Deadline to submit suggestions - TOMORROW

The Working Groups continue to work diligently to compile as many ideas as they can for consideration. To that end we need the help of the full SCU community. As you consider the future of the University over the next five or ten years, do you have a suggestion for ways to improve efficiency, generate revenue, or reduce costs? Submit your idea via the online form -- Deadline for ideas from the community is Wednesday, April 5. Thanks to all those who have generated ideas so far.

Project Timeline

• September 15, 2016: Convocation Address
• September 28, 2016: Official launch of project via email from Fr. Engh to campus community
• November 10, 2016: University Open Forum
• November 29, 2016: Project leadership announced
• January, 2017: Working groups initiated 
• January 25, 2017: Invitation to community to submit ideas via project website
• April 5, 2017: Deadline for campus community to submit ideas
• April 12, 2017: Working groups submit summaries and full list of ideas
• April 24-28, 2017: Working Group Leads present reports to Steering Committee
• May, 2017: Steering Committee reviews and discusses information to organize for report
• June 21, 2017: Project Co-chairs send report icluding all ideas generated to Fr. Engh
• July - September, 2017: Leadership reflection and decision-making
• Fall 2017: Announcements to campus community

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on feedback from the campus community, we have developed a list of frequently asked questions for the project website.  We hope these help to provide further clarity on the process. The text of the questions is also included at the end of this email for easy reference.

Thanks for all of the support to move forward this project. If you have any further ideas, comments, questions, or feedback, drop us an email (sustainingexcellence@scu.edu) as we would love to hear from you.

Best,

The Steering Committee

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The full text of the FAQs is also available on the project website. 

1. What is the Sustaining Excellence Project?
   The Sustaining Excellence is a comprehensive process of reviewing and assessing current operations and recommending ways to strengthen the long-term fiscal health of the University. 
   
   
2. What’s the aim of the project? 
   The project is aimed at looking for ways to engage the campus community in idea generation to positively impact the mission of the University and set SCU up for success long into the future.
   
   The ideas will range in scope, include opportunities to generate new revenue by capitalizing on new business opportunities and/or expanding current ones, search for efficiencies and effectiveness that can help cut costs to meet long-term resource needs -- all with the aim of enabling SCU to successfully achieve its planned growth over the coming years. At the end of the day, we all want SCU to thrive and be the best university it can possibly be. We hold our mission and values near and dear to our hearts and want to do all that we can to sustain and enhance our excellence for many years to come.
   
   
3. Why now? 
   The implementation of the University’s strategic plan as well as the confluence of pressures impacting higher education make this an ideal time to engage in this project.
   
   Fr. Engh’s Convocation Address in September 2016 highlighted both SCU’s position of great strength and financial security as well as the many challenges impacting private higher education in the country today. To this end, the Sustaining Excellence Project is designed to engage in brainstorming and creative thinking to identify new sources of income. The project is dependent upon dialogue, blue-sky dreaming and engagement with open minds and open hearts. A successful project will result in the campus coming together to consider how to best set SCU up into further positions of strength into the future.
   
   

4. Why the sudden conversation about finances? This seems new to me.
   Fr. Engh made several key points in his convocation address in September 2016 and the state of the University address in February 2017. “SCU enjoys both fiscal strength and an enviable position. Look at our endowment: as of 31 December 2016, our endowment was worth $853 million. I also stated that we cannot be complacent. In that context, I outlined the Sustaining Excellence initiative to prepare for the future.”

5. We've heard a lot about the 2017 budget issues. How is the SEP different from the recent budget discussions?
   The SEP is focused on long-term financial planning while the recent budget discussions have focused on short term budget issues.

   The Sustaining Excellence Project is engaging the campus community in considering opportunities to set SCU up for success in the years to come, rather than seeking to address short-term budget issue. While it is true that the FY16 University Operating Budget incurred a net operating loss, this was due to a variety of factors that have been addressed outside of the Sustaining Excellence Project. These short-term budget challenges reaffirm the value of the Sustaining Excellence Project as it looks to position SCU well for years well into the future.

6. How can I help?
   The best way to participate is to consider ideas that you see for the university to explore for further revenue generation or cost savings and efficiencies and to submit this ideas through the online form on the Sustaining Excellence website.

   This process can only be successful with the participation of the whole campus community. In addition, communicating to colleagues about information available on the website and the option to submit ideas will help us spread participation across all the areas of the University.

7. Who is involved in this process?
   Everyone in the SCU community is invited to play a part in this process.

   There are many members of the campus community involved in this project at various levels. 

• All member of the SCU community are encouraged to submit ideas via the website for consideration by April 5. The more wide-ranging the ideas and their sources, the better chance for project success.
• External Project Consultants: Representatives from Teibel Education Consulting are supporting the project, using their experience to share best practices throughout the process.
• Working Groups: The seven working groups work to solicit, generate, and capture all the ideas for their particular area of focus and present those ideas to the Steering Committee.
• Steering Committee: Members of the Steering Committee are charged with receiving all the information from the Working Groups, and synthesizing and organizing that information in a way that best helps Fr. Engh to make informed decisions.  
• Project Co-Chairs, Lisa Kloppenberg and Tom Plante: Tom and Lisa are charged with directing the project to ensure all the moving pieces continue in the right direction and in a timely fashion. In addition, Tom and Lisa ensure that the whole campus community is kept up-to-date on the project.
• Fr. Engh: Fr. Engh commissioned this project to support him in making the decisions he is charged with as president to set SCU up for success for years to come.
  
  
8. What is the project timeline?
   The project kicked off in Fall 2016 and will come to a close in Fall 2017.  The working groups will Complete their work by the end of April. The Steering Committee submits the final report to Fr. Engh by the middle of June. Fr. Engh then works to assess the report and determine next steps. The results of Fr. Engh’s deliberations will be shared with the campus community in the fall.
   
   
9. How is information be shared with the broader community?
   Quality communication is key to the success of this project. Campus emails will be sent at least every month. All communications and updated information will be published on the project website regularly. In addition, members of the working groups and Steering Committee will periodically meet with key campus groups to share updates in person.
   
   
10. What role will Shared Governance play in the next steps?
    Any decisions implemented as a result of the project that impact University policy will go through the respective Shared Governance processes. In addition, members of the University Coordinating Committee were invited to solicit recommendations for project members. 
    
    
11. Where can I find past communications about the project?
    The “Updates” page of the website provides an inventory of all project communications.
    
    
12. If I have questions about the project or wish to discuss an idea with someone on the project, whom should I contact?
    Send an email to sustainingexcellence@scu.edu and we can direct you to the best point of contact within the project.