No. 146 February 2012
Update: Mike Dooris Announced as New Executive Director, Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment
Mike Dooris, serving as the interim director of the Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment following the retirement of Louise Sandmeyer on June 30, 2011, has been named as the new Executive Director of the Office, effective February 1, 2012.
Innovation Extract: Freedom from Command and Control: Rethinking Management for Lean Service
The focus of a Lean system is providing maximum value for the customer by producing the product the customer wants as efficiently as possible. But Lean was developed in a manufacturing environment where an organization is producing a standard product with little or no variation. How can lean be effectively applied in a service organization? John Seddon, in Freedom from Command and Control: Rethinking Management for Lean Service, suggests a systemic approach, with the goal of meeting all customer needs at the first point of contact effectively and efficiently, ‘one stop shopping’.
Institutional Research Interest Group: Data Utilization in Support of Adult Learners
The goal of the event is to help the audience members understand some of the specific ways that we have sought to utilize external and student data sources to better understand our adult learners, as well as their educational needs and preferences. The panel will consist of an administrator responsible for championing adult learner needs across the University, and two members of the Outreach Educational & Institutional Analytics and Market Research teams providing some case studies of how adult learner-specific questions have been addressed, and making audience members aware of the tools and other resources available to them for creating similar types of studies.
Workshop: Applying Quality Principles in Daily Work
Find out how to apply the activity based analysis improvement tool outlined in Innovation Insights #6: Doing the Right Things Right to your work situation. Learn how you can apply basic quality principles to develop more effective and efficient work processes.
Workshop: Facilitating Planning, Improvement, and Assessment Projects and Teams
This full-day workshop provides hands-on experience in the role of a facilitator working with a team addressing a planning, improvement, or assessment initiative. It also identifies the parallels between any of these approaches and classic project management, and the further considerations for the individual serving as both the group leader and facilitator.
Workshop: Closing the Gap with Continuous Quality Improvement
What goals has your unit set in its planning for the future? Learn about the relationship between planning, assessment, and process improvement, and how continuous quality improvement approaches and tools can help you accomplish your unit goals.
Quality Team Highlights – NEW TEAMS
With the January 2012 issue of Quality Endeavors the Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment launched Quality Team Highlights Penn State’s third generation of recognition for innovation and improvement teams. The teams highlighted this month are:
- Eberly College of Science:
- Penn State Altoona:
- Student Affairs:
Cost Saving Idea: Parking Maps
Consider not sending out paper parking maps at the start of each academic year. Announce in Newswire, or, if a mailing is necessary, just send an e-mail with a link to the parking map at http://www.transportation.psu.edu/forms/Fac-StaffParkingMaps.pdf.
Submit your ideas for increased efficiency and effectiveness at Penn State.
Support for Planning, Improvement, and Assessment in Your Unit
The Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment supports the University’s efforts to plan, assess, and improve programs and services. The Office is available, at no charge, to consult with units and use organizational change tools to help units assess their needs, develop strategic plans, improve key processes, and develop collaborative team environments. If you would like to discuss the planning, quality, or assessment needs of your unit with one of our consultants, please contact the Office at 814-863-8721 or e-mail mjd1@psu.edu.
The Quality Endeavors newsletter is published several times each semester. If you have any questions or comments about what you read here, or if you would like to suggest items for future newsletters, please contact Barbara Sherlock, Senior Planning and Improvement Associate, Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment, at 814-863-8721 or psupia@psu.edu. To read past issues, see the Office's Web site at http://www.psu.edu/president/pia/s/5ztbIb.
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Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment
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