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