The University of Utah is preparing to implement a shared services model, with service design to begin in the Spring 2025 semester.
The colleges of Humanities, Science, Social and Behavioral Science and School for Cultural and Social Transformation have started exploring sharing a variety of services, such as communication and marketing, finance, human resources, and information technology, among others. The four colleges already share academic advising operations.
“At the U, we will draw on our peers’ experiences, as well as on the deep expertise of our own staff, faculty, and college and department leaders, actively considering the unique needs and contexts of our own colleges, departments and programs,” said Mitzi Montoya, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.
Common at higher education institutions, shared service models focus on ensuring equitable and efficient work across colleges with very different resources and staffing numbers.
Montoya emphasized that the shared services model being discussed is not a merger of the four colleges. Each college will maintain its autonomy, its own dean, and existing shared governance structures, curriculum management, and retention, promotion and tenure (RPT) processes.
“This effort is aimed at ensuring equitable, efficient service delivery across departments, regardless of their size or budget,” she added. “The ideal structure will preserve local support and college autonomy, while offering scalable, efficient services and opportunities for collaboration in research and teaching.”
The Process
A new executive dean will lead the implementation. Two potential structures are being considered by university leaders: One which includes shared services for all four colleges operating under the oversight of the executive dean, and another with the College of Science operating independently. A final decision about which model to use will be made at the end of the calendar year.
Over the summer of 2024, the Office of Academic Affairs’ project team reviewed peer AAU institutions’ organizational structures to analyze strategies for boosting efficiency and effectiveness. In the end, the team found that nearly 70 percent of these top-tier research universities share services across liberal arts and sciences departments and colleges as a practical solution for providing consistent, high-quality services. Sharing services across units also allows universities to use resources more strategically – helping maximize the academic mission, particularly in resource-constrained environments.
In August, deans of the university’s four liberal arts and sciences colleges and school co-designed a process to hear directly from their faculty and staff—what is working well, which areas need support and what college stakeholders would prioritize in a shared services model. Then Academic Affairs hosted 12 listening sessions in September and October, and sent employees an online survey.
To see responses to common questions raised in the listening sessions and survey, visit the project FAQ webpage. Additional feedback can be shared through the online form.
The Results
The listening sessions highlighted several challenges for the colleges and school. Smaller units struggle with funding and other resources. Training and infrastructure for onboarding new staff can be affected by those limitations. Finally, staff absences and turnover can lead to service disruptions at small departments and schools.
Shared services aim to address these practical challenges. For instance, in shared services, departments with limited support staff could receive enhanced assistance by drawing on the resources of departments with larger support teams. This approach would provide targeted help to areas in need without disrupting existing operations in well-staffed departments, leading to a more balanced distribution of support across units.
Stakeholders for the colleges also expressed strong support for retaining college autonomy, locally responsive services and local expertise at the department and college level under any shared services model.
At the same time, the research highlighted several areas where shared services are already working well, including research administration.
A town hall to review the research findings is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 2 to 3 p.m.
Next Steps
By the end of December, the president and provost, with approval from the university’s board of trustees and feedback from the school and colleges, will choose which structure will be implemented. Throughout the month of December, leadership teams of the four units will provide feedback on the structural options, roles and position descriptions of deans and the executive dean. Following this input, an internal university-wide search for a new executive dean will be launched in January. This new leader will be responsible for managing the development of shared services in such a way that staff and faculty are integral to the process.