Guiding Principles

About Our Guiding Principles

Finance and Administration supports the mission of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). The University is an inclusive, collaborative and responsive institution making a difference in the lives of students and the communities it serves.

Finance and Administration collaborates with campus stakeholders to meet the educational, social, economic and environmental challenges on local, state and national levels and beyond; and strives to consistently foster and maintain an inclusive environment that encourages innovation, productivity and the integration of business affairs within the teaching, research, and service pursuits of the University.

In 2014, Finance and Administration implemented new programs to assess its state of affairs and measure performance relative to the guiding principles. The narrative below summarizes the Employee Engagement and Responsible Stewardship underway and expands the guidance for implementing the Customer Service initiative within the organization.

A large, multifaceted organization that provides a wide range of services to UNCG, Finance and Administration follows the following three guiding principles listed below.

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is embracing, empowering and retaining a talented and productive workforce.

As part of the ongoing efforts in Finance and Administration to increase employee engagement, employees are asked to participate in an annual engagement survey and provide specific feedback. Survey results are used by the VC, AVC’s, Directors and the VCBA Advisory Committee to develop strategies and equip each employee with the necessary tools and training to effectively and efficiently meet customer expectations.

Ten (10) factors have been identified by employees as key attributes of a successful and inclusive environment:

Customer Service

Excellent customer service strives to meet the needs and expectations of the university community and its stakeholders while complying with appropriate federal, state and local regulations.

Finance and Administration is committed to making customers and their needs a primary focus. Each department’s approach to providing effective customer service may vary; however, there are three fundamental expectations for all customer service programs in the division:

1. owning the processes or procedures from start to finish, regardless of the number of offices or service providers that are involved;
2. establishing and maintaining the means to measure customer satisfaction and customer expectations in delivering services; and
3. a commitment to continuous improvement of services provided.

Customer service providers are also responsible for including the following standards:

Promptness

A reasonable response time, including communications with the customer and a move to action associated with completing the requested service. Each department must establish its own response time to meet customer satisfaction; however, minimally, contact with the customer will occur by the end of the following business day of the original request.

Accuracy

To provide correct information or the appropriate referrals to define, understand and meet the needs and expectations of the customer.

Reliability

The extent to which the outcome of a process or procedure yields the same results. An element of great customer service is repeating quality service each time you interact with the customer. Consistent performance builds strong business relationships. Each department must establish a standard of care to guarantee work that will allow the customer to function at his/her highest potential.

Effective Communication

Timely and delivered with a positive attitude and confidence from the time of the request until completion. Each department must identify the ways and means to establish and maintain communication that assures the customer that services are being handled in the most efficient and effective manner. The key to successful communication is oriented around listening – first listening and then creating forward thinking solutions. Each department must establish a record of openness and transparency in decision-making when working with faculty, staff, students and board/foundation members in the context of collaboration and shared destiny. Future services are enhanced through effective, proactive actions and communications.

Measuring Performance

Performance is the fulfillment of a promise. Each department will establish performance goals by analyzing service levels and plans for improvement. Measuring processes may require inter-departmental collaboration.

Responsible Stewardship

Stewardship of the resources entrusted to our care means performing in the best possible way with the least waste of time, energy and money. In order for departments to continuously improve, they must attract the best talent who possesses the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to set specific benchmarks and identify measurable changes to their services.

Identifying efficiencies in our administrative services allows the division to reinvest resources in priority projects and programs. Finance and Administration represents gains in efficiency by designating 1% of the annual operating budget for reallocation.

Recognizing that not all improvements can be accomplished within a 12-month budget cycle, long term investment can be made when a self-sustaining business plan (up to 5 years) can be developed to pay back an upfront investment.

Please Note

Finance and Administration is a team of employees working to support and advance the University’s mission to attract the appropriate talent and resources. With a spirit of collaboration and creativity, the division helps UNCG achieve its mission, adhere to its values, and meet its goals by providing sustainable professional human resource, safety, and financial, facilities, auxiliary and risk management services for its stakeholders.