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Office of Business and Auxiliary Services

Unit Annual Report 2003-2004

The Office of Business and Auxiliary Services is composed of three units – Auxiliary Services, Purchasing and Central Warehouse and Mail Service.

Business and Auxiliary Services

The mission of Business and Auxiliary Services is to:

1. Operate the auxiliaries of the university providing the best possible services that can be provided for the amount charged. Services are to be on a self-supporting basis. Services are to reflect the needs of the university in meeting its total mission.
2. Procure goods and services that are acquired at competitive prices, received in a timely manner and insure that invoices are paid in the proscribed time frame.
3. Provide postal service to campus insuring timely distribution and processing of mail.

Departmental Statement of Goals to Assess, Process to Assess These Goals, and Assessment Results:

1. Goals - Provide services that enhance the teaching learning community to include a quality dinning experience, full compliment of textbooks and accessories, the purchase of goods and services on a competitive basis, and the distribution and processing of mail.
2. Assessment Process
1. Dining Services
1. The Director of Business and Auxiliary Services meets with the Director of Dinning Services on a weekly basis, and the District manager on a monthly basis, to review all aspects of the contracted food service program. 
2. ARAMARK, the University’s food service contractor, surveys student’s preferences on an annual basis covering a variety of factors.  Data is used to make adjustments in the dining program. Reports on file with the Director of Business and Auxiliary Services.
3. The Director of Business and Auxiliary Services meets with the Student Government Association at least once per semester to discuss auxiliary services including dining services.

2. Bookstore
1. Examine job components, descriptions and number of staff and post openings on University website.
2. Utilize course history and sales tracking within the Nebraska point of sale system to forecast the number of textbooks to carry.  Course quantities will be approved by the bookstore prior to publication.
3. Have in-store shows and attend trade shows to maintain current styles.  Selections are made with a preference towards low minimum quantities. Item price is a determining factor in the final order placed with the vendor.
4. Manager is being introduced to faculty and staff as they come into the bookstore.  All student issues are referred to the manager. 
5. Bookstore will market heavily to the freshman by attending Student Services Fairs offered over the summer.  Bookstore will develop a brochure listing services and policies.  Bookstore will place ads within the University newspaper promoting services and sales
6. Bookstore will ensure that it provides the web address to the on-line store to each in-store customer in addition to appearing in all advertising.
3. Vending Services
1. Vending contracts must be current providing the best quality service at the greatest return to the university.
4. ID Card
1. Remove SSN from university ID card
2. Students, faculty and staff have active accounts in the Blackboard ID system. 
3. Financial transactions across the student ID are reconciled on a monthly basis.
5. Purchasing Services
1. Conducts workshops each year to inform departments on changes in purchasing and travel regulations.
2. Yearly state audit is conducted to evaluate adherence to policies and procedures.
3. For this fiscal year, a Board of Regents audit was conducted to evaluate adherence to purchasing policies and procedures, specifically those involving the purchasing card process.
4. Review how the receiving process can be enhanced through the use of package tracking software.
6. Mail Services
1. Provide excellent mail service to the campus
2. Insure the privacy and security of mail
3. Maintain quality working relationship with the Carrollton Post Office
7. Campus Scheduling
1. The process to scheduling campus facilities is readily available to the campus community.
8. Financial disbursement
1. Streamline financial aid and other student disbursements using electronic fund methods to reduce check writing and to increase delivery of services to students.
9. Lab Printing
1. Streamline lab printing to reduce paper and recover cost using a cashless transaction system.                                                           
 
3. Assessment Results
1. Dining Services – The University completed its first year under a new contract and with improved facilities.  Students have commented positively on the facilities and the food selections.  ARAMARK and Auxiliary Services are assessing the JAVA City locations trying to improve on the financial return.  Assessment includes feedback from the dean of the college of education, hours of operation and product selection.  Adding a “Smoothie” component to the JAVA City concepts is under review for fall 04.  ARAMARK made a management changes in May 04 to improve services.
2. Bookstore –
1. Advertise, interviewed and filled all open staff positions in bookstore.
2. Evaluated decision making process and percentages of requested quantities prior to buyback and ordering.
3. Staff attended national and state shows and educational classes on clothing and soft goods buying.
4. Manager meets with faculty members in the store and solicits their comments and feedback.  Manager will survey students and faculty in the fall.
5. Student Services Fairs begin in June.  Brochures are still in preliminary stages and have not been printed.  Advertising will begin in time for end of summer buybacks. 
6. Customers receive a bookmark detailing the mission statement of the bookstore, the return policy and web site address and benefits.
7. Printing of Course pack procedures were streamlined to insure that the financial resources of the bookstore were not being wasted.
3. Vending Services
1. A new snack contract was awarded starting July 1, 2004 to Koffee Kart.  Service of the machines is high and complaints are minimal. All other vending contracts were renewed.
4. ID Card –
1. University officials have determined that use of SSN has the identifier is no longer an acceptable standard due to identity theft.
2. The University ID is the vehicle used by students for many cashless transactions.  During FY04, approx. $379,000 was deposited on the ID card. The number of transactions across the card totaled 30,726 by May 25, 2004.  Students, as well as vendors, are very supportive of cashless transactions and have come to prefer this method over cash.  Reconciliation of accounts meets acceptable audit standards.
5. Purchasing Services
1. Evaluations completed by workshop participants indicated a level of satisfaction in the material presented.
2. New reconciliation processes were developed or enhanced to meet audit requirements.  FY 03 audit resulted in no findings for Purchasing Services.
3. Extensive audit of purchasing card process by Board of Regents auditors resulted in no audit findings or recommendations.
4. Software to enhance the process of tracking deliveries is being investigated and funding has been requested.
6. Mail Service
1. Mail is received, sorted and delivered by 10:00am daily.
2. Mail, distributed to student boxes, is done by full-time staff.
3. Postmaster maintains communicates weekly with Carrollton Post office to insure levels of service are maintained.
7. Campus Scheduling
1. Scheduling of campus facilities has increased as a result of a more open system.
8. Financial Disbursements
1. Prior to adopting a new model, UWG had a number of processes that did not support electronic fund distribution and were instead paper-check based. The distribution of paper-checks is an unsatisfactory process for all parties: it's costly, labor-intensive and has built in lag time of up to seven days. During a typical fall semester, UWG would disburse millions of dollars in aid, print thousands of checks, and sort them and then disbursing to students over several days. Students endured long lines, inclement weather and an unsatisfactory response from some banks when they went to cash them.

Examples of Process Improvements or Changes

1. Dining Services – ARAMARK and the University continue to “tweak” the food service program to improve on service to students.  One additional pizza oven was purchased to keep up with demand.  Improved cleaning program was initiated between ARAMARK and University to insure a high level of cleanliness.  A new ARAMARK management team is in place to insure the program maintains its high standards.  Student, staff and faculty feedback was solicited using on-line surveys.  Results on file in Auxiliary Services office.
2. Bookstore – University officials have developed preliminary talking points for building a new bookstore in the next 10 years.  A new bookstore manager was hired in February 04.  On-line sales continue to increase steadily. Revised all staff job descriptions.
3. Vending Services – Increased revenue to the university provides financial support to improve auxiliary services.
4. ID Card – All university ID card holders records were changed from SSN to a unique identifier In May 2004. FY 04 will serve as the base year to measure future years.
5. Financial Disbursements - The University signed an agreement with HigherOne to provide electronic fund disbursement of financial aid dollars and other refunds in December 2003. The wait time for students to access to their funds as been reduced by 3 days. Approximately 6364 (66%) % of UWG students receive a refund each semester. 6092 (60%) of UWG students activated the card. Check printing and reconciling for refunds has been reduced by 90%. Checks disbursed annually - reduced from 22,796 to 3,400 (85%). Check printing has been reduced from 43 hours to almost no time. 1,048 man-hours have been saved in preparing and disbursing checks. $450 in casual labor has been saved.

General Statement of Department Condition

The “health” of Business and Auxiliary Services in areas addressed annual report is overall positive. has taken on new responsibilities support servicing student with implementation campus scheduling software, electronic fund disbursement, addition lab printing.  Purchasing made great progress using Peoplesoft Financial system identifying reconciling outstanding encumbrances accounts payable. bookstore major getting a full compliment staff hired job descriptions revised.  Mail improved relations local post office through better communications.  lost invaluable Vickie Stapler, assistant director of auxiliary services, due to retirement after 30 years of service.

V. Departmental Achievements

1. Completed the renovation work in Z-6, food court and built out two coffee kiosks a c-store for ARAMARK use.
2. Assisted in the implementation of an electronic fund distribution program.
3. No audit findings were issue for Purchasing Services as a result of the FY03 state and regent’s audit.
4. Bookstore processed 1123 web orders totaling $169,675 in sales.
5. Installed Uniprint lab printing software for computer labs to control paper waste and establish cost recovery.

VI.  Staff productivity – Auxiliary attended the following training and/or professional development conferences

VII.  Student Achievement

Bookstore employee Adam Morris was named Student of the Year

VIII.  Other Awards, Distinction and Achievements - 

Bob Swanson, bookstore manger, was elected to the Georgia Association of College Stores Board Directors.

Patricia Durrough serves as the faculty/staff representative to Alumni Board of Directors.