The MUSC Finance and Administration CQI Steering Committee has embarked on its first two process improvement projects, chosen using a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) management philosophy, designed to change the culture of the university.

The projects, notification of employee departure and student loan exit interviews, were selected from approximately 100 recommendations. These projects were selected because of their high impact on users and span multiple departments. For example, when an employee leaves, multiple areas are impacted including security, human resources, finance, parking, and the Center for Computer Information Technology (CCIT). By looking at how the message gets to each department, problems can be addressed and the process improved.

Although only two recommendations were chosen for the pilot projects, remaining suggestions were returned to managers who are addressing them within their departments and reporting progress to the steering committee.

Robert Gallager, vice president for finance and administration, established the committee in November and charged it with developing a CQI initiative. Since last fall, the committee has received training in CQI, has begun to establish a structure for how the program will operate, and has used CQI tools to choose the first two pilot projects.

CQI seeks first to define and then to improve processes so that they become more effective and/or efficient. Because customers determine the level of efficiency, CQI strives to meet or exceed their expectations. The CQI philosophy maintains that improved customer satisfaction makes employees feel better about what they do and increased efficiency and effectiveness lead to an overall improved work environment.

Although only two recommendations were chosen for the pilot projects, remaining suggestions were returned to managers who are addressing them within their departments and reporting progress to the steering committee.

From July through September, committee members have presented and will continue to present CQI awareness overviews for all Finance and Administration employees. Affected departments include Human Resources Management, Engineering and Facilities (Physical Plant), Planning, the Division of Finance, Campus Safety and Security, Center for Computing and Information Technology (CCIT), and Grants and Contracts Accounting. The presentation schedule follows: Division of Finance, July 30; CCIT, Aug. 12; Public Safety, Aug. 12,19, 26, Sept. 2; Media Services, Aug. 14; University Press, Aug. 19, 21; Transportation, Aug. 20, 21; Art and Photography, Aug. 21; University Record Center, Aug. 21; Human Resources Management, Sept. 15; Parking, Sept. 23; Planning, to be announced; Engineering and Facilities, to be announced; Grants and Contracts Accounting, to be announced.

For more information about CQI in the Division of Finance and Administration, visit the web site <http://www.musc.edu/fanda/cqi>.