuous improvement. Improvements

in the support areas associated with transitional studies have provided significant improvement in student

success in developmental courses. Units are working together to provide an extensive array of academic

support for students, working under the oversight of the Office of Enrollment Services and the Student

Support Services unit.

Processes related to administrative and operational support (6P2) vary from systematic to aligned. For

example, processes related to technology support are systematic with repeatable processes and plans for

continuous quality improvement. Resources supporting the technology infrastructure continue to expand,

and support services meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff. Processes related to planning

improvements to the campus are aligned, with a successful long-range building campaign nearing

completion coupled with systematic processes for providing campus maintenance. The University has

invested over $100 million in campus improvements, which have added classroom buildings, residential

living areas, and campus activity buildings and have included renovation of many University buildings.

Processes related to campus safety and security (6P3) are aligned with well-established procedures,

cooperation between units, and clear channels of communication. As a result of improvements, SAU was

recognized as the first StormReady University in the state of Arkansas by the National Weather Service;

this means SAU has taken the initiative to ensure its faculty, students, and campus infrastructure are

prepared to deal with deadly and destructive severe weather events.

Processes related to managing support services (6P4) and documenting processes to encourage innovation

(6P5) are aligned, with repeatable processes, clear communication between units, and plans for

continuous improvement.

PROCESSES

6P1. How do you identify the support service needs of your students and other key stakeholder

groups (e.g., oversight board, alumni, etc.)?

Southern Arkansas University’s mission and vision focus on providing students with opportunities for

intellectual growth and individual enrichment in a quality learning environment. The strategic plan

communicates the University’s focus on student learning and on maintaining collaborative relationships

with key stakeholders. Therefore, the University is committed to providing academic programs that are

enhanced by effective support services and to providing effective support services that are needed by

faculty, staff and other key stakeholders.

Students. Southern Arkansas University uses a variety of techniques to identify the support service needs

of students, with a commitment to better understanding factors that can improve retention, persistence,

and graduation. The University’s academic programs are enhanced and supported through support

services that facilitate active learning and student success. Table 6-1 lists key methods for identifying the

support services that students need. Additional details about SAU’s extensive student support services are

available in 1P5, 1P8, 1P10, 1P15, and 3P1.

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 82

Discussions with student groups

and focus groups, plus open door

policies of administrators, greatly

enhance identifying student needs.

The president frequently meets

with specific student groups, such

as the President’s Ambassadors

and the Student Government

Association.

Other Key Stakeholders. The

University is an integral part of

the community and recognizes its

responsibility for providing

support services for other key

stakeholders. Dialog between the

administration and the Board of

Trustees helps to determine the

types of training and resources that Board members deem to be helpful. Dialog between the

administration and community groups provides input about services benefiting the community. For

example, the University recently opened three new restaurants—Chick-fil-A, Subway, and Grill Works—

that are open to students, faculty, staff, and the community. To encourage their patronage, the University

provides priority parking for community customers. The Alumni Office solicits input from alumni

through the University website and through SAU’s alumni publication, The Stater.

6P2. How do you identify the administrative support service needs of your faculty, staff, and

administrators as well as other key stakeholder groups (e.g., oversight board, alumni, etc.)?

The University provides

administrative services

to support technology,

the physical plant,

faculty and staff

development, employee

benefits, and other key

needs of faculty, staff,

administrators, and key

stakeholders. To identify

administrative support

needs, SAU relies on

chains of communication

through standing

committees of the

University, the Faculty

Senate, the Staff Senate,

and key ad hoc groups,

such as the Online

Education Advisory

Council. Table 6-2

summarizes the key methods used to identify the administrative support needs.

Table 6-1: Methods of Identifying Support Service Needs of Students

Stakeholder Source of Information

New Students Admission data: high-school grades and ACT scores

Self-reported special needs

Financial aid applications

Current Students Early Alert System

Referrals from AAAC

Grades in transitional courses

Student housing surveys

Aramark dining surveys

Magale Library users surveys

Financial aid applications

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI)

All students Student representatives on University committees

Student Government Association

Student Activities Board

Residence Hall Association

Program advisory councils

Table 6-2: Methods of Identifying Administrative Support Needs

Support Source of Information

Technology Online Education Advisory Council

Teaching with Technology Committee

Technology Services Committee

Blackboard Users Group

Technology help desk and work order records

Physical Plant Buildings and Grounds Committee

Physical plant work order records

Faculty and Staff

Development

Research Committee

Faculty development plans and annual professional summaries

Staff performance evaluations

Employee Benefits Fringe Benefits Committee

All services Faculty Senate

Staff Senate

Strategic Planning Council

Academic chairs and deans meetings

Student Affairs department meetings

Deans and Directors meetings

Administrative Council

Vice Presidents Council

Faculty satisfaction surveys

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Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 83

SAU benefits from a cohesive administrative network that provides communication between the

president, vice presidents, deans, directors, chairs, and faculty. The inclusive Administrative Council and

the Strategic Planning Council provide forums to discuss campus-wide administrative needs. The deans

and directors meet regularly with the VPAA to discuss the needs of employees, colleges, and support

units. Information is also gained through meetings between department chairs, faculty, and deans.

Information is also gathered through the Alumni Office and Foundation Office to identify administrative

support needs of alumni and other stakeholders. For example, input from alumni supported the Alumni

Office providing online access to the alumni newsletter, as well as traditional hardcopies.

6P3. How do you design, maintain, and communicate the key support processes that contribute to

everyone’s physical safety and security?

The University provides a safe

living, learning, and working

environment for students, faculty,

staff, and visitors. Table 6-3 lists

the University’s key safety and

security processes, which are

under the oversight of the VPSA

and VP of facilities. The VPSA is

responsible for campus security

through the University police

department (UPD) and for

campus health services. The VP

of facilities is responsible for

campus security, construction

safety, and environmental

protection. SAU’s safety

initiatives focus on training and

education, regulatory and

statutory compliance, safety

audits, and preventative planning.

Processes are designed and

maintained based on information

gathered and analyzed by the

University chief of police, director of health services, and the physical plant safety coordinator.

Processes are designed based on analysis of safety needs and state and federal requirements. Processes are

maintained through regular review of policies, procedures, statistics, training, and staff meetings. Safety

processes and procedures are communicated through new employee orientation, back-to-school staff and

faculty meetings, student orientation, safety brochures, public signage, and regular employee meetings.

Important items, such as fire safety information and the severe weather plan, are posted on the SAU

website. The University also shares campus alerts using email, telephone messages, and social media.

Safety and security in residential living areas, classroom buildings, and administrative offices are very

important. In 2010, the UPD and Student Government Association (SGA) formed a partnership to help

address campus safety concerns. As a result, SGA supported a student fee that generates revenue to

improve campus safety. These fees financed hiring of an additional full-time police officer, creation of an

outdoor camera security network, and increased outdoor lighting. The University has made many

improvements to its campus alert systems. Thanks to the University’s Emergency Preparedness System

Table 6-3: Safety and Security Processes

Administrator

Responsible Source of Information

Chief of Police Reviews all incident and injury reports

Reviews potentially hazardous situations

Identifies training needs

Identifies environmental changes to maintain safety

ICAN – Informative Campus Awareness Network

Director of

University Health

Services

Provides primary health care and first aid

Provides immunization and health education

Pandemic influenza plan

Physical Plant

Safety

Coordinator

Conducts job-related accident investigations

Identifies training needs

Identifies facility-related improvements

Identifies personal protective equipment needed

Coordinates fire protection and monitoring systems

Coordinates safe handling for chemicals

Key and vector control

Reviews custodial issues related to safety

Conducts on-campus construction inspections

Liaison with state agencies

Exterior Light Inspections

Campus Digitization – real time electronic plans for

building captains and emergency responders

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Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 84

and severe weather plan, SAU earned recognition as the first Arkansas college to be designated as “Storm

Ready” by the National Weather Service. Table 6-4 lists ways through which security is maintained.

The UPD and the dean of students have also organized a Threat Assessment Team (TAT) to evaluate

potential threats of self-harm or harm to others. Alerts submitted by faculty, staff, or other students are

evaluated by the team, which includes a cross-disciplinary group of qualified campus professionals. The

panel determines the type of intervention that is appropriate for the situation.

6P4. How do you manage your key student, administrative and organizational support service

processes on a day-to-day basis to ensure that they are addressing the needs you intended them to

meet?

Key student, administrative, and

organizational support processes

are managed on a day-to-day basis

through functional units of the

University. As shown on the SAU

organizational chart, support

services are provided by units

under the oversight of the vice

presidents, with most services

under the VPSA. Key support

units are listed in Table 6-5.

The vice presidents and unit

directors collect and monitor key

performance indicators to ensure

that the needs of students,

employees, and key stakeholder

groups are met. Feedback is

Table 6-4: Campus Safety and Security Measures

Area Security Measures

Residential living New video monitoring and surveillance systems

New card-swipe security systems at entrance doors

24/7 monitoring of public areas

Desk assistants oversee visitor check-in and check-out

Simplex 24 hour live monitoring for fire contract

Well-trained resident directors and resident assistants

Adopt-a-Cop program

Annual fire and disaster drills

CPR certification for all Resident Assistants/Directors

Classroom and

administrative buildings

Smoke and fire detectors

Panic button system at key locations

Surveillance cameras in many buildings

Classrooms and buildings secured during non-operating hours

Campus-wide Enhanced exterior lighting

RAVE alert system notifies all faculty, staff, students and parents of emergency

Campus outdoor warning system notifies campus of emergency

Alertus Desktop system alerts campus of emergencies via computer interruption

Administrators take federal emergency training courses

Blue lights and safe phones in new construction areas

Sexual assault education week

911 dispatch

Table 6-5: Student, Administrative, and Organizational Support Units

VPSA VPAA

Student Life Library

Activities and Orientation Registrar

Multicultural Services Continuing Education

University Police Transitional Studies

Employment Resource Center ESL

Counseling and Testing VP-Finance

Student Housing Financial Services

Health Services Student Accounts

Enrollment Services Post Office

Communication Center Payroll

Food Services Technology Services

Financial Aid VPA

International Student Services Human Resources

Student Support Services Bookstore

Writing Center Faculty Housing

Early Intervention Services VP-Facilities

Physical Plant

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 85

collected through surveys and dialog, and each director is responsible for analyzing feedback to make

changes needed for continuous quality improvement. For example, the director of housing monitors

applications, feedback forms, housing contracts, and deposits, along with the demographics of students

residing in the halls. The director of student support services monitors use and success of the Tutoring

Center and Supplemental Instruction program. The Library monitors daily traffic and use of electronic

periodicals and journals. The UPD monitors its activities through daily logs, police reports, arrests, solved

cases, and Clery Report comparisons. All support services monitor their daily processes in order to

effectively evaluate their departments through the strategic planning processes.

Communication and dialog between the vice presidents and directors are essential for effectively

managing day to day support operations. Vice presidents meet each week to coordinate the support of all

areas, to discuss overlap in issues or projects, and to give updates on campus activities. The VPSA also

meets weekly with program directors, and the VPAA meets regularly with deans and academic directors.

6P5. How do you document your support processes to encourage knowledge sharing, innovation,

and empowerment?

SAU documents and communicates its support processes through policies and procedures published in the

Faculty Handbook, University Handbook, and Student Handbook and through information posted on the

SAU website. Support processes are covered during orientation for new faculty, staff and students.

Faculty and staff are empowered to share ideas and engender change through SAU’s governance system

and continuous quality improvement process. Changes in policies and procedures emanate from standing

committees of the University, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Strategic Planning Council, and through

continuous quality improvement initiatives. During recent years, faculty and staff identified processes

related to employee development, advising, and the faculty evaluation system as three critical areas for

quality improvement. An Action Project team surveyed faculty and staff to identify strategies for

improving these processes; a new team is now developing plans to implement those improvements. As

discussed in 1I1, an Action Project team completed a comprehensive redesign of the transitional studies

program and related support services provided for students who are underprepared for college studies.

Students are empowered to share ideas and recommend changes through student organizations, such as

the Student Government Association, Residence Hall Association, and Student Activities Board. Students

also have a voice in University governance, which includes student representatives on all standing

committees of the University. As noted in 6P3, recommendations emanating from the SGA led to

improvements in the campus security system. As discussed in 9I1, the Communications Department

responded to changing student needs by launching Mulerider Mobile, a project designed to provide useful

tools to an increasingly mobile campus community. The new Mulerider mobile app helps to increase

awareness of campus events and improves access to campus information.

Within each academic college, departments maintain their own policies and procedures related to

discipline-specific support processes. Pamphlets and departments’ website presence provide information

to be documented and shared. Faculty and staff are encouraged to share ideas and cause change by

participating on committees and on continuous improvement teams. Students are also empowered to share

ideas at the program level. In the College of Science and Technology, students recently organized a team

of Student Ambassadors to recruit and promote their programs. Students in the College of Business are

selected to serve of the college’s Business Student Advisory Council.

Table 6-6 lists other evidence that the University supports the sharing of ideas, innovation, and

empowerment.

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 86

RESULTS

6R1. What measures of student, administrative, and organizational support service processes do

you collect and analyze regularly?

Table 6-7 lists the key performance indicators for supporting institutional operations.

Table 6-7: Key Performance Indicators for Support Service Processes

Data Indicator of Tables

Figures

Campus Housing Occupancy Student life services - housing Figure 6-1

Housing Survey Results Student life services - housing Figure 6-2

Results of Dining Services Survey Student life services - dining Table 6-8

Results of Library Users’ Survey Library services Table 6-9

Financial Aid Data Student support services Table 6-10

Health Services Data Student support services Table 6-11

SSI Results for Student Services Student support services Figure 6-3

Academic Support Data Academic support services See 1R2

Number of Referrals for Early Intervention Academic support services Figure 6-4

Number of PCs Technology support Table 6-12

5-year Roll Out Plan for PCs Technology support Figure 6-5

Campus Total Commodity Bandwidth Technology support Table 6-13

Distribution of ITS Work Orders Technology support Figure 6-6

Capital Expansion Project Physical plant support See 8R2

Physical Plant Work Orders Performance of physical plant Table 6-14

SSI Results for Physical Plant Performance of physical plant Figure 6-7

OSHA Reportable Injuries Campus safety

Clery Crime Statistics Campus safety See 4R3

NSSE Results Related to Operations Support services Table 6-150

SSI Results – 2012 Support services Table 6-26

Table 6-6: Documentation of Sharing, Innovation and Empowerment

Forum for Sharing and Innovation University Commitment

SAU Research Committee SAU budgets 1% of faculty salaries for faculty and student research

Teaching with Technology Committee SAU budgets $8,000 to support faculty innovation related to

teaching with technology

Faculty Colloquium SAU provides lunch for 4 colloquiums per year

Minutes of the Faculty and Staff

Senates

Distributed through campus email and posted on website

Faculty and staff development SAU provides University budget and department budgets to support

faculty and staff development

Committee membership Faculty and staff service recognized through faculty evaluations and

staff performance evaluations

Weekly meetings of VPSA unit

managers

VPSA coordinates meetings, solicits input, and shares with VPC

AQIP Council and AQIP EC Minutes of all AQIP meetings posted on website

Action Projects and continuous

improvement initiatives

Updates posted in minutes; completed projects reported on HLC

website and on SAU website

Support for Online Learning SAU budgets resources to support online education from online

fees; support for online faculty and students posted on web

Blackboard Support Group Financial support for Blackboard upgrades and support personnel

Online Education Advisory Council Brown-bag lunches for knowledge sharing

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 87

42.3%

42.8%

7.2% 4.9%

2.7% I was satisfied with my room

Strongly

AgreeAgree

6R2. What are your performance results for student support service processes?

The University collects a variety of key performance indicators to monitor performance related to student

support services. The Office of Student Life (OSL) collects and monitors key performance indicators

related to student housing and dining services. The director of Magale Library collects and monitors

results of the library users’ survey. The director of financial aid collects and monitors the number of

students applying for financial aid and the assistance provided.

Housing. OSL monitors a variety of key performance indicators related to student housing. SAU

monitors the number of students living in campus housing, housing exit surveys, average grades for

students who live on campus, and results of the national NSSE and SSI surveys. As shown in Figure 6-1,

the number of students living in campus housing has trended upward for several years. To meet

increasing demand, the University continues to add additional space with expansion of the University

Village scheduled for completion in 2013-14.

Students in campus housing complete an exit survey

measuring their satisfaction with housing. Results of the most

recent survey are summarized below in Figure 6-2. As shown,

students living on campus are highly satisfied with their room.

The University also monitors grades for students who live in

campus housing versus those who live off campus. GPA

results for the last six semesters consistently indicate that

students living on campus have higher average grades.

Dining. Aramark, the dining service provider, conducts annual

surveys of student satisfaction with dining services each fall. Table 6-8 provides results of this survey,

which evaluates student satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being excellent. As shown overall

satisfaction with dining services has remained steady at about 5.3 with exception of fall 2011 when results

Figure 6-2: Housing Survey Results

Figure 6-1: Total Housing Occupancy 881 921

978 1010 1013 958 917

847 840 864 956

1027 1112

1180 1097

772 765 864 850 851

793 741 695 726 755

814 903 954

1009 942

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Residence Hall Enrollment

Fall Spring

Figure 6-1: Campus Housing Trends

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 88

dropped slightly. Results for each question

showed higher results in fall 2012, which

may be attributed to the opening of several

new eating venues including Chick-fil-A,

Subway, and Grill Works.

Library. The director of the library

conducts an annual survey of user

satisfaction. Table 6-9 lissts key questions

related to satisfaction with library services.

As shown, users indicate high levels of

satisfaction related to the library’s online

resources, which have been significantly

expanded over the last few years, and with

assistance

provided by

the library

staff. Users

indicate

indifference in

some areas,

such as

interlibrary

loans and print

offerings, but

users indicate

that noise

levels in the library

are an area for

improvement.

Financial Aid. The

director of financial

aid compiles data

related to financial

aid provided to all

students and,

specifically, to full-

time, first-time

(FTFT) students. As

shown in Table 6-10,

the percent of

students receiving

state aid has increased substantially since 2009, which is attributed to the state’s scholarship lottery.

Health Services. The director of university

health services collects data, shown in Table 6-

11, related to services provided to students,

faculty, and staff. Data for 2012 show that

students account for 78 percent of health

service contacts, while 22% are faculty and staff.

Table 6-8: Results of Dining Services Survey

2009 2010 2011 2012

Overall Experience 5.28 5.33 4.93 5.29

Food Quality 4.95 5.20 4.46 4.99

Cleanliness 5.40 5.53 5.21 5.36

Food Variety 4.96 5.28 4.53 4.96

Speed of Service 5.26 5.42 5.03 5.43

Friendly Dining Staff 5.37 5.73 5.42 5.74

Comfortable Dining Atmosphere 5.41 5.37 5.19 5.37

Price/Value 5.06 5.10 4.68 5.10

Convenience 5.63 5.71 5.49 5.80

Table 6-9: Library Users’ Survey - 2012

How satisfied are you with the… Very Satisfied

Somewhat

Satisfied No Opinion Dissatisfied

Library’s print book offerings 34.5% 23.0% 38.8% 3.6%

Library’s online resources 61.2% 23.0% 12.1% 3.6%

Library’s print periodicals 29.1% 17.6% 49.1% 4.2%

Assistance you received

from the librarian 68.5% 14.5% 13.9% 3.0%

Noise level in the library 43.0% 27.9% 11.5% 17.6%

Interlibrary loan services 28.5% 5.5% 66.1% 0

Physical layout of the library 56.4% 27.9% 13.3% 2.4%

Table 6-10: Financial Aid Data

Fall 2009 Fall 2010 Fall 2011

% $ (mil) % $ (mil) % $ (mil)

Total students receiving financial aid 83% $16.0 85% $20.0 85% $20.5

Total students receiving Pell grants 53% $ 6.6 56% $ 7.4 56% $ 6.7

Total students receiving federal

student loans 52% $ 9.2 53% $10.0 52% $ 9.0

FTFT students receiving Federal, state,

or SAU grants or scholarships 92% $ 4.1 96% $ 5.8 96% $ 6

FTFT students receiving Pell grants 55% $ 1.8 61% $ 1.8 62% $ 1.8

FTFT students receiving state grants or

scholarships 15% $0.2 52% $ 1.5 50% $ 1.3

FTFT students receiving SAU

scholarships 66% $2.1 71% $2.3 74% $ 2.6

Table 6-11: Health Serviced Provided

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Number of contacts

receiving medical services 8162 7026 6771

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 89

SSI Results. The University

monitors results of the Noel

Levitz Student Satisfaction

Inventory (SSI) related to

services provided by key areas.

Figure 6-3 compares responses

for the last three surveys

related to registration,

financial aid, the business

office, and tutoring services.

Student Support Services. The University provides

academic support through

various programs that address

student needs. The Office of

Enrollment Services (OES)

oversees many of these

programs, collecting and

evaluating performance results to determine if the University is meeting the needs of our students.

Transitional Studies is one of the most significant support programs, addressing the needs of students who

are underprepared for college work in composition, writing, and mathematics—areas in which many

underprepared students struggle. SAU’s redesigned transitional studies program is producing significant

improvements in student retention and completion in these courses. Details of the continuous quality

improvement initiative that implemented the redesign are provided in 1P8 and results are discussed in

detail in 1R2.

Early Intervention. SAU’s early intervention

system is a key element of student support

services, designed to improve communication

with at-risk students and, thereby, improve

student retention and completion. Based on

referrals from faculty and staff, the Office of

Early Intervention Services works to provide

at-risk students with the student support

services they need. Figure 6-4 indicates the

growth in student referrals since the

program’s inception. The University

continues to monitor results from the Early

Alert System, seeking ways to improve

student retention and completion.

Other Student Support Results. Other key performance indicators related to student support services,

including performance results for the Supplemental Instruction program, Tutoring Center, Writing Center,

and the Counseling and Testing Center can be found in 1R5.

6R3. What are your performance results for administrative support service processes?

Technology Support. At the system level, the Information Technology Services (ITS) department has

broad measures for system load, up-time, and other measurements of the effectiveness and scale of the

hardware and software infrastructure. ITS has the ability to interactively monitor the load on processors,

Figure 6-4: Early Intervention Referrals

5.13

4.80

5.19

5.30

5.45

5.13

5.41 5.51

5.58

5.28

5.44

5.59

4.40

4.60

4.80

5.00

5.20

5.40

5.60

5.80

Register for Classes with Few

Conflicts

Adequate Financial Aid is Available

Convenient Business Office

Hours

Available Tutoring Services

2005 2008 2012

Figure 6-3: SSI Results for Student Services

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 90

Figure 6-6: Closed Help Desk Requests by Assigned Group

memory and I/O rate. ITS also measures its performance in meeting the administrative needs of faculty,

staff, and students by planning and analyzing results of operations.

One key performance indicator for technology support

relates to the ability of ITS to provide needed computer

hardware in computer labs, classrooms, and offices. Table

6-12 shows that the number of PCs supported by ITS has

increased significantly over the last three years. Some PCs

are added through acquisitions by departments; some are

added through the University’s five-year roll-out plan for

installing new PCs, which is shown in Figure 6-5.

To meet the increasing demand for internet access, ITS has

aggresively added to the campus total commodity internet

bandwidth. Increases are shown in Table 6-13.

Another key performance indicator is data that tracks the

ability of ITS to satisfy work orders received through the help

desk. Over the last three years, the number of workorders related

to technology support has decreased from 4,242 in 2010 to 3,612

in 2012. As shown in Figure 6-6, ITS tracks closed work orders

based on the assigned group. While the number of workorders has

decreased, the percentage related to providing PC desktop support increases as the number of PCs

increase.

Physical Plant. The director of the physical plant monitors the volume of work orders (WO) related to

campus maintenance and new construction. Since 2002, SAU has completed over $100 million in capital

expansion projects through the University’s Blue and Gold Vision campaign. Additional information

about new construction is available in 8R2. In addition to overseeing construction projects, the Physical

Plant is responsible for campus maintenance. Table 6-14 summarizes the data monitored by the physical

plant. As shown, total work orders peaked in 2011-12, and the backlog of incomplete WOs continues to

increase. Due to the many campus improvements underway, the physical plant is addressing immediate

needs rather than preventive maintenance. As the building campaign nears completion, attention can be

refocused on backlogged maintenance.

15.1% 15.4%

44.6%

14.8%

7.1% 2.8%

13.0% 10.5%

50.8%

13.8% 9.4%

2.2%

9.4% 6.0%

52.7%

13.1% 9.7%

1.8% 6.3%

0.5% 0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Blackboard NetworkTelecom

DesktopSupport

POISE SysAdmin Help Desk BBAdmin Online Learning

Closed Requests by Assigned Group

2010 2011 2012

Table 6-12: Increase in PCs Supported by ITS

2010 2011 2012

1,246 1,473 1,628

Table 6-13: Increase in Bandwidth

2005 2010 2011 2012 2013

3 M 50 M 80 M 150 M 350 M

Figure 6-5: ITS 5-year Roll-out Plan for PCs

120

180

80

160

130

0

50

100

150

200

2007 2009 2010 2011 2012

5 Year Roll-Out Plan -# New PCs

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 91

The University monitors results of the

SSI that indicate student satisfaction with

the campus. Figure 6-7 shows that SAU

students are relatively more satisfied in

terms of pride in the campus and campus

security. Results for campus maintenance

and campus lighting correlate with input

received through dialog with

campus organizations. As

discussed in 6P3, the SGA

recommended an increase in

student fees dedicated to

improving campus lighting and

other security issues. This is an

ongoing continuous quality

improvement initiative.

Campus Safety. The University

works to maintain a safe work

environment. OSHA data indicates

that SAU has reported a total of

only eight reportable injuries on

campus during the last three years.

SAU also provides campus

statistics related to crime. Figure

4-11 in category 4R3 shows

SAU’s Clery Crime Statistics Reports, which document that SAU has relatively low incidences of

burglary, alcohol, and drug violations; this can be attributed to SAU’s strict enforcement policy.

6R4. How do your key student, administrative, and institutional support areas use information and

results to improve their services?

SAU’s student, administrative, and organizational support units maintain individual strategic plans with

goals and initiatives that align with the SAU Strategic Plan. The vice presidents meet regularly with

program directors in their areas to share ideas, discuss performance results, and plan for needed

improvements. As discussed in 8P3, the Strategic Planning Council communicates information about the

Strategic Plan to the colleges, departments, and divisions. In response, these individual units set action

plans to support the achievement of the goals and objectives. As well, each area selects targets for the

measurable outcomes associated with the action plans. Continuous quality improvement initiatives are

also implemented at the unit-level and are reported through the Mulerider SPUR system, our local

initiative for Sharing Progress, Uniting Resources.

6R5. How do your results for the performance of your processes for Supporting Organizational

Operations compare with the performance results of other higher education organizations and, if

appropriate, of organizations outside of higher education?

NSSE Results. The University collects NSSE data every three years. Results relevant to support services

are summarized in Table 6-15. As would be expected, mean scores for senior students are consistently

higher than those for first-year students. Most results indicate no significant differences between

perceptions of SAU students and peer groups. There is a significantly higher perception about faculty-

Table 6-14: Physical Plant Work Orders

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Total WOs 5,748 5,642 6,046 5,733

Total WOs completed 4.873 4,449 4,739 4,367

Backlog 875 1,193 1,307 1,366

Figure 6-7: SSI Results for Services Related to Physical Plant

4.4

4.6

4.8

5

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

Pride in campus Well-maintainedcampus

Parking lots welllit

Safe & securecampus

SAU National

Southern Arkansas University – Systems Portfolio – June 1, 2013

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations Page 92

student interaction and supportive

campus environment among SAU

senior students. These results

validate SAU’s commitment to

providing a caring, collegial

learning experience.

SSI Results. The University

regularly administers the Noel

Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory

(SSI). As shown in Table 6-16, results

indicate that overall perceptions about

most support areas are statistically the

same as those for national four-year

public institutions. However, results

related to student satisfaction with

recruitment and financial aid, with the

registration process, and SAU’s

student centeredness are significantly

better than the national average.

IMPROVEMENTS

6I1. What recent improvements have you made in this category? How systematic and

comprehensive are your processes and performance results for Supporting Organizational

Operations?

SAU continues to improve its support for organizational operations. As noted in 6P3, SAU was

recognized as the first StormReady University in the state of Arkansas by the National Weather Service.

Being a StormReady University means SAU has taken the initiative to ensure its faculty, students, and

campus infrastructure are prepared to deal with deadly and destructive severe weather events. Units also

work together for improvement –the SGA and Police Department partnered to help address campus safety

concerns. A decision was made by the SGA to support a student fee to finance improvements related to

campus safety. The ICAN program (Informative Campus Awareness Network) fosters a safer living,

learning, and working environment. The Southern Arkansas University Police Department’s goal is to

encourage all members of the community to be more aware of their surroundings and to report

abnormal/suspicious behaviors. As also discussed in Category 8, the University’s Blue and Gold Vision

has led to outstanding additions and improvements in the University’s physical plant. Responding to

student input, improvements included relocating student service areas for admissions, advising, financial

aid, and student accounts into adjoining areas.

6I2. How do your culture and infrastructure help you to select specific processes to improve and to

set targets for improved performance results in Supporting Organizational Operations?

Transition to a focus on quality improvement has significantly increased the number of faculty and staff

engaged in discussion about University processes. Working through quality improvement initiatives and

through the University’s strategic planning process, faculty, staff, and administrators are working to

improve processes so that students receive the support services needed and that all stakeholders have

organizational support to effectively accomplish our mission.

Table 6-15: 2012 NSSE Results Related to Operations

SAU Southeast

Public

Sig Carnegie

Class

Sig NSSE

2012

Sig

Student Faculty Interaction

First-year 37.0 36.4 37.5 35.9

Senior 50.3 44.1 *** 44.5 ** 42.9 ***

Supportive Campus Environment

First-year 62.5 64.0 64.8 63.5

Senior 64.2 60.8 * 62.2 60.5 *

*p<.05 **p<.01 ***p<.001

Table 6-16: 2012 Student Satisfaction Inventory

Scale/Item SAU

National

4-year Publics

Difference

Campus Climate 5.32 5.23 -0.09

Campus Support Services 5.38 5.45 -0.07

Campus Life 5.04 5.07 -0.03

Academic Advising 5.50 5.40 0.10

Recruitment and Financial Aid 5.25 5.02 0.23

Registration Effectiveness 5.36 5.14 0.22

Safety and Security 4.90 4.76 0.14

Service Excellence 5.19 5.11 0.08

Student Centeredness 5.39 5.23 0.16 *Red = statistically significant difference