National University System

Service as Strategy in Higher Education Mario Martinez, Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor, Strategy

Overview:ServiceasStrategy•  ServiceasStrategyattheNa2onalUniversitySystem•  HowWeAreCrea2ngaServiceCulture

StrategicFramework

ImplementationPlan

Adoption

EnvironmentalandOrganizationalScans

o Missiono Visiono Valueso Priorities

o Strategieso Goalso Metricso Action Plan

§ Ownership§ Timeline

BoardConsiderationandApproval

StrategicPlanningProcess

CostAdvantage• Costreduction• EconomiesofScale

‒ Scalableacademicmodel

Approach• IncreaseChoice:

Modality InstructionalMethod Duration

• Programmaticofferings• Quality• BrandingandImage

Scope• Regional• National• Global

CompetitiveStrategiesDifferentiation Strategy

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NUSStrategicMindset

•  Valuablemodels,ideas,andconceptscomefromdifferentfields—including“customerservice”

•  Businesses,for-profitins2tu2ons,governmentagenciesandotherorganiza2onsofferlessons—bothposi2veandnega2ve

•  Thosewhoservelifelonglearnersmustbepar2cularlypurposefulaboutserviceandthestudentexperience

•  Serviceisastrategicissue,notanop2onalone

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Serviceiscentraltoourmission

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StrategicFramework

Implementa2onPlan

Adop2on

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TheExcep2onalStudentExperienceisKeyforNUS

ProvideanExcep/onalStudent

Experience

Ques2ons:

WhatistheStudentExperience?

WhatisanExcep/onalStudentExperience?

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Star/ngPoint:DefineTheStudentExperience

FromInteresttoApplica2on

CONNECTION

FromEnrollmenttoSuccessful

Comple2onoffirst25%ofProgram

ENTRY

Successfulcomple2onof75%

ofProgram

PROGRESSION

Comple2onofprogramandentryintorelevantcareer

oraddi2onaleduca2on

COMPLETION POSTGRADUATION

Alumniengagement,

impact,outcomes

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DepartmentsandFunc/onsAlignwiththeStudentExperience

TeachingandLearning

Marke2ng

FinancialandAcademicAdvising

CareerServicesAdvising

SupportServices

Alumni&CommunityRela2ons

CONNECTION ENTRY PROGRESSION COMPLETION POSTGRADUATION

EnrollmentMgmt

Non-Studentfacingstaff,departments

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Key:Creategoalsandmetricsalignedwithdepartmentsandfunc2onality

Implementa2on:Ac2onstoEstablish,Create,orEnsureanExcep2onalStudentExperience

StudentExperience Excep.onalStudentExperience

Ac#ons

Ini#a#ves

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Implemen2ngtheFramework

ExamplesfromNUS

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Example#1:Ad-HocCommigee

Con2nuousImprovementinTeachingandLearning

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PurposeAd-Hoccommigee,jointlycommissionedoutofChancellor’sandNUProvostOfficesPurpose:Ar2culateandStrengthentheQualityofNUcorecompetencya)  UnderstandNUmodalityandinstruc2onalapproachesb)  Understandthestudentexperiencerela/vetoTeachingandLearning

  Example:Howdoesthestudentexperiencedifferinasynchronousversusasynchronouslearningenvironment?

c)  Examineourstructuresandfunc/onsthatsupportTeachingandLearningd)  Movetowardasharedunderstandingofwhatwemeanby“Quality”inTeaching

andLearninge)  Recommenda2onsforcon2nuousQualityimprovement

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Ad-HocCommigeeAd-HoccommigeeComposi2onofcommigee:Includesfaculty,administra2on,andChancellor’sOffice

Threesub-commigeestolayscaffoldingforaddressing:1.   AcademicExcellence(NUS2020Priority)2.   Quality(NUS2020Value)

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Example#2:FacilitatedStaffSessions

Implemen2ngtheExcep2onalStudentExperienceandSuperior

Service

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TowardImprovementandImplementa2on

Approach:Facilitatedsessionswithourstaff•  Discussstrategicframeworkandexcep2onalexperience

•  Discuss“superiorservice”bestprac2ces•  Grass-rootsinput•  Synthesisoffindingstoleadership

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Staff Defines Service, We Don’t Tell Them

Good Service Bad Service

Service In Your Department My Service Delivery

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SampleStaffEngagementForm

Department/Area:______________________TwoPriorityProjectsorSugges/onstoCreateanExcep/onalStudentExperienceorContributetoStrategicFramework

Rela/onshiptoStudentExperience(Phase)orStrategicFramework

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Weareanalyzingtheinputofover500staffwhohaveagendedsessions

A Word On Measuring Service Culture

People

Technical

Internal External

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We Are Measuring Service Culture (n=50 Managers in one Function at NU)

People

Technical

Internal External

Communication across departments

People on my team have proper expertise to do their jobs

We use student feedback to improve processes

We consistently look for new ways to improve

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OtherAc2vi2es

•  Transla2nghighandlowpointsonservicecultureassessmentto“ac2onable”ini2a2ves

•  Shadowing(includesexecu2vesshadowingstaff)•  Interdepartmentalcommigeestostrengthencommunica2on

•  Developmentofvariousmetricsalignedwiththestudentexperience

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Conclusion

•  Buildingaservicecultureisamul2-dimensional,ongoingeffort;notaone2meworkshop,ini2a2ve,orkeynotespeech

•  AnExcep2onalStudentExperienceconsistsofservicedeliveryinsideandoutsidetheclassroom—mustaddressboth–  Outsidetheclassroomoqeneasiertomeasure;insidetheclassroommoredifficultandcontroversial

•  Searchforgoodprinciplesandprac2cesfromavarietyoffields,tostrengthenthestudentexperienceandul2matelystudentsuccess

•  Technologyandinnova2onsareincreasinglyintegraltothestudentexperience,butpar2cularadop2onsshouldbeproperlyassessed

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ThankYou!

FromtheNa2onalUniversitySystemChancellor’sOffice

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